New Public Safety Conditions for PG&E’s Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project (CA)

[Fresno,Calif., Oct. 3, 2024] – State and federal agencies have mandated new safety and environmental conditions for Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project on the San Joaquin River as part of the federal hydropower relicensing process overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The measures imposed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife are designed to improve public safety and enhance the ecological health of the river system. American Whitewater coordinated with the agencies and submitted its own comments to FERC, advocating for changes to the operation of the hydropower project to improve safety in the river gorge and provide additional opportunities for whitewater boating.

For years, river flows below PG&E’s Kerckhoff Dam have been erratic and dangerous due to dam releases that can fluctuate from a relative trickle to flood-like conditions in a matter of minutes. Just downstream from the dam, within the narrow confines of the popular San Joaquin River Gorge, river levels can rise over five feet almost instantaneously. In a tragic 2018 incident, a group of teenagers was swept into the river by a sudden release of water from the dam, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old from Clovis, California who drowned after rescuing one of his fellow hikers. 

The new license conditions for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project will address these dangerous flow fluctuations by requiring PG&E to limit the rise of water to no more than one foot per hour below the dam. Similar protocols are in place as a standard safety measure at hydropower projects across the country and are intended to alert people in and near the river that water levels are rising and provide time for them to move to safe locations.

The new public safety conditions will not go into effect until FERC has issued a new license for the hydropower project, a process that is expected to take several years. American Whitewater is advocating that FERC amend the project’s current license to provide these public safety benefits immediately before anyone else is hurt or drowned by PG&E’s erratic water releases. 

“People have the right to expect that they can safely recreate in rivers below PG&E’s dams. We are asking FERC to put these safety measures in place now rather than continuing to put the public at risk by waiting years for a new license to be issued,” said Dave Steindorf, American Whitewater’s Hydropower Specialist.

Meanwhile, PG&E is telling the public to stay away from the San Joaquin River below Kerckhoff Dam, citing its planned releases of up to 500 cubic feet per second from Kerckhoff Dam between October 1 to November 22. However, by the evening of October 1, PG&E had peaked its release at 4,608 cubic feet per second, nearly ten times the volume it warned the public about.

The agencies’ public safety conditions are complemented by new operational requirements for better coordination between PG&E and Southern California Edison’s upstream hydropower projects, ensuring more predictable river flow management in line with federal standards for systems with multiple dams. Additionally, the conditions mandate the release of environmental flows that mimic natural spring snowmelt, enhancing the health of aquatic ecosystems and supporting both the river’s ecology and recreational use.

American Whitewater played a key role in advocating for these new conditions. We commend the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the North Fork Mono Tribe for their leadership in making the San Joaquin River safer and healthier for all.