C.J. Strike Project Status
Project Description
The C.J. Strike Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2055) consists of an earthen dam on the mainstem Snake River with three generating units totaling 82.8 MW at maximum output. The impoundment reaches up to 12 miles on the Bruneau River and 36 miles on the Snake River.
Application Timeline
Idaho Power filed the final license application for the C.J. Strike Project in November 1998. FERC issued the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in May of 2002 and the final EIS the following October. In August 2004, FERC granted Idaho Power a new 30-year license for the C.J. Strike Hydroelectric Project.
Protection, Mitigation and Enhancement (PM&E) Measures
The license includes:
- Protection for federally listed threatened and endangered snail species near the project.
- Protection for white sturgeon, classified as a Species of Special Concern in Idaho.
These Protection, Mitigation and Enhancement (PM&E) measures came in the form of license articles which Idaho Power is fully engaged in implementing over the term of the new license.
Of particular importance is License Article 413, which required Idaho Power to file, for FERC approval, a plan to manage its lands within the C.J. Strike Wildlife Management Area (CJWMA) in cooperation with:
- The Idaho Department of Fish and Game
- The Bureau of Land Management
- Other state and federal entities
The company has been actively involved in this endeavor since January 2006. The new CJWMA Headquarters Complex, constructed in 2008, will provide office and management space for IPC & IDFG personnel and the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Deputy.
