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Lower Cherry Aqueduct Emergency Rehabilitation Project

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Lower Cherry Aqueduct Emergency Rehabilitation Project Lower Cherry Aqueduct Emergency Rehabilitation Project Hydrology Technical Memo November 6, 2014 Prepared by: Kelley Capone, Chris Graham, and Adam Mazurkiewicz Introduction The proposed action, the Lower Cherry Aqueduct Emergency Rehabilitation (LCAER) Project consists of rehabilitation of and construction of improvements to the existing nearly-100-year-old Lower Cherry Aqueduct (LCA) by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The proposed action would restore the historic design capacity of the LCA to provide reliable delivery of water stored at Lake Eleanor and Cherry Reservoir into the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System to supplement San Francisco Bay Region water supply during severe droughts. Under the proposed action the LCA would be operated for up to 4 months annually during severe droughts and would deliver up to 48,000 acre-feet of water to SFPUC’s customers. An acre foot of water is the volume of water that covers one acre to a depth of one foot. An acre foot of water is equivalent to 325,851 gallons. The SFPUC operates the Regional Water System under the Water First Policy which focuses operations on maximizing carryover storage such that risks to water supply are minimized. The Water First operational policy was instituted in response to extreme water shortages during water years (WY) 1987 through 1992, the most recent extended drought. This policy has been implemented in system operations since 1993. Under this policy use of the stored water for power generation may be curtailed in order to minimize risks to water supply and it is under these conditions that the use of the LCA may be needed for water conveyance. Lake Eleanor and Cherry Reservoir are connected by a pipeline and the two reservoir storage volumes are operated as one unit of storage under the Water First Policy. When stored water is in short supply or climatic conditions threaten a supply shortage, the Water First Policy may require use of Cherry and Eleanor for water supply. The project would be constructed in two phases. The majority of the rehabilitation and improvement would take place during Phase 1, in spring and summer 2015, and would include the following elements, which would ensure the reliable transport of 165 cfs—the present system capacity-- through the existing system. Phase 1 project elements would include: • Replacement of open canal sections with large-diameter buried pipe and improved connections to tunnel segments to prevent entry of soil and debris from steep slopes above and eliminate hazards to people and animals traveling near the canal • Restoration and replacement of deteriorated elements at Cherry Creek Diversion Dam • Restoration of the access trail to the Cherry Creek Diversion Dam • Improvements to an existing concrete forebay tank for pipeline inspection and maintenance • Import of up to 22,000 cy of fill and soils from one or more locations, including optional use of an existing borrow site at Granite Portal, within the Stanislaus National Forest. 1 Phase 2 would be designed in 2016 and constructed in 2019. Phase 2 would consist of geotechnical assessment of the pipeline location and replacement of 300-linear feet of existing 72-inch-diameter pipeline with an 84-inch diameter pipeline or siphon in the same alignment to restore the 200-cfs historical design capacity of the aqueduct. This report focuses on identifying the environmental consequences of operating the LCA at 200 cfs. Operation of the LCA allows access to water in Cherry Reservoir and Lake Eleanor to serve as water supply in the Bay Area. When LCA operations are implemented, water would first be released from Lake Eleanor. Lake Eleanor can supply the LCA diversion for approximately two months at a rate of 200 cfs. Water would be released directly from Lake Eleanor into Eleanor Creek. If diversions through LCA were desired beyond the period Lake Eleanor could supply, water from Cherry Reservoir would be released directly to Cherry Creek for diversion to the LCA. The overall volume during a month period is approximately 12,000 acre-feet at a rate of 200 cfs. The longest period of time in which LCA is anticipated to be used is four months within the November – March timeframe, resulting in a maximum total volume of 48,000 acre-feet of water diverted through the LCA. Throughout the operation of LCA, the instream release requirements (Table 4) below Cherry Reservoir and Lake Eleanor would be maintained below the Cherry Creek Diversion Dam. Use of the LCA would occur during the late fall and winter of dry years during periods of sustained drought. The period of operation would vary depending on operational need, hydrologic conditions, system conditions, and optimization of the water supply system, but is not planned to exceed 4 months within the November – March timeframe. The purpose of this report is to provide information on hydrologic effects that could result from construction and operation of the LCAER project. Hydrologic effects resulting from construction and operation of the LCAER project on reservoir levels, streamflow, and non-point source pollution are identified by evaluating measures including but not limited to temperature, sedimentation, habitat, and ground disturbance. 1. Analysis Framework: Statute, Regulations, Forest Plan, and Other Direction The SFPUC manages two reservoirs that feed the Lower Cherry Aqueduct (LCA) as part of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System (HHRWS): Cherry Reservoir on Cherry Creek (a tributary of the Tuolumne River) and Lake Eleanor on Eleanor Creek (a tributary of Cherry Creek). Lake Eleanor lies within Yosemite National Park, while Cherry Reservoir and most of the downstream drainage are within the Stanislaus National Forest. Protection of water quality is an important part of the mission of the Forest Service (USDA 2007). Management activities on National Forest lands must be planned and implemented to protect the hydrologic functions of forest watersheds, including the volume, timing, and quality of streamflow. A number of Federal and State regulations and policies guide construction projects on National Forest Service lands as well as water operations on California Rivers. The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1948 (as amended in 1972 and 1987) establishes federal policy for the control of point and non-point pollution, and assigns the states the primary responsibility for control of water pollution. Compliance with the CWA by National Forests in California is achieved under state and federal law, as described below. The National Best Management 2 Practices for Water Quality Management on National Forest System Lands (USDA 2012) identifies Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the protection of waters and water quality. Best management practices incorporated in the LCAER Project are identified in Attachment C to this memo. The US Army Corps of Engineers regulates activities in or affecting waters of the United States under Section 404 of the CWA, including fill for development, water resource projects (such as dams and levees), infrastructure development (such as highways and airports) and mining projects. Section 404 requires a permit before dredged or fill material may be discharged into waters of the United States, unless the activity is exempt from Section 404 regulation (e.g. certain farming, forestry, maintenance and emergency activities). The State/Regional Water Resources Control Board implements the State's Water Quality Certification (WQC) Program, which was formally initiated in 1990 in response to the requirements of Clean Water Act (CWA) 401, under the CWA and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act, as amended in 2006. Issuing WQC for discharges requiring U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Section 404 permits for fill and dredge discharges is a core responsibility. If a Section 404 permit is not required, the Regional Water Resources Control Board may issue a Waste Discharge Requirement to permit a project to proceed. State and Regional Water Boards assess water quality monitoring data for California’s surface waters every two years to determine if they contain pollutants at levels that exceed protective water quality standards. Water body and pollutants that exceed protective water quality standards are placed on the State’s 303(d) List. This determination in California is governed by the Water Quality Control Policy for developing California’s Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List. The State/Regional Water Resources Control Board adopted ambient standard for a surface or ground water body. The standard covers the beneficial use of the water and the water quality criteria that must be met to protect the designated use or uses. The Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Management Plan (USDA 1988) provides direction for managing the federal lands within the boundaries of the designated Tuolumne River corridor. This plan was prepared by the Forest Service, for those portions of the Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River outside of Yosemite National Park, and identifies river values to be protected. Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Management Plan river values associated with hydrology include Free-Flowing Condition and Water Quality. The Stanislaus National Forest Plan Direction (April 2010, amended 2012) (Forest Plan) provides forestwide standards and guidelines as well as management area directives applicable to specific land classifications within the Forest. Forest Plan standards and guidelines related to water resources are provided in Attachment A. Attachment A also identifies the Land Allocation Area of Riparian
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