In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission or FERC) regulations, 18 CFR part 380, Commission staff reviewed Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (licensee) application for a temporary variance of flow requirements under Article 39 of the license for the DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project No. 803 and have prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project.^[1] The licensee proposes to temporarily modify the flow requirements for the West Branch Feather River below the Hendricks Head Dam and Philbrook Creek below Philbrook Reservoir. Specifically, the licensee requests the minimum flow requirements for a normal water year: (1) in the West Branch Feather River, 15 cubic feet per second (cfs), respectively, be temporarily modified to 7 cfs over 48 hours; and (2) in Philbrook Creek, of 2 cfs, be temporarily modified to between 1 and 2 cfs over 48 hours, regardless of water year type. The licensee proposes to execute these changes as soon as the Commission grants approval until September 30, 2026. The DeSabla-Centerville project is located on Butte Creek, West Branch Feather River, and their tributaries in Butte County, California, and occupies federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

The final EA contains Commission staff's analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed temporary variance of flow requirements, alternatives to the proposed action, and concludes that the proposed variance, with appropriate environmental protective measures, would not constitute a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment.

The final EA may be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov using the “elibrary” link. Enter the docket number (P-803-129) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.

You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.

For further information, contact Ms. Joy Kurtz at 202-502-6760 or joy.kurtz@ferc.gov.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)