WCP Online Newsletter

Great News on the Cheoah Front!
by Rod Baird (email)

Contributed 12/02/2004  Responses:  1

Yes! There are scheduled boating flows on the Cheoah beginning in September, 2005. That is the first month of the new operating license (pending). There is a single day of 1000 cfs flow in September, October, and November. The day of the month isn t final, it may be during the week until an automatic gate is installed.

For 2006, there are 10 scheduled high flow events totaling 19 days. Most are in the February June period with two 1 day fall events. A similar pattern cycles through a 5 year period. Each year has 10 events, some totaling 19 days, other years 20 days. At the end of that 5 year period, and every year thereafter, there is the opportunity to determine if additional high flow events are compatible with certain rare, threatened, and endangered species - and the river s overall biological health. If there is no observed conflict, a consortium of regulatory agencies is empowered to have TAPOCO (Alcoa) add more high flow days.

All these statements are conditioned on the assumption that FERC actually issues a new license to TAPOCO in 2005. The flows I mentioned are contained in the draft of the license but more importantly, they are codified in the North Carolina 401 Water Quality Permit which was just issued. The 401 permit exists outside the FERC license; unless TAPOCO appeals this permit, its requirements become obligations!

Regardless of the maneuvering between now and September, it is virtually certain that we will enjoy a minimum of 19 or 20 days of scheduled releases a year for the foreseeable future.

This is why WCP, American Whitewater, Carolina Canoe Club, and all our other recreation/conservation organizations exist - to create a platform to fight for your interests! Go join a new organization for Christmas - you never know what kind of present it will get you!

SYOTR

Rod Baird
WCP Conservation Chair