On January 26, 2026, the City of Seattle (City) filed an Initial Study Report (ISR) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This is a required step in relicensing the South Fork Tolt Hydroelectric Project.
What is the ISR?
The ISR is a formal progress report on the 24 studies the City is conducting as part of the South Fork Tolt Hydroelectric Project relicensing process. These studies include some that were required by FERC in their Study Plan Determination and others agreed to between the City, Tribes, and other Licensing Participants (LPs). The ISR describes the progress in implementing the studies and provides early results when available.
Within this document you will find the following:
- Descriptions of the hydroelectric project and the FERC relicensing process.
- An overview of the City’s consultation and engagement activities.
- The current status of each study.
- Summaries of what has been learned to date.
Highlights of the ISR
Of the 24 studies started last year, 19 will continue with a second year of research. Reports on these studies provide status updates of activities that are still in progress.
Reports on the other five studies are marked as “draft.” Even though the City considers these studies to be essentially complete, the Tribes and other LPs will have an opportunity to review and provide input, which could result in updates to the information in the ISR.
What’s next?
The City will hold two meetings to discuss the ISR on February 4 and 5, 2026, with the Tribes, other LPs, and FERC staff. Following these meetings, Tribes and other LPs may request modifications to studies. FERC will determine if any changes or additions are warranted, and the City will proceed accordingly.
The ISR meetings in February are open to the public. If you would like to attend these meetings, please contact Sarah Davidson at sdavidson@kearnswest.com.
The second year of study activities will take place in 2026. The City will file an Updated Study Report by no later than February 17, 2027. The final study results will help fill gaps in our collective knowledge and inform the details of the new license.
You can learn more about this process and access all the related documents – including the ISR – on the Tolt Relicensing Project webpage. A Public Documents Library can be found under “Project Documents and Resources.”
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