# Santa Clara Valley Water District; Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Anderson Dam Project and Public Comment Sessions Soliciting Comments
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [^1] and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) regulations, 18 CFR part 380, the Office of Energy Projects has reviewed Santa Clara Valley Water District's (exemptee) application to retrofit the Anderson Dam and to surrender the exemption for the Anderson Dam Project No. 5737 (Project) and have prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project. [^2] The exemptee proposes to draw down the Anderson Reservoir to perform a seismic retrofit of the dam, decommission the hydroelectric facility, implement conservation measures downstream of the dam on Coyote Creek, and surrender the hydroelectric project exemption. The Anderson Dam Project consists of: a 240-foot-high, 1,385-foot-long dam; a reservoir with a maximum surface area of 1,240 acres and storage capacity of 89,278 acre-feet at a spillway elevation of 627.8 feet (North American Vertical Datum 1988); a 54-inch diameter, 2,800-foot-long penstock; a powerhouse with a total installed capacity of 800 kilowatts; and a 100-foot-long transmission line connecting the project to the electrical grid. The project is located on Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County, California, and does not occupy any federal lands.
[^1] National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, amended (Pub. L. 91-190. 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended by Pub. L. 94-52, July 3, 1975, Pub. L. 94-83, August 9, 1975, Pub. L. 97-258, 4(b), September 13, 1982, Pub. L. 118-5, June 3, 2023).
[^2] For tracking purposes under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the unique identification number for documents relating to this environmental review is EISX-019-20-000-1727256582.
The draft EIS contains staff's analysis of the applicant's proposal and the alternatives to the proposed action. The draft EIS documents the views of governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, affected Native-American Tribes, the public, the applicant, and Commission staff.
In this notice, we acknowledge the number of pages in this draft EIS exceeds the final page limits set forth in NEPA 107(e)(l) [^3] for proposals of unusual scope or complexity. Noting the scope and complexity of this proposal, the Director, Office of Energy Projects, as our senior agency official, has authorized this page limit exceedance for both the draft and final EIS.
[^3] 42 U.S.C. 4336a(e)(l).
The Commission provides all interested persons with an opportunity to view and/or print the draft EIS via the internet through the Commission's Home Page ( *http://www.ferc.gov/* ), using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the docket number field, to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at *[email protected],* or toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
You may also register online at *https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx* to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, community organizations, Tribal members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595, or *[email protected].*
All comments must be filed on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 3, 2025.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling system at *https://ferconline.ferc.gov/eFiling.aspx.* Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at *https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx.* For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at *[email protected],* (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-5737-032.
Anyone may intervene in this proceeding based on this draft EIS (18 CFR 380.10). You must file your request to intervene as specified above. [^4] You do not need intervenor status to have your comments considered.
[^4] Interventions may also be filed electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing comments electronically.
In addition to or in lieu of sending written comments, you are invited to attend a public comment session that will be held to receive comments on the draft EIS. Commission staff will hold 2 sessions for the purpose of receiving comments on the draft EIS. All interested individuals and entities will be invited to attend one or both of the sessions; however there is no difference between the sessions. The dates and times of the sessions are listed below.
**Evening Scoping Meeting**
*Date:* Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
*Time:* 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).
*Place:* Hiram Morgan Hill Room, Community and Cultural Center.
*Address:* 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
**Daytime Scoping Meeting**
*Date:* Thursday, October 16, 2025.
*Time:* 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT).
*Place:* Hiram Morgan Hill Room, Community and Cultural Center.
*Address:* 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
The sessions will begin promptly at their respective start times listed above. There will not be a formal presentation by Commission staff when the session opens, and you may arrive any time after the scheduled start time. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter (with Commission staff present). This format is designed to receive the maximum number of oral comments in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted. If you wish to speak, Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If a significant number of people are interested in providing oral comments with the court reporter, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor. Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the comment session to answer your questions about the environmental review process. Please see the attachment to this notice for additional information on the session format and conduct.
The primary goal of these comment sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns with the draft EIS. Comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in writing or provided orally at a public comment session. Interested parties who choose not to speak or who are unable to attend the draft EIS comment sessions may provide written comments and information to the Commission as described above.
For further information, contact Holly Frank at 202-502-6833 or *[email protected],* or David Rudisail at 202-502-6376 or *[email protected].*
Dated: September 12, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.