IMPORTANT UPDATE: PROJECT 2105
Recent Court Decision - NOT A LOSS!

A recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals IS NOT A LOSS IN LACC’S EFFORTS TO PREVENT THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FERC) from adding conditions into PG&E’s Upper North fork Feather River Hydroelectric Project (the 2105 License).

Project 2105 is a complex issue with a history beginning in 2004. Due to the serious nature of Project 2105, The “Save the Lake” coalition has created a task force to begin a series of articles to continue to educate and keep the greater Lake Almanor Basin informed. (See latest update in LACC newsletter Sept./Oct. issue.)

Again, not a loss. We are still fighting a good fight to keep the integrity and beauty of Lake Almanor.

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Check back soon for more updates on this important issue.

Meanwhile, take a moment to read the sample letter (below) that was sent DIRECTLY to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by one of our concerned members that makes a logical and strong argument for maintaining the water levels in Lake Almanor.

LACC's lawyer whose sole focus is Project 2105 has requested that we ask our members to send their own letters DIRECTLY TO FERC. The more support and concern that is shown by our community, the better chance we have of success.

(If you chose to send a letter to FERC, please copy and paste the text that is relevant to you, and then personalize appropriately.)
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SAMPLE LETTER #2:
Click this link to view:
https://lacc.nabrnetwork.com/site/1658/public/1658/2022-02-15_P2105_SampleLetterFERC-2_RL.txt

RESPONSE TO LETTER #2- from Congressman LaMalfa:
Click this link to view the response to Letter #2 from Congressman LaMalfa:
https://lacc.nabrnetwork.com/site/1658/public/1658/2022-02-15_P2105_ResponseCongLaMalfa_RL.txt

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SAMPLE LETTER #1:

January 11, 2022

Kimberly Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E., Rm 1A
Washington, DC  20428

RE: FERC Project 2105, Upper North Fork Feather River Project

Dear Commissioners,

As you are aware, the re-licensing for Project 2105 has gone on for a long time.  While most issues have been agreed to by all parties, there are a couple of outstanding issues--the biggest being the last-minute requirement by the State Water Resources Control Board to divert cold water from Lake Almanor to lower the downstream water temperature for the fish through the use of a thermal curtain.

My wife and I live at 717 Lassen View Drive on the peninsula in Lake Almanor, and the proposed diversion of cold water from the lake would have significant impact on us directly, the environment, and the community around Lake Almanor.  As a retired biologist, I understand the desire to lower the downstream water temperatures. But we need to keep in mind the ethical principle of "first, do no harm".  The benefits of the cold-water diversion are outweighed by the damage done to the lake Almanor ecosystem. Given Lake Almanor's large surface area and shallow depth, the lake water is already relatively warm in the summer.  Further diversion will make the problem worse.

I have enclosed a picture I took of the lake next to our house on October 19th, 2020. The algae bloom is a direct result of the warm water, and we have seen similar blooms in 2021. It is an obvious indication of declining health of the lake which so many of us in the community enjoy and which is a major contributor to the local economy.

The thermal curtain would benefit downstream fisheries, but would significantly harm Lake Almanor's fish populations, the recreational use of the lake, and the local economy.  We ask that you reject the proposed thermal curtain for Lake Almanor.

Kind regards,