# 2026-16171: PG&E Wants Less Water in Bear River—FERC Says Comment Now

2026-16171, Pacific Gas & Electric Company; Notice of Application for Minimum Flow Variance Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests, is a Federal Register notice from Energy Department, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission published 2026-08-07, effective 2026-09-14 (as of 2026-08-14).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16171
- As of: 2026-08-14
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-16171
- Title: Pacific Gas & Electric Company; Notice of Application for Minimum Flow Variance Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Energy Department; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Citation: 91 FR 51160
- Published: 2026-08-07
- Effective: 2026-09-14
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-14

## In one line

PG&E Wants Less Water in Bear River—FERC Says Comment Now

## Summary

Pacific Gas & Electric wants to temporarily change how much water flows into Bear River near their Drum Spaulding Hydroelectric Project in California. This affects local communities, wildlife, and federal lands managed by several agencies. People have until September 3, 2026, to share their thoughts or get involved before any changes happen—no money changes are mentioned yet.

## Effects PRIA read

- Temporary Cut to Bear River Flows: mixed, low. If you live near the Bear River in Nevada or Placer counties, California, Pacific Gas & Electric requests a temporary cut in the required minimum flow at gage YB-44 from 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 5 cfs from September 14 through September 30, 2026. The company says the lower flow will allow…

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## Sources
- [2026-16171 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/07/2026-16171/pacific-gas-and-electric-company-notice-of-application-for-minimum-flow-variance-accepted-for-filing)
- [2026-16171 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-07/pdf/2026-16171.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-16170, Erie Boulevard Hydropower, L.P.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Sol…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16170)
- [Next: 2026-16172, ISO New England Inc.; Central Maine Power Company; The Connecticut Light and Po…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16172)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16171 (as of 2026-08-14).