ACID to COSL Transfer
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Environmental Assessment Five-Year Agreement – CVP Water Transfer - ACID to COSL – Contract Years 2019 – 2023 (April 1, 2019 through October 31, 2023) EA-19-03-NCAO U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region Northern California Area Office July 2019 Mission Statements The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and manage the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources; and honor its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Table of Contents Page Section 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................1 1.1.1 ACID ........................................................................................................................1 1.1.2 COSL .......................................................................................................................2 1.2 Purpose and Need ..........................................................................................................2 Section 2 Alternatives Including the Proposed Action ........................................................4 2.1 No Action .......................................................................................................................4 2.2 Proposed Action .............................................................................................................4 Section 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ................................5 3.1 Physical Resources.........................................................................................................5 3.2 Biological Resources .....................................................................................................6 3.3 Cultural Resources .........................................................................................................6 3.4 Indian Trust Assets ........................................................................................................6 3.5 Socioeconomics .............................................................................................................7 3.6 Environmental Justice ....................................................................................................7 3.7 Indian Sacred Sites .........................................................................................................7 3.8 Cumulative Impacts .......................................................................................................8 Section 4 Consultation and Coordination ............................................................................9 4.1 Endangered Species Act (16 USC § 1531 et seq.) .........................................................9 4.2 National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 306108) .............................................9 4.3 Water District Coordination ...........................................................................................9 Appendix A. 2017 Letter and water temperature modeling results ........................................10 Appendix B: Reclamation review of MBK Engineering Study ...............................................11 Appendix C: Cultural Resources Review ..................................................................................13 Appendix D: Indian Trust Assets Review. .................................................................................14 Section 1 Introduction 1.1 Background This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared to evaluate and disclose the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to the affected environment associated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) decision to consent to the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District’s (ACID) transfer of up to 2,000 acre-feet (af) of Central Valley Project Water (Project Water) to the City of Shasta Lake (COSL), annually for a five-year period, beginning with contract year 2019 (April 1, 2019 through October 31, 2023). This proposal would be undertaken pursuant to, and in full compliance with, Section 3405(a) of Public Law 102-575, Title 34, of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). Approval of this, or any other, water transfer proposal would not establish precedent for approval of subsequent water transfer proposals given the ever-evolving context of technical knowledge, regulatory requirements, and judicial opinions in which such decisions are made. Pursuant to Section 3405(a) of the CVPIA, Reclamation considers whether each proposed water transfer meets the specific conditions and requirements outlined in the CVPIA prior to approving the transfer. Each proposed water transfer is evaluated with consideration of both the potential effects of the individual proposal at the time of consideration and potential impacts when the potential effects of the proposal are considered in combination with those from past transfer approvals and other past or impending actions with similar or related potential effects. Proposals involving a transfer of water from a transferor downstream of Shasta Dam to a transferee who withdraws water directly from storage at or above the dam also receive attention with respect to analysis of effects on Reclamation’s ability to meet cold water temperature requirements in the Sacramento River. Temperature control throughout the warmer months is most critical in the segment of the river between Keswick Dam and Balls Ferry, located 27 miles downstream of Keswick Dam. 1.1.1 ACID The ACID is located along Interstate 5 in northern California, between the city of Redding and northern Tehama County, approximately 20 miles south of Redding. It receives Project Water through a diversion at approximately 18 river miles downstream of Shasta Dam, and 3.6 river miles downstream of Keswick Dam. ACID renewed its Sacramento River Settlement Contract (Settlement Contract) with Reclamation, Contract Number 14-06-200-3346A-R-1 (Contract 3346A-R-1), in 2005. That contract provided for the diversion of up to 121,000 af of Base Supply and up to 7,000 af of Project Water each year during the period April 1 through October 31. ACID assigned 3,000 af of Project Water to Reclamation on September 28, 2005, thereby reducing the Project Water under contract to 4,000 af, and the Contract Total to 125,000 af. Article 3(e) of the Settlement Contract provides for the transfer of all or a portion of the Contract Total, subject to certain conditions and requirements, upon the written consent of Reclamation. 1 1.1.2 COSL The COSL has a long-term renewed water service contract (Contract 4-07-20-W1134-LTR1) with Reclamation for up to 4,400 af of Project Water, which allows it to deliver water within its service area (Figure 1). The water transferred under this proposal would be diverted at existing points of diversion at Shasta Dam in the southeast quarter of Section 15, Township 33N, Range 05W, Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian (MDB&M), in Shasta County. The place of use for the water subject to transfer is the service area for the COSL long-term renewed water service contract, consistent with the CVPIA. 1.2 Purpose and Need The proposed Federal action is for Reclamation to consent to the annual transfer of Project Water from ACID to the COSL for a five-year period (Contract Years 2019-2023). In accordance with Article 3(e) of the Settlement Contract, ACID is required to obtain Reclamation’s written consent before it can transfer Project Water. Absent Reclamation’s consent, the COSL would be required to operate within the confines of its water supply under its long-term renewal contract or purchase water from other willing sellers, the most efficient of which has been purchasing water from the McConnell Foundation and/or the Centerville Community Service District (CCSD). Acquiring water under the Proposed Action would supplement the COSL’s existing water supply, used for general municipal and industrial purposes, thereby decreasing the frequency of water purchases on the open market that may be highly competitive, costlier, and less reliable in times of need. 2 Figure 1 - Vicinity Map showing the service areas of the ACID and COSL. 3 Section 2 Alternatives Including the Proposed Action 2.1 No Action Under the No Action Alternative, Reclamation would not consent to the proposed water transfers (Proposed Action). The COSL would be required to operate within the confines of the water supply under its long-term renewed water service contract or purchase water from other willing sellers, which are at the discretion of the COSL. 2.2 Proposed Action The Proposed Action is Reclamation’s annual consent to the transfer of up to 2,000 af of Project Water from ACID to COSL each Contract Year, beginning with the 2019 Contract Year and continuing annually for five years, or through October 31, 2023. Each year’s transfer would be reviewed and conducted in accordance with Reclamation’s current water transfer guidelines, and subject to the conditions of the revised proposal in the COSL’s August 21, 2017, letter to Reclamation (Appendix A). The amount