Description
The Cushman Hydroelectric Project is located on the North Fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, Washington, and occupies U.S. lands within the Olympic National Forest and the Skokomish Indian Reservation.
The project consists of two dams and impoundments on the North Fork of the Skokomish River with associated power tunnels and penstocks, powerhouses, and a 26.8- mile-long primary transmission system.
The Dam No. 1 development consists of a 260-foot-high concrete arch dam that impounds Lake Cushman, a 9.6-mile-long storage reservoir with a 4,058-acre surface area and a 453,350 acre-foot storage capacity at full pool.
The Dam No. 2 development consists of a 230-foot-high concrete arch dam approximately 2 miles downstream of Dam No. 1, which impounds Lake Kokanee, a 128-acre lake with a gross storage capacity of 7,300 acre-feet at full pool.
In January 2009, the City proposed to build a powerhouse which would contain two Francis turbine/generator units- 1.8MW each (for an additional 3.6MW). FERC approved the construction and the settlement and issued a renewed license for until 2048.
Issues
Tribal issues, fisheries, recreationMap
Milestones
News Related to Cushman
Settlement Leads to Licensing of Cushman Project
On July 15, 2010 FERC approved a settlement reached in January 2009 by the City of Tacoma, Skokomish Tribe, and state and federal agencies and issued a 50-year license for the Cushman hydroelectric project.
Parties Sign Settlement for Cushman Project in Washington
Following litigation at the DC Circuit Court in 2006, Tacoma Power, Skokomish Tribe, agencies and other stakeholders have signed a settlement agreement that will govern the operations of the Cushman Hydroelectric project on the Skokomish River.
Big win for the Skokomish River
On August 22nd, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in City of Tacoma v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. After being left nearly dry for more than 80 years by the Cushman hydroelectric project, the North Fork Skokomish river will once again have a healthy flow of water.
Cushman Dam Must Release More Water
The Cushman Project lies on the North Fork Skokomish River in Washington. On May 21, 1999, FERC issued an Order granting the City of Tacoma' s motion to stay implementation of the new Cushman license pending litigation, including the instream flow provisions. At that time, FERC instituted an interim flow requirement of only 60 cubic feet per second (“ cfs” ), well under the 240 cfs established in the new license. The 60 cfs is wholly inadequate to support a healthy riparian ecosystem and adversely impact fish spawning, rearing, and access to salmon and steelhead habitat.