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Federal Activities
FERC/Hydropower Projects
The New England Field Office
reviews non-federal hydroelectric projects that are licensed
and exempted by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the Federal
Power Act and has a long tradition of fostering collaboration
with the regulated community and our state, federal and
non-government partners to accomplish common ecosystem
conservation and restoration goals.
We provide technical evaluations on the impacts of hydroelectric
power projects to fish and wildlife resources. FERC regulations,
as authorized by the Federal Power Act, and the Fish and
Wildlife Coordination Act, require license applicants
and licensees to consult with the Service prior to and
after project licensing so the Service may provide FERC
with:
- recommendations for the protection, mitigation of damages
to, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources for
licensed projects;
- mandatory prescriptions for fish passage;
- mandatory conditions for the protection, mitigation
of damages to, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources
for exempted projects; and
-mandatory terms and conditions to provide for the protection
and utilization of Service lands upon which proposed hydropower
projects may be located.
Our involvement in the FERC-Hydropower program provides
opportunities to:
- ensure upstream and downstream fish passage;
- restore more natural river flows downstream from projects;
- restore flows to dewatered river reaches;
- protect and enhance aquatic and riparian fish and wildlife
habitat ;
- reduce reservoir fluctuations;
- protect listed species;
- improve water quality.
This effort integrates many of the Service's programs
as we coordinate our hydropower activities with our Endangered
Species program , review of Clean
Water Act 404 permits, and projects we work on through
our Partners for Fish
and Wildlife and Environmental
Contaminants programs. We also work closely with our
Fisheries Division on anadromous fish restoration on the Connecticut River
and Merrimack
River and our Regional Engineering Office on fish
passage designs.
Success in the hydropower program requires a long-term
project planning commitment (the FERC licensing process
averages 7 years to complete) and many years of post-license
implementation, follow-up and compliance verification.
However, these activities reap tremendous long-term (30-50
years) fish and wildlife benefits.
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Last updated:
December 4, 2008
