Douglas PUD last week filed its draft license application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the relicensing of its Wells Hydroelectric Project.

The main portion of the application is the "Environmental Exhibit" with its 11 supporting documents. The exhibit's supporting documents include the proposed continuation of the Anadromous Fish Agreement and Habitat Conservation Plan, and the implementation of an Aquatic Settlement Agreement intended to protect and enhance sturgeon, bull trout, lamprey, resident fish and water quality resources found within the Wells Project.

The Aquatic Settlement Agreement was a collaborative effort and signed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The application also includes final management plans for the protection and enhancement of wildlife and botanical resources, an avian protection plan and a management plan for the protection and preservation of cultural resources.

It also includes a draft biological assessment that was developed in coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service, USFWS and FERC. The draft biological assessment provides an analysis of the effects of the proposed relicensing actions on Endangered Species Act listed species.

"These documents represent the culmination of over five years of work by Douglas PUD staff, and the federal, state, tribal and local community representatives involved in relicensing the Wells Project," said Shane Bickford, Douglas PUD Natural Resources supervisor.

"I feel the communication with policy level individuals at numerous agencies has been beneficial and I appreciate the time and talent these agencies have dedicated to this process," said Bill Dobbins, Douglas PUD general manager. More than 100 separate stakeholder outreach meetings with policy staff have been conducted.

After receiving comments on the draft application, a final license application for the Wells Hydroelectric Project will be filed with FERC in May 2010. After FERC receives the final application they will prepare a draft and final environmental assessment. FERC's EA will include, among other things, preliminary license articles. Douglas PUD continues to work closely with members of the Aquatic Settlement Work Group on the development of measures for the 401 Clean Water Act, water quality certification. The application for water quality certification for the Wells Project is expected to be filed with the Washington State Department of Ecology in October 2010.

The Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County's federal license to operate the Wells Hydroelectric Project expires on May 31, 2012. The Wells Project includes the Wells Reservoir, forebay, tailrace, dam, project lands and two 230 kV transmission lines. Wells Dam is the principal component of the Wells Project. It is located at river mile 515.6 on the Columbia River in the State of Washington, 30 river miles downstream of the Chief Joseph Project, owned and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and 42 miles upstream of the Rocky Reach Project, owned and operated by Chelan PUD.

Wells Dam includes 10 generating units with a nameplate rating of 774.3 MW and a peaking capacity of 840 MW. The design of Wells Dam is unique in that the generating units, spillways, switchyard and fish passage facilities are combined into a single structure referred to as the hydrocombine. The Wells Reservoir is 29.5 miles long. The Methow and Okanogan rivers are tributaries of the Columbia River within the Wells Reservoir. The Wells Project Boundary extends 1.5 miles up the Methow River and 15.5

miles up the Okanogan River and includes approximately 2,140 acres of shoreline lands above the ordinary high water mark.

Information on Wells Project Relicensing is available at www.douglaspud.org/relicensing