Cowlitz River Project

Project Licensing

All four of our hydroelectric projects are licensed separately by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which was created by the Federal Power Act to ensure safe and efficient operation of power plants across the U.S. Many other agencies, tribes, organizations and stakeholders are also an important part of the licensing process. In 2003, we received a 35-year federal license to operate the Cowlitz River Project.

Fish and Wildlife Programs and Public Recreation

Along with generating clean, renewable hydroelectric energy, our FERC license includes mandates for:

• Fisheries programs, including the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery and Cowlitz Trout Hatchery where we raise coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout. Details can be found starting on page 50 of the License Settlement Agreement. Also see License Documents for plans and reports submitted about fisheries issues.
• Wildlife programs including habitat protection and enhancement for nearly 14,000 acres of land. Details can be found starting on page 69 of the license.
• Access to recreational opportunities and amenities, including campgrounds, day-use areas, fishing and other outdoor activities near our reservoirs. Details can be found starting on page 65 of the license. Also see License Documents for plans and reports submitted about recreation issues.
• Cultural resource protection and education.

Tour the Facilities​

Free group tours of the Cowlitz River Project facilities are available by appointment for school, civic, business and recreational groups. To arrange a tour, please complete the request form at the bottom of our hydropower page.

Latest News

Would you like to receive updates about the Cowlitz River Project? Click here to sign up for our Cowlitz River Project email list.

Mossyrock Dam North Shore Fishing Trail is now open to the public.

The Cowlitz Restoration and Recovery 2024 grant funding round is now open. Learn more about the program here.

Tacoma Power to lower Cowlitz River flows below Mayfield Dam to 2,360 cfs starting July 1. Learn more about the reduction here.

Updates as of April 2023:

Why is Riffe Lake so low?
The Riffe Lake boat launches are unavailable due to an ongoing extreme lack of precipitation, which began in 2022. Following a dry October and November, much of the precipitation we have received has been in the form of snow. That snowpack won’t help refill Riffe Lake until the temperatures warm up enough for it to melt. This lack of available water means very low inflows into Riffe Lake. Click here to learn more.

Riffe Lake recreational access update
Public safety is a top priority for Tacoma Power, so we reduced the maximum level of Riffe Lake from 778.5 to 749 feet in 2017 due to updated seismic loading concerns for the Mossyrock Dam spillway piers (not the dam itself).

Lowering the maximum lake elevation impacted recreational access, so, in 2018, we invested approximately $850,000 into improvements at Mossyrock Park. We extended one boat launch ramp (it was usable to 737 feet and is now usable to about 708 feet; the other ramp is usable to about 724 feet) and built a new swim area and ADA facilities, including an ADA-accessible parking lot, trail to the swim area, and restroom.

More recently, we discussed potential improvements on the east end of the lake with local elected officials and the public. After an extensive vetting process, we chose two projects that will improve the use and safety of the Taidnapam North boat launch. Read about them here.

Mossyrock Dam seismicity studies update
Revised seismic hazard data from the United States Geological Survey indicated that the Mossyrock Dam spillway piers and gates (not the dam itself) could potentially be damaged in the event of a large earthquake. If the gate structures are damaged when the lake is at a full level, this could cause an extreme downstream flooding event. Although the earthquake probability is very low, we decided to reduce this risk by keeping Riffe Lake’s elevation to about 30 feet lower than full (778.5 feet). The drawdown began in 2017. We worked with our regulators to make this decision, and they approved our plan to voluntarily lower the level.

Our objective is to bring Riffe Lake back to full pool. We are working hard to make progress on identifying potential seismic damage to any other parts of the dam, as well as possible seismic retrofits, but this is a long and complex process. Read more about our progress here.

Satellite fish rearing facilities update
We will build three satellite fish rearing facilities as indicated in our federal license. With the partnership of the Cowlitz Fisheries Technical Committee, Tacoma Power has evaluated many potential satellite rearing facility locations and programs. We have worked for years on this project and are excited to have selected our first site; it is in the upper Cowlitz basin and is owned by Energy Northwest. The Energy Northwest location offers multiple benefits, including a cool and stable water supply, good site security, and excellent access. Read more about our selection process here. We look forward to your feedback on the proposed Energy Northwest location and would also like to know if you have ideas for locations of the other two future facilities. Please send your comments to Cowlitz Fish Facilities manager Eric Shoblom at eshoblom@cityoftacoma.org.

Public Meetings

Cowlitz Fisheries Science Conference and Annual Program Review Hybrid Meeting – Aug. 22, 2023
In person at the Veterans Memorial Museum (100 SW Veterans Way, Chehalis, 98532)/Microsoft Teams
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
38 in-person attendees; 26 online attendees

Hosted by Tacoma Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Agenda

Presentations:

• Tech Check and Meeting Logistics
• Current Status
• Project Operations
• Hatchery Operations
• Habitat Efforts
• Fish Passage
• Pre-Terminal/Terminal Harvest
• Lower Cowlitz Adult Estimates
• Adult Returns to the Separator
• Update on Early Winter Steelhead Run Timing
• Update on Fall Chinook Carcass Tagging
• APR Introduction/Cowlitz Hatchery Operation and Programs