Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No. 1061

Project Name: Phoenix Hydroelectric Project

Lyons Dam and ReservoirLyons Dam and Reservoir
(Image courtesy of PG&E)
Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric
County: Tuolumne
License Expiration Date: August 31, 2022
Water Quality Certification Status: Final Certification issued August 25, 2022
Waterbodies: South Fork Stanislaus River
FERC Licensing Process: Traditional Licensing Process

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is the licensee of the 2-megawatt Phoenix Hydroelectric Project (Project) located on the South Fork Stanislaus River in Tuolumne County. The South Fork Stanislaus River is tributary to the San Joaquin River, which eventually flows into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and then the San Francisco Bay.  Lyons Reservoir has a nominal storage of 6,224 acre-feet (AF).

The primary Project facilities include: Lyons Reservoir; Main Tuolumne Canal (MTC); Phoenix Forebay; and Phoenix Powerhouse.  MTC consists of 13.34 miles of ditch, 1.98 miles of flume, and 0.07 miles of pipe that conveys water to the Phoenix Forebay.  Water is then diverted through 5,611 feet of penstock to the Phoenix Powerhouse.  Water discharged from the Phoenix Powerhouse is used by Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) for irrigation and domestic water needs.

There is no minimum pool requirement for Lyons Reservoir and operations are constrained by a water supply agreement with the TUD.  The agreement allows TUD to obtain releases from Lyons Reservoir into the MTC during non-spill conditions to meet its domestic, irrigation, and manufacturing water requirements.  The agreement also impacts Pinecrest Lake (Strawberry Dam) operations because it allows TUD contractual rights to some of the stored water to meets its domestic and irrigation water demand at no cost.  Pinecrest Lake is part of the PG&E’s FERC license for the Spring Gap-Stanislaus Project (FERC Project No. 2130), which was issued a new FERC license in 2009, and is not part of this project.

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