NOP and Public Meetings for Tides End Multibenefit Restoration Project

Notice is hereby given that the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), as the Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the Tide's End Multibenefit Restoration Project.

COMMENT PERIOD: July 24, 2024 - August 23, 2024

PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS

• In-person with a virtual option on August 6, 2024, at California Natural Resources Headquarters, 715 P Street, 1st Floor Auditorium, Sacramento, CA 95814 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Virtual only on August 7, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• In-person only on August 8, 2024, at Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 County Rd 32B (Chiles Rd), Davis, CA 95618 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

DWR is the Lead Agency under CEQA and will prepare an SEIR for the Tide's End Multibenefit Restoration Project (proposed Project). Written comments regarding the issues that should be addressed in the SEIR, including potential alternatives to the proposed Project and the scope of the analysis, are invited.

PROJECT AREA

The proposed Project Area is in Yolo County, approximately six miles southwest of the City of Sacramento, at the northern end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta). It encompasses approximately 2,212 acres at the downstream end of the Yolo Bypass and is adjacent to the Toe Drain that parallels the west side of the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel. Land uses in the vicinity are primarily seasonal agriculture and managed seasonal wetlands for waterfowl.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposed Project is a multibenefit project that contributes to flood management and ecosystem goals outlined in the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) and Conservation Strategy, as well as sustainable agriculture for the region. The proposed Project design will incorporate sustainable, wildlife-friendly agriculture (e.g., wild rice production) that is also compatible with floodway operations. Through sustainable agriculture, the area will retain the intended capacity for seasonal flood flow by managing the roughness of the proposed Project site. Other areas in the proposed Project site will be maintained in other land cover types that are also compatible with seasonal flood flows like managed marsh and seasonal wetlands. The proposed Project would also improve drainage and irrigation, thereby facilitating the proposed land uses and providing broader benefits to the region.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

DWR, as lead agency under CEQA, will prepare an SEIR to evaluate whether new significant effects would result from implementation of the proposed Project, as compared to the environmental impacts disclosed in the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) prepared by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) for the General Order for Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification and Waste Discharge Requirements for Restoration Projects Statewide ("Statewide Restoration General Order", or SRGO) adopted August 16, 2022. The SEIR will be tiered off the PEIR pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15152.

The SEIR will evaluate potential project-specific and cumulative environmental effects associated with the proposed Project, as well as alternatives to the proposed Project, to the extent necessary to make the SRGO PEIR adequate for the proposed Project. The SEIR will analyze environmental resource topics that may experience potentially significant impacts from the construction and/or long-term operation of the proposed Project

DWR has issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to inform trustee agencies, responsible agencies, the Office of Planning and Research, Native American Tribes, and the public that an SEIR is being prepared for the proposed Project. The NOP provides further information describing the proposed Project and its potential environmental effects to those who may wish to comment regarding the scope and content of the information to be included in the SEIR.

The SEIR will evaluate potentially significant environmental impacts of the proposed Project, on both a direct, indirect, and cumulative basis; identify feasible mitigation measures that may lessen or avoid such impacts; and identify alternatives that may lessen one or more potentially significant impacts associated with the proposed Project.

The NOP is available for download.

Written or oral comments may be submitted at the public scoping meetings, or written comments may be directed to:

By mail to:
California Department of Water Resources, c/o Judah Grossman P.O. Box 942836 Sacramento, CA 94236-0001 with the letter subject heading "RE: Tide's End Multibenefit Restoration Project NOP"

Via email to:
[email protected] with the subject heading "RE: Tide's End Multibenefit Restoration Project NOP"

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