Public paper · October 5, 2026 · Rivers desk
Anderson Dam Retrofit on Coyote Creek: EPA Adopts FERC Final EIS, Review Period Extended to October 19
EPA's adoption of the Final EIS for Valley Water's Anderson Dam retrofit and surrender of the hydropower exemption (Coyote Creek, Santa Clara County) has a review period now ending October 19, 2026 after a corrected Federal Register notice. The 240-foot dam impounds an 89,278 acre-foot reservoir.
noticenearby.com/papers/anderson-dam-retrofit-feis-adoption-oct-19.pdf
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is carrying an adoption of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Dam Retrofit and Surrender of the Anderson Dam Hydroelectric Project Exemption in Santa Clara County, California. EPA's weekly EIS notice first listed it on September 18, 2026 (EIS No. 20260122) with a review period ending October 9. An amended notice published October 2, 2026 corrected the review period end date to October 19, 2026.
The dam and the project
The Final EIS was prepared by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff on the Santa Clara Valley Water District's application to retrofit Anderson Dam and surrender its hydropower exemption (FERC Project No. 5737). FERC's February 11, 2026 notice of availability describes the project as:
- a 240-foot-high, 1,385-foot-long dam;
- a reservoir with a maximum surface area of 1,240 acres and storage of 89,278 acre-feet at a spillway elevation of 627.8 feet (NAVD 88);
- a 54-inch, 2,800-foot penstock;
- an 800-kilowatt powerhouse; and
- a 100-foot transmission line to the grid.
The project is on Coyote Creek in Santa Clara County and does not occupy federal lands, according to FERC.
Why it matters downstream
A retrofit of a 240-foot dam holding nearly 90,000 acre-feet of water is a dam-safety and reservoir-operations question for everyone living and working along Coyote Creek below it, and for water users in Santa Clara County. The Final EIS is where FERC staff weighed the district's proposal against alternatives and documented the views of agencies, Tribes, organizations, and the public. Surrendering the small hydropower exemption is part of the same federal action.
How to review or comment
- EPA review period ends: October 19, 2026 (corrected from October 9).
- EPA contact listed: Alaina McCurdy, 202-564-6996.
- FERC eLibrary: docket P-5737 at https://www.ferc.gov ("eLibrary," General Search).
- FERC contact on the FEIS: Holly Frank, (202) 502-6833.
- FERC Office of Public Participation: (202) 502-6595.
- NEPA tracking ID: EISX-019-20-000-1727256582.
Sources
- Federal Register (Oct. 2, 2026), Document 2026-20240: EPA Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability — Amended Notice, EIS No. 20260122, review period ends 10/19/2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20240/environmental-impact-statements-notice-of-availability
- Federal Register (Sept. 18, 2026), Document 2026-19164: EPA EIS Notice of Availability (EIS No. 20260122). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/18/2026-19164/environmental-impact-statements-notice-of-availability
- Federal Register (Feb. 11, 2026), Document 2026-02755, 91 FR 6217: Santa Clara Valley Water District; Notice of Availability of the Final EIS for Dam Retrofit and Surrender of the Anderson Dam Project (P-5737-032). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/11/2026-02755/santa-clara-valley-water-district-notice-of-availability-of-the-final-environmental-impact-statement
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Notes and sources
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending — fill xPostUrl after live post).
- Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Rivers desk · Notice Nearby public papers shelf. @NoticeNearYou post pending.
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).