This newsletter provides updates about the federal relicensing of the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. More information is available on the project website or by emailing the project team at scl_skagitrelicensing@seattle.gov.

Seattle City Light has more than 33 studies underway to help inform future operations of the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. These studies are critical to the relicensing process because they will inform the actions that City Light will take to manage and protect the Skagit River watershed's cultural, environmental, and recreational resources under the next license.  

While summer means vacation for many, study work is continuing. In fact, if you’re headed up to the North Cascades in the next couple of months, you might just spot some field work in action! Here’s a look at some of the work happening in the Project area this summer: 

Water Quality

The purpose of the Water Quality Monitoring study is to collect water quality data which, along with existing water quality information, will support the license application, including the application to the Department of Ecology for certification of the Project under the Clean Water Act. The data being collected includes measurements of water temperature, turbidity (a measure of how clear the water is), dissolved oxygen, and other aspects of water quality.  

This summer, researchers are collecting samples of the small invertebrates that live among the rocks and sediment at the bottom of the Skagit River and the project reservoirs. Invertebrates are animals without a backbone—think insects, worms, and crustaceans. Once collected, the invertebrates are taken back to the lab for species identification. The species found in the sampling nets indicate the condition of the water quality where they are found.  

Researchers collect invertebrates using sampling nets. Once collected, the samples are cleaned and transported to the lab.  

Special Status Amphibians 

Did you know that some amphibians, such as Oregon spotted frogs, have official protection due to declining populations in the region or the potential for their habitats to be lost? The Special Status Amphibians study will inform how land is managed in areas where the amphibians may be found. 

Starting in April of this year, researchers surveyed several sites including ponded areas in the Ross Lake drawdown (the area where the lake level is lowered in the summer), fringe wetlands and streams that were flowing into the reservoir area, and even remote sites near the Canadian border that were only accessible by helicopter.  

A researcher holds a Chorus Frog, found during field work in the Ross Lake drawdown.

Recreational Use and Facility Assessment 

The Skagit Project and the Ross Lake National Recreation Area sit in the middle of the North Cascades National Park Complex, with National Forest to the east and west. The area is a popular destination for visitors, especially in the summer months when recreation opportunities abound. 

The Recreational Use and Facility Assessment is measuring the use of recreation facilities in the Project area and portions of the surrounding National Park and National Forests to help determine whether the facilities are adequate to meet current and future recreation demand. 

This summer, researchers will gather data on the level of use by surveying visitors, counting the number of people using trails, as well as the number of cars, tents, or boats in the study area, and observing how people use different sites throughout the area.  

To find out how many people use a certain trail in the study area, a researcher discreetly installs a counter on a tree trunk. 

Warmer and drier conditions driven by climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires, even in the traditionally wet and rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest. When weather conditions turn especially hot, dry, and windy, our forests’ abundant vegetation and dead woody debris can fuel catastrophic fires that threaten not just the forests themselves, but the buildings and infrastructure interlaced within them. Seattle City Light is paying close attention to changing wildfire conditions and proactively taking action to reduce the risk of igniting wildfires, as well as the potential impacts of wildfire on energy facilities, electricity delivery, and the communities we serve. Developing a wildfire risk reduction strategy will ensure we can continue to meet our mission to deliver affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy services to our customers. 

Learn more about City Light’s efforts to mitigate wildfire risk in this Powerlines blog post by Ronda Strauch, Climate Change Research and Adaptation Advisor.  

In 2015, the Goodell Creek started when lightning struck Ross Mountain in the North Cascades National Park Complex, less than a mile from the Skagit Hydroelectric Project. The fire took nearly 20 days to contain and burned 6,700 acres. Pictured is the fire above the Gorge Powerhouse in Newhalem.

The summer just won’t be the same without Skagit Tours. In November, severe flooding washed out a section of SR 20 leading into Newhalem, reducing traffic to a single lane. The Washington State Department of Transportation will be making repairs over the next several months, which will create significant travel delays in and out of the area. Due to these unfortunate circumstances, Skagit Tours will not be accepting reservations.  

If you are planning to visit the Skagit Project, please plan your trip in advance and allow ample time for travel. To see what is still open and available to do in the area, visit our website for updated information.  

Chris Townsend, City Light’s natural resources and hydro licensing director, answers a few questions about where we are in the relicensing process, and what’s coming in the months ahead. 

A: Getting a new license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is about a 5-year process, and we’re a bit past halfway. We’re in the middle of our second “summer of science” and we’re learning a lot from 33 different studies about the environmental, cultural and recreational uses of the river watershed. We analyze the results, and so do our license partners. Everyone’s perspective becomes part of the FERC record. 

Dams are an essential part of our green energy future, but no energy source comes without trade-offs, and it’s our job to mitigate the effects of the dams. When we do the final license application, we’ll also submit plans on how we’re going to improve the local environment. Those plans are based on the research we’re doing right now—it’s an exciting time. 

A: Yes—the studies that are part of the license application will be completed in time. But there are other studies and other environmental work that are separate from the relicensing process, and that work will continue before and after the license gets submitted. A river watershed is an active, living ecosystem, and in some ways, the work of caring for it is never done. 

A: With the last license in 1995, Seattle City Light broke new ground in terms of environmental stewardship. Most utilities take a very narrow look at environmental mitigation because they are for-profit and must return value to the stakeholders. But City Light is owned by the people, which means our mission is also broader. That enables us to do more for the environment and the communities who depend on the river.  



Many features of the 1995 license – managing project operations to protect salmon, including regional partners in operational decisions, and providing educational programs for students – were innovative for the time. This new license will also be unique in how it enhances the environment and the many species in and around the watershed. We’re looking at the watershed ecosystem as a whole, which is a relatively new approach, and we’re also making plans to adjust our strategies over time. Climate change is doing so much to disrupt the environment that we can’t wait another 30 years to make adjustments, we have to be ready to do it continuously. This means committing to more continuous monitoring and more work in partnership. 

Diablo Dam

Fish passage ‘likely’ as Seattle City Light aims to re-license Skagit River dams (Seattle Times) 

City Light's Hydroelectric Resources

Learn more about the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project and other City Light hydroelectric resources.

Skagit Tours and Recreation

Explore the Skagit River and the beauty of the North Cascades.

Skagit Relicensing Project Page

Learn more about the relicensing process, including the library of public documents.

OUR MISSION

Seattle City Light provides our customers with affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy services.

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