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City briefs council on Upriver Dam relicensing: FERC process begun, public and tribal engagement planned

City of Spokane City Council · April 13, 2026

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Summary

Water department staff said the city has filed a Notice of Intent and pre‑application document with FERC for Upriver Dam relicensing; staff outlined an integrated licensing approach, study phases through 2030 and outreach undertaken to tribes and resource agencies.

Reiner Hersha, director of Water and Hydroelectric Services, briefed council on the Upriver Dam relicensing effort and confirmed the city submitted a Notice of Intent and a pre‑application document to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on April 9.

Hersha explained the city intends to use FERC's integrated licensing process, a standard pathway that defines study request criteria, filing deadlines and public/tribal comment periods. He said relicensing will identify resource areas, require multiple study phases (2026 study plans, 2027 studies, iterative reporting through 2030) and ultimately establish the license terms that will govern operations for the next several decades; the current license issued in 1981 expires in 2031.

Staff described earlier outreach: mailings to adjacent property owners, stakeholder meetings with agencies, an open house with ~25 attendees and tribal engagement meetings (including the Spokane Tribe), and a site tour with Ecology and Fish & Wildlife. Hersha noted that while the city is leading initial outreach, FERC will facilitate the formal public comment process and that the city will continue to assist constituents seeking to participate.

Council members asked about typical license terms (Hersha said 30–50 years, commonly 40), stakeholder roles and next procedural steps; Hersha asked council to direct constituents to the city relicensing website and to FERC materials for comment instructions. No action was taken.