South SWP Facilities
The South SWP Hydropower facilities, also known as FERC Project No. 2426 or P-2426, are located at the southern end of the State Water Project (SWP), south of the Tehachapi Afterbay. This license expires in 2022. DWR is in the process of relicensing these facilities.
Relicensing of South SWP Hydropower
On January 14, 1972, FERC issued an order granting issuance of a 50-year license with conditions to DWR and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to the extent of its interest in the Castaic Powerplant pump storage operation. FERC later issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement (June 1976) to retroactively comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. The original license included 28 standard articles (Form L) and 27 other articles specific to the P-2426 license. In addition to these license articles, the original P-2426 license included 58 separate submissions called exhibits. Exhibits include maps, engineering drawings, environmental mitigation plan, recreational plan, and cultural resources management plan.
The current license expires on January 31, 2022. At the completion of the relicensing, DWR and LADWP are requesting that FERC issue:
- One new license to DWR and LADWP as co-licensees for the South SWP Hydropower facilities that consist of the Warne and Castaic Power Developments on the West Branch, and
- One new license to DWR for the Devil Canyon Project that consists of the Devil Canyon Power Development on the East Branch.
The West Branch carries water from the Oso Pumping Plant* into Quail Lake, the beginning of the P-2426 license boundary on the West Branch. Water enters the Peace Valley Pipeline which serves as a penstock for the William E. Warne Powerplant. The Warne Powerplant outflow is discharged into Pyramid Lake. Water from Pyramid Lake is diverted through the Angeles Tunnel and into the Castaic Powerplant, which is owned and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Water leaving the Castaic Powerplant enters the Elderberry Forebay, a key part of the Castaic Powerplant pump-storage operation and the southernmost end of the West Branch license boundary.
The hydroelectric facilities of the P-2426 West Branch have a combined license capacity of approximately 1,350 megawatts which produce an average of 0.93 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, not considering pump-back energy requirements.
*Oso Pumping Plant is not part of the P-2426 FERC license.
The East Branch carries water from the Tehachapi Afterbay through Alamo Powerplant*, Pearblossom Pumping Plant*, and Mojave Siphon Powerplant* before entering Silverwood Lake, where the P-2426 license boundary begins on the East Branch. Silverwood Lake, formed by the Cedar Springs Dam, serves as a forebay to the Devil Canyon Powerplant. Water is diverted from the lake, through the San Bernardino Tunnel and then through two penstocks into Devil Canyon Powerplant and Afterbays, the southernmost end of the East Branch license boundary. Note that the Alamo and the Mojave Siphon Powerplants are generation facilities regulated through conduit exemptions.
The hydroelectric facilities of P-2426 East Branch have a combined license capacity of approximately 280 megawatts which produce an average of 0.946 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.
*Alamo Powerplant, Pearblossom Pumping Plant and Mojave Siphon Powerplant are not part of the P-2426 FERC license.
Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake and Dam, located in Los Angeles County, provides storage for SWP deliveries from the West Branch Aqueduct. DWR/2014
Silverwood Lake
Cedar Springs Dam and Silverwood Lake, located in the San Bernardino National Forest, provides storage for SWP deliveries to the East Branch Aqueduct. DWR/2014