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DOCUMENT
SCOPING
II
FOR
MISSOURI-MADISON HYDROELECTRIC
PROJECT (FERC Project No. 2188)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Office of Hydropower Licensing
Washington, D.C.
May 994
1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 1
1.1 SITE VISIT AND SCOPING MEETINGS 3
1.2 EIS PREPARATION SCHEDULE 4
BACKGROUND
2.0 5
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
2.1 5
2.2 OPERATION OF THE PROJECT 9
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
2.3 12
3.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND PRINCIPAL ALTERNATIVES 14
3.1 MONTANA POWER’S PROPOSAL 14
3.2 ALTERNATIVE OPERATION AND ENHANCEMENT 30
3.3 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 31
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED
3.4
FROM DETAILED STUDY
3
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 33
4.1 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS 33
4.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS 34
4.3 WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY 34
4.4 FISHERIES RESOURCES 35
4.5 VEGETATION RESOURCES 36
4.6 WILDLIFE RESOURCES 36
4.7 CULTURAL RESOURCES 37
4.8 VISUAL RESOURCES 38
4.9 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES 38
4.10 SOCIOECONOMIC RESOURCES 39
4.11 LAND USE ISSUES 39
5.0 PROPOSED EIS OUTLINE 40
6.0 LIST OF RECIPIENTS 43
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SECTION
1.0
INTRODUCTION
Pending before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is an application for a new
license (i.e., relicense) filed by the Montana Power Company for the Missouri-Madison Hydroelectric
Project (FERC Project No. 2188). The project, which is located on the Missouri and Madison Rivers,
consists of nine developments located between West Yellowstone and Great Falls, Montana (Fig. 1).
The project is primarily operated for power production purposes with consideration for flood control,
fish and wildlife, and recreation.
On reviewing the application, supplemental filings and intervenor submittals, the Commission staff
has concluded that issuing a new license for the Missouri-Madison Project would constitute a major
federal action that could significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Commission’s regulations, the staff is
preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will describe and evaluate the probable
impacts of Montana Power’s proposal and alternatives.
A draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be issued in the spring of 1995 and circulated to all interested
parties for review. The Commission staff will analyze and consider all comments filed on the DEIS in
a final EIS (FEIS). The staff’s recommendations will then be presented to the Commission to consider
in reaching its final licensing decision.
One element of the EIS process is scoping. Scoping activities were initiated early to:
• Identify reasonable alternative measures that should be evaluated in the EIS
• Identify significant environmental issues related to the proposed project
• Determine the depth of analysis for issues addressed in the EIS
• Identify resource issues that are not important and that do not require detailed analysis
This scoping document has been prepared to enable federal, state, and local resource agencies; other
interested parties; and the general public to effectively participate in and contribute to the scoping
process. This document contains the following:
• A discussion of the project site visit and scoping meetings
• A schedule for EIS preparation
• A description of the proposed action and alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS
• A preliminary list of environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS
• A preliminary outline of the EIS
1
CHOUTEAUCO.
LEWISANDCLARKCO.
i
WYOMING
0 20 40 60 80 100
Kilometers
Figure 1. Upper Missouri River Basin showing the location of the facilities that comprise
the Missouri-Madison Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 2188) (Source: The staff)
2
1.1 SITE VISIT AND SCOPING MEETINGS
From November 16 through 18, 1993, Commission staff participated in site visits to the following
sites:
• Great Falls developments (Black Eagle, Rainbow, Cochrane, Ryan, and Morony),
• Holter and Hauser developments, and
• Madison and Hebgen developments.
All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies were invited to attend the site visits and were
also invited to assist the staff in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed
in the EIS. Each site visit was conducted in the company of Montana Power Company
representatives; federal, state, and local resource agencies and government officials; interested parties;
organizations; and interested individuals.
Commission staff also conducted four scoping meetings. Three evening scoping meetings were
primarily for public input, while a day-time meeting focused on resource agency and non-
governmental organization (NGO) concerns. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies
were invited to attend one or more of the meetings to assist the staff in identifying the scope of
environmental issues that should be analyzed in the EIS. The times and locations of the evening
scoping meetings were as follows:
Tuesday, January 18, 1994: 7:00 p.m. in the Missouri Room of the Great Falls Civic Center,
Great Falls, Montana.
Wednesday, January 19, 1994: 7:00 p.m. in the Judicial Room of the Best Western Colonial Inn,
Helena, Montana.
Thursday, January 20, 1994: 7:00 p.m. in the Ennis High School Library, Ennis, Montana.
The staff also held a scoping meeting oriented toward resource agencies and NGOs on Wednesday,
January 19, 1994, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Judicial Room of the Best Western Colonial Inn,
Helena, Montana.
At the scoping meetings, the staff:
(1) Summarized the environmental issues tentatively identified for analysis in the EIS
(2) Discussed the depth of analysis for issues to be addressed in the EIS
(3) Identified resource issues that are not important and do not require detailed analysis
(4) Solicited available information from the meeting participants, especially quantifiable data on the
resources at issue
(5) Encouraged statements from experts and the public on issues that should be analyzed in the EIS,
including viewpoints that oppose or support the staffs preliminary views
The scoping meetings were recorded by a stenographer and the notes have become part of the formal
record of the Commission proceedings on the Missouri-Madison Hydroelectric Project. Copies of the
scoping meeting transcripts can be obtained from Ann Riley at (202) 293-3950.
3
1.2 EIS PREPARATION SCHEDULE
The proposed schedule for EIS preparation calls for releasing the DEIS in the spring of 1995, and the
FEIS in the fall of 1995. However, this schedule is preliminary and subject to change based on the
need for additional studies and agency and public reviews ofthe DEIS.
4
