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HomeMy WebLinkAboutnorth-south water transfer EIR5 ~EpARiNEN7 OF Tii~ rNT ~~.I®~a 8~~1 OF AECLAIIA~~R. Bureau of Reolarnatian Mid-Pacific Region San Luis & pelta-Mendota Water Aufharity ~strp~sVrso~s f A~ ~ ~ ZOff OROVl~LE, CA~IFpRNIq Please find enclosed the Notice of Preparation for the Proposed Long-Term North to South Water Transfer Program Environmental impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (E(R/EISJ. Written comments an the scope of the EIR/E15 must be received by close of business Monday, February 28, 2011, and should be sent ta: Frances Mizuno San Luis &Delta-Mendota Water Authority P.O. Box 2157 Los Banos, CA 93635 Email: frances.mizuno@sldmwa.or~ Fax: 209-833-1039 or Brad Hubbard Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento, CA 95825 Email: bhubbardCa usbr.eav Fax: 916-97&5290. cG . ~~`t~ NOTICE OF PREPARATION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE LONG-TERM NORTH TO SOUTH WATER TRANSFER PROGRAM SAN LUIS & DELTA-MENDOTA WATER AUTHORITY INTRODUCTION The San Luis &Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) as the State lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act {CEQA}, and the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) as Federal had agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), propose to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) to analyze the effects of water transfers from northern California to purchasers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta {Delta) and in the San Francisco Bay Area. The EIS/EIR will address transfers of Central Valley Project (CVP) and non-CVP water supplies that require use of CVP or State Water Project (SWP} facilities. Water transfers would occur through various methods, including, far example, groundwater substitution and cropland idling. Buyers and sellers, including SLDMWA, would be responsible for negotiating the terms of individual transfers, including the amount of water for transfer, the method for making water available, transfer period and price. Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be responsible for approving transfers under their jurisdiction and for use of CVP and SWP facilities required for the transfers. The proposed Long-Term Water Transfer Program would include single and multiyear transfers between 2012 and 2022. The EIR/EIS will analyze impacts in the sellers' service areas of making water available for transfer, changes in flow patterns in rivers upstream from the Delta and the Delta from conveying transfer water, and using the transferred water in the buyers' service areas. The purpose of this notice is to obtain comments, suggestions, and information from other agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed in the Long- Term Water Transfer Program EIR/EIS. DATES: Three public scoping meetings will be held: • Tuesday, January 11, 201 1, 6:00_.. 8:00 p.m., Chico, CA • Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., 5acramenta, CA • Thursday, January 13, 2011, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Los Banos, CA ADDRESSES: scoping meetings will be held at: ~ Chico at the Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue • Sacramento at the Best Western Expo Inn & Suites, 1413 Howe Avenue • Los Banos at the San Luis &Delta-Mendota Water Authority, 842 Sixth Street Written comments on the scope of the Long-Term Water Transfer Program or issues to be addressed in the EIR/E1S should be sent to Frances Mizuno, Assistant Executive Director, San Luis &Delta-Mendota Water Authority, via e-mail at frances.mizuno(c~sldmwa.org, by mail to P.O. Box 2157 Los Banos, California 93635 or by fax to 209-833-1039. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frances Mizuno, Assistant Executive Director, San Luis &Delta-Mendota Water Authority, via e-mail at frances.mizuno@sldmwa.org or at 209-832-6200; or Brad Hubbard, Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, via a-mail at bhubbard(a~usbr.gov or at 916-978-5204. 2 BACKGROUND: Hydrologic conditions, climactic variability, and regulatory requirements far operation of water projects commonly affect water supply availability in California, and advance planning for water shortages has become necessary and routine. This hydrologic and climactic variability, as well as environmental regulation, can strain water supplies in areas that are dependent on delivery of water supplies to meet most, if nat all, of the water demand. This is especially true in areas south of the Delta that are dependent on CVP operations for delivery of water supplies. In an effort to be more prepared to manage for water shortages caused by decreases in water delivery from the CVP, various water agencies have requested that Reclamation facilitate water transfers from areas of greater supply north of the Delta to areas of need south of the Delta. As potential buyers, SLDMWA and other interested water agencies south of the Delta would be responsible for finding willing sellers and negotiating water transfer terms and price. Transfers of CVP supplies, and transfers of non-CVP supplies that require use of CVP facilities, are subject to review by Reclamation under Reclamation's current water transfer guidelines and California State law. Pursuant to Federal and State law and subject to separate written agreements}, Reclamation would facilitate water transfers involving CVP supplies and facilities. Water transfers that require the use of the SWP facilities would be subject to review by the DWR. The EIRIEIS will identify potential selling parties in northern California, methods that they could use to make water available for transfer, and- maximum amounts of water available through each method. The EIR/EIS wiiI also identify potential purchasers south of the Delta and their proposed use of transfer water. Figure 1 shows areas where transfers could potentially originate and where transfer water could potentially be used. The exact project location will be further defined as selling and buying parties are identified during the EIR/EIS process. The EIRlEI5 will investigate alternative methods to make water available for transfer; groundwater substitution and cropland idling have been frequent transfer mechanisms in the past and could be analyzed in the EIR/EIS. Groundwater substitution transfers occur when sellers forego diversion of their surface water supplies and pump an equivalent amount of groundwater as an alternative supply. The purchaser would receive the foregone surface water supply. If groundwater pumping occurs near a surface water supply, it could result in a depletion of surface water flows. In these instances, the volume of water that can be transferred is not the same as the volume of groundwater pumped through a substitution action. Rules for accounting far the quantity of water available for transfer would address potential stream flow losses as a result ofgroundwater-surface water interaction. Cropland idling makes water available for transfer that would have been used for agricultural irrigation without the transfer. Typically, the proceeds from the water transfer would pay farmers to idle land that they would have placed in production. Rice has been the crop idled most frequently in previous transfer programs. Water transfers under the Proposed Project involving conveyance through the Delta would be implemented within the operational parameters of the Biological Opinions on the Continued Long-term Operations of the CVP/SWP (Opinions} and any other regulatory restrictions in place at the time of implementation of the water transfers. Current operational parameters applicable to conveyance of transfer water include: 4 • Conveyance of a maximum of 600,000 acre foot per year (although the Proposed Project will likely involve the transfer of 100,000 to 150,000 acre-feet per year); + Use of the SWP's Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant and CVP's C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant during July through September only; and • Use of California Aqueduct, Delta-Mendota Canal, San Luis Canal, O'Neill PumplGenerating and San Luis Reservoir for conveyance and storage. The EIR/EIS will evaluate potential project-level and cumulative environmental effects associated with implementation of water transfers of CVP supplies and transfers that require use of CVP, SWP or CVP/SWP joint use facilities. Some potential environmental effects are described below. Surface water and water quality -The maximum amount of potential water transfers is small compared to the total amount of water moved through the Sacramento and San Joaquin River systems. The EIR/EI5 will analyze whether the proposed water transfers could potentially affect flows in the river systems and Delta. Changes in flows could also potentially affect water temperatures and water quality, Groundwater ~- Groundwater substitution pumping could lower the groundwater table near participating wells, which could potentially affect nearby third party wells and change groundwater-surface water interaction of adjacent water bodies. Changes in groundwater levels could also induce subsidence near participating wells or water quality concerns. Fisheries -The EIR/EIS will analyze whether changes in flows could affect fish migration and habitat in rivers upstream from the Delta and the Delta. Vegetation, wildlife, and special status species -Cropland idling transfers could potentially affect habitat for special status species listed under the Federal and California Endangered Species Acts, and commercially and recreationally important species. Air quality -Groundwater substitution transfers could increase the use ofdiesel-fueled engines, which would increase air pollutant emissions. The EIRIEIS will also evaluate potential increases of PM~o emissions from conversion of cropland to bare fields. Other resource areas and issue areas that will be addressed in the EIR/EIS include: agricultural resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and sails, greenhouse gas emissions, Indian trust assets, land use, noise, population and housing, recreation, and visual resources. Figure 1 Project i.ocation