A new 43-year license for Chelan County PUD to continue to operate the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project was issued on February 19, 2009. The new license is based on a settlement agreement submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on March 17, 2006, between Chelan County PUD and stakeholders that includes the local communities, state and federal agencies, and Tribes and environmental groups.

The new license contains requirements for operating the 1300-megawatt Rocky Reach Project that are estimated to cost Chelan County PUD approximately $425 million over the 43 years including continuation of the HCP for salmon and steelhead, maintaining existing parks on the Rocky Reach reservoir, providing renovation of Entiat Park and enhancements to Lincoln Rock and Daroga State Parks. In addition, the new license has provisions to ensure safe passage of bull trout and lamprey past the dam, research on possible hatchery facilities to supplement the white sturgeon population, an evaluation of resident fish for future recreational fishing, funding for habitat restoration projects on federal and state wildlife lands and a variety of other actions.

Chelan County PUD’s application to FERC was developed in an Alternative Licensing process that included input from members of the community. Broad support for the license application included the National Park Service, US Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Alcoa Wenatchee Works., City of Entiat, Entiat Coalition, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakama Nation and Bureau of Land Management.

Chelan County PUD began the relicensing effort for the Rocky Reach Project in 1999, seven years before the license was to expire in June of 2006. Since 2006, the Chelan County PUD has been operating the dam with annual licenses issued by FERC.

This site is an information resource for agencies, Tribes, organizations and public interest groups, as well as anyone else interested in the implementation of the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project license.

The index on your left is divided into sections on the implementation process, meeting schedules and minutes, correspondence logs, and reports. Please note that some sections will appear blank until information is completed and/or published.

If you have suggestions, comments or questions after reviewing this site, we like to hear from you. Please contact Kris Pomianek. Thank you.

Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County
327 North Wenatchee Avenue
PO Box 1231
Wenatchee, Washington 98807-1231
(509) 663-8121

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