As the United States population continues to grow, people are moving to the country's lakes and the demand for waterfront property and use of hydropower reservoirs is growing. The increased commercial and residential development around many project reservoirs has placed additional pressures on the project reservoir and shoreline resources and poses greater challenges to licensees in managing their projects to meet their license responsibilities and obligations. Where competing uses of project lands and waters arise, a licensee may either on its own initiative, or as required by its FERC license, develop a comprehensive shoreline management plan (SMP) to manage the multiple resources and uses of a project reservoir's shorelines in a manner that is consistent with license requirements and project purposes, while addressing the needs of the general public.

This page was last updated on July 14, 2020