WHAT: Notice of Availability of Final EIR; notice of public meeting to certify the Final Program Environmental Impact Report
WHEN: August 8, 2023, 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: HQ. Bldg. Boardroom, 5700 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 (In-Person) or https://valleywater.zoom.us/j/84454515597 (Zoom Meeting).
Valley Water has completed a Final Program EIR for the FAHCE Project, which is located in Santa Clara County. The Final Program EIR was prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., § 15000 et seq.).
Project Description:
The proposed FAHCE project implements a Fish Habitat Restoration Plan, and includes restoration measures specified in a 2003 FAHCE Settlement Agreement intended to resolve a water rights complaint filed with the State Water Resources Control Board. The proposed project includes both flow measures (reservoir re-operations rule curves) and non-flow measures such as fish barrier remediation, and measures to increase spawning and rearing habitat.
Project Objectives:
- Restore and maintain a healthy steelhead population in the Stevens Creek watershed through measures specified in the Settlement Agreement.
- Restore and maintain healthy steelhead and Chinook salmon populations in the Guadalupe River watershed through measures specified in the Settlement Agreement.
- Maintain flexible and reliable groundwater recharge to support current and future water supply and water deliveries in a practical, cost-effective, and environmentally sensitive manner so that sufficient water is available for any present or future beneficial use.
- To help attain the Settlement Agreement’s overall management objective to restore and maintain healthy steelhead trout and salmon populations in the Guadalupe River, Stevens Creek, and Coyote Creek watersheds; to adaptively manage all specific FAHCE Settlement Agreement flow and non-flow measures in all three watersheds; and to effectively mitigate adverse fisheries and habitat impacts that may result from Valley Water’s ongoing water supply facilities and operations.
The Final Program EIR identified significant environmental impacts related to: terrestrial biological resources, cultural resources, tribal cultural resources, paleontological resources, and noise. Significant impacts of non-flow measures on special-status species, and on riparian and other sensitive natural communities, and paleontological resources would be reduced to less than significant levels with the
implementation of mitigation measures. The proposed project non-flow measure impacts on cultural resources, tribal cultural resources, and noise would remain significant and unavoidable. None of the non-flow measures are proposed on hazardous waste sites listed under Government Code § 65962.5.
The Final Program EIR may be viewed at https://www.valleywater.org/project-updates/publicreview-documents. The Final Program EIR is also available for in-person review at the Valley Water headquarters located at: 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118.
For additional information or a CD copy of the Draft EIR, please contact Mr. Ryan Heacock at (408) 265-2600 or email at [email protected]