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 108 Coventry Hills Lane
 Troutman, NC 28166
  TEL: 704.528.0480
  FAX: 704.528.0132
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
History and Accomplishments:
 

History
     In 1998 groups from local, state (NC & SC), and Tribal governments, as well as conservation and recreation organizations began to meet to take advantage of the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity presented by the expiration in 2008 of Duke Energy’s 50 year old license for 13 hydropower facilities and 11 reservoirs along the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. From these meetings the Catawba~Wateree Relicensing Coalition (CWRC) was formed and received 501 (c) (3) status in November 2000.
 
     CWRC is a two state (North and  South Carolina) grassroots coalition whose mission is to give an independent voice to the relicensing effort and facilitate a relicensing process to protect, enhance, and restore the natural, cultural, recreational and economic resources of the Catawba-Wateree River basin through:
 
 

Ø Educating the general public about their environmental and conservation rights in hydro-dam relicensing and encouraging them to participate in a collaborative relicensing effort;
  ØAdvocacy for the public benefits of all people from a public resource; and,
  ØProviding technical input for environmentally sound relicensing study requests in watershed management, fish passage, water flow levels, water quality/quantity, recreation/public access needs, land use/planning, cultural/historic and terrestrial resources.
 
Programs & Strategic Priorities
     CWRC has been recognized nationally as a leader in creating a grass roots organization to work collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders in a process traditionally known for adversarial relationships. CWRC currently works with over 50 local, state, and federal organizations to insure that this relicensing process is inclusive, transparent and fair to all stakeholders.
 
     This relicensing is the only opportunity stakeholders may have to evaluate our river’s present condition and work together to ensure the Catawba River Basin is managed in a comprehensive, sustainable manner that meets the needs of current and future generations. The new license will include important recreation, conservation, and water quantity and quality measures that will determine the very character of our river basin for the next 30 to 50 years. This will be the last chance in our lifetime to use an opportunity of this magnitude to ensure:
 
  ØEnhanced protection of fish and wildlife habitat;
  ØSufficient and appropriate mitigation for impacts associated with hydropower facilities;
  ØRegional economic prosperity with the quality of life based on a foundation of a healthy, sustainable river system;
  ØRecreational opportunities that include local fishing holes, hiking trails and places to swim;
  ØClean energy – efficiently produced with hydropower generation;
  ØClean, fairly allocated water for our communities;
  ØAdditional access to the river for the boating and non-boating public;
 
     CWRC has built a solid relationship with Duke Energy and participates in all the teams engaged in the process. We believe the river is a shared public resource and should be managed for the benefit of all stakeholders. We continue to work to identify key consensus goals. Current program priorities include:
 
  ØOutreach and coordination of regional activities and perspectives such as the regions water resource needs, erosion control and recreation plans;
  ØResearch, document and cross reference studies, interests, and impacts;
  ØEducate, assist and meet with stakeholders, government officials, State agencies and NGOs and bring relevant programs and efforts into the relicensing process;
  ØAdvocate to protect and enhance biodiversity, file comments with FERC, intervene on the process, Shoreline Management Plan and other issues;
  ØProvide specialized training to stakeholders on key relicensing issues and processes via CWRC sponsored workshops.
 
Current strategic priorities include:
 
  ØFair and balanced use among stakeholders of the river’s resources gained through a collaborative process;
  ØClean water to meet diverse stakeholder uses;
  ØLand around the Catawba-Wateree to meet recreation needs and environmental health needs for future generations;
  ØHabitat protection and enhancement, optimal flow regime for fishes, wildlife and natural vegetation;
  ØAdequate water supply;
  ØFlexible (adaptive) management of the river system over the term of the license.
 
Accomplishments
     CWRC’s first three years focused on building collaborative relationships with stakeholders throughout the basin through meetings, newsletters, newspaper articles and referrals. Our accomplishments include:
 
  ØFrom August 2000 through September 2002 the Coalition held six (6) public stakeholder conferences offering relicensing education from nationally recognized experts and the identification of issues.
   
  ØCWRC was written up in Hydropower Magazine (June 2001) and have earned the interest of the industry and the FERC.
   
  ØIn April 2002 hosted a trust building workshop for 40 participants based on the Legal Institute Analysis Model used by USGS.
   
  ØParticipated in a panel discussion at Hydrovision 2002 – the bi-annual international conference for the hydropower industry.
   
  ØSecured a meeting (October 2002) with Chairman Patrick Wood of the FERC who is personally interested in our success as a coalition as a means to realizing the reform efforts being made by the FERC.
   
  ØParticipate with the Bi-State Catawba River Task force.
   
  ØIntervened with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Duke Energy’s Shoreline Manage Plan (SMP).
   
  ØFiled detailed comments with the FERC on the Draft Environmental Assessment of the SMP in February 2003.
   
  ØDuring March, 2003 we attended the eight (8) public consultation meetings Duke held and at those meetings gave a public overview of our efforts to have a new license that will reflect the greater public benefit regarding equitable environmental and conservation practices.
   
  ØIn March and April 2003 CWRC participated in FERC rulemaking workshop sessions and post-workshop drafting sessions dealing with the proposed rule language as the FERC rewrote its own rules for the relicensing process of all hydroelectric dams. CWRC provided comments and recommendations to FERC on collaborative approaches versus the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP).
   
  ØIn April and May, 2003 CWRC held two (2) issues and study requests workshops with 30 different entities from NC and SC represented (also in attendance were representatives from FERC and representatives from the Duke Energy relicensing team). These conferences were educational workshops designed to train agencies and NGO’s on how to file study requests and what should be included.
   
  ØMay 30, 2003, CWRC filed with Duke Energy and the FERC a 39 page “Issues and Study Requests Document” that included comments on the First Stage Consultation Document that Duke had filed with FERC in late February (CWRC’s document was complied from issues identified over the past 4 years through discussion with communities and the general public, along with those gleaned from the eight public meetings held by Duke that CWRC representatives attended).
   
  ØThrough a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Natural Resources Leadership Institute (NRLI) at NC State University, CWRC and Duke Energy collaborated on a pre-relicensing trust building meeting focusing on enhancing the capacities of stakeholders to work toward an eventual consensus agreement for a new hydropower license.
   
  ØAs a direct result of the CWRC’s concern and recommendation, Duke held a national search for a hydropower facilitator to guide the process until the application is filed with the FERC. CWRC participated in writing the Proposal Request, vetting applicants, and influencing the final choice, along with a group from Duke, state agencies and federal agencies that we were instrumental in convening.
   
  ØBecause CWRC has continued to build a solid working relationship with Duke Energy we have successfully influenced their choice of relicensing process to a more collaborative traditional “Hybrid” with enhanced public participation instead of the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP) which allows for limited public input. North and South Carolina State Relicensing Teams (SRTs) have been formed with membership based on key relicensing representatives from state and federal resource agencies, Duke Energy, and non-government organizations (NGOs). CWRC has two primary seats (one each in North and South Carolina) on the SRTs and two alternates.
   
  ØThe SRTs will be advised by regional Advisory Groups (AGs) from North and South Carolina. There will be two groups of AGs in each of the states (NC Foothills, NC Metro, SC Piedmont, SC Lower Catawba) and will consist of a defined number of members that equitably represent local issues and interest to the SRTs. CWRC has board members and participants on each of the four AG teams.
   
  ØCWRC has participants on the Duke Energy Resource Committee that designs the study plans and will have participants that serve on the Technical Teams that carry out the studies.
   
  ØCWRC has taken a lead role in developing the Charter which will guide behavior throughout the relicensing process for the State Relicensing Teams (SRTs), Advisory Groups (AGs) and Duke Energy.
   
  ØCWRC is in regular communication with officials from the SC Department of Natural Resources (SC DNR) officials, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
   
  ØCWRC has developed an educational speaker’s bureau where staff and board members speak about the relicensing process with State and Local government agencies, NGOs, conservation groups, churches and clubs.
   
  ØIn November 2003 CWRC held a “Hydropower Water Quality Certification Workshop”. This workshop was held for North and South Carolina state agency employees that have a direct responsibility for each state 401 Water Quality Certification. The objectives for this workshop were to (1) facilitate a coordinated relicensing effort among state and federal water quality agencies; (2) help educate decision makers on their authorities and responsibilities under the Clean Water Act, and (3) provide examples of hydropower water quality certifications from other states.
   
  ØCWRC continues to meet regularly with officials of the utility, Duke Energy.

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