E5-3304. Grand River Dam Authority; Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

June 20, 2005.

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.

a. Type of Application: New Major License Application.

b. Project No.: 2183-035.

c. Date Filed: June 2, 2003.

d. Applicants: Grand River Dam Authority.

e. Name of Project: Markham Ferry Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: The project is located on the River Grand (Neosho) in Mayes County, Oklahoma. The project does not occupy any Federal lands.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Robert W. Sullivan, Assistant General Manager, Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance, GRDA, P.O. Box 409, Vinita, Oklahoma 74301 [phone].

i. FERC Contact: John Ramer at [phone], or [e-mail].

j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from the date of this notice.

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person on the official service list for the project. Further, if intervenors file comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.

Comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the “eFiling” link.

k. This application has been accepted and is ready for environmental analysis at this time.

l. Project Description: The Markham Ferry Hydroelectric Project consists of the following existing facilities: (1) The 3,744-foot-long by 90-foot-high Robert S. Kerr dam, which includes an 824-foot-long gated spillway, topped with 17, 40-foot-long by 27-foot-high, steel Taintor gates and two 80-ton capacity traveling gate hoists; (2) the 15-mile-long Lake Hudson, which has a surface area of 10,900 acres, 200,300 acre-feet of operating storage, and 444,500 acre-feet total of flood storage capacity; (3) the 6,200-foot-long by 45-foot-high Salina Dike; (4) a concrete powerhouse containing four Kaplan turbines with a total maximum hydraulic capacity of 28,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and four generating units with a total installed generating capacity of 108,000 kilowatts (kW), and producing an average of 257,107,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually; and (5) appurtenant facilities. The dam and existing project facilities are owned by GRDA.

m. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the 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 FEFC Online Support at [e-mail] or toll-free at [phone] or for TTY, call [phone]. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.

n. All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS,” “REPLY COMMENTS,” “RECOMMENDATIONS,” “TERMS AND CONDITIONS,” or “PRESCRIPTIONS”; (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b), and 385.2010.

o. Procedural schedule and final amendments: The application will be processed according to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate.

Notice of the availability of the EA: September 2005.

Ready for Commission decision on the application: December 2005.

Final amendments to the application must be filed with the Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice of ready for environmental analysis.

Magalie R. Salas,

Secretary.