Conceptual-Level Hydrology Study, LEAPS, August 28
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TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... ES-1 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1 1.1 GENERAL............................................................................................................................1 1.2 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................1 1.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION...................................................................................................2 1.4 SCOPE OF WORK...............................................................................................................3 1.5 ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT................................................................................3 SECTION 2: HYDROLOGIC BASELINE DATA ....................................................................5 2.1 GENERAL............................................................................................................................5 2.1.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................5 2.1.2 San Juan Creek Watershed Management Plan............................................................6 2.1.3 Agency Consultation...................................................................................................6 2.2 DESCRIPTION OF IN-STREAM FLOW USES IN THE PROJECT AREA....................7 2.2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................7 2.2.1.1 General............................................................................................................7 2.2.1.2 Description of the San Juan Creek Watershed ...............................................7 2.2.1.3 Description of Morrell and Decker Canyons..................................................8 2.2.1.4 Description of San Mateo Creek Watershed...................................................8 2.2.2 Beneficial Uses of Morrell and Decker Canyons and Upper San Juan Creek..........10 2.2.3 Stream Flows ............................................................................................................11 2.2.4 Precipitation..............................................................................................................12 2.2.5 Watershed Geology and Topography .......................................................................13 2.3 PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF UPPER RESERVOIR...........................................13 2.3.1 Purpose......................................................................................................................13 2.3.2 Description................................................................................................................14 2.4 DESCRIPTION OF WATER QUALITY OF SAN JUAN CREEK .................................17 2.5 WATER QUALITY OF UPPER RESERVOIR................................................................17 2.6 GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE UPPER RESERVOIR .....17 2.7 PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION OF LOWER RESERVOIR (LAKE ELSINORE) ......18 2.7.1 Purpose......................................................................................................................18 2.7.2 Description................................................................................................................18 2.8 WATER QUALITY OF LOWER RESERVOIR ..............................................................19 2.9 PROJECT CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION..........................................................20 SECTION 3: POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO SURFACE WATER...........................................22 3.1 GENERAL..........................................................................................................................22 3.2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS ....................................................................................................23 Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project GENTERRA CONSULTANTS, INC. FERC No. 11858 i 222A-EIS-LEAPS-TOC 3.2.1 Impacts on San Juan Creek Watershed Area ............................................................23 3.2.2 Impacts on San Juan Creek Surface Water Flows ....................................................23 3.2.3 Other Potential Impacts on Downstream Areas........................................................24 3.2.4 Potential Impacts to Water Quality of Lake Elsinore...............................................25 3.2.5 Potential Impacts to Surface Water from Transmission Lines .................................26 3.2.6 Potential Impacts to Surface Water from Spoil Placement and Erosion Control .....27 3.3 ALTERNATIVES FOR MAINTAINING DOWNSTREAM FLOWS .............................27 SECTION 4: POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER.............................................29 4.1 GENERAL..........................................................................................................................29 4.2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER LEVELS..............................................29 4.3 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER QUALITY...........................................30 4.4 CONCEPTUAL RESERVOIR LINER SYSTEMS ...........................................................31 4.5 SHAFT AND TUNNEL LINER SYSTEM........................................................................33 4.6 PERFORMANCE MONITORING ....................................................................................33 SECTION 5: CONCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS.............................................................34 5.1 CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................34 5.1.1 General......................................................................................................................34 5.1.2 Surface Water............................................................................................................34 5.1.3 Groundwater .............................................................................................................35 5.2 LIMITATIONS...................................................................................................................36 SECTION 6: REFERENCES .....................................................................................................37 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ...................................................................40 TABLES Table 2-1 Daily Flow Analyses for San Juan Creek at La Novia Avenue Bridge (1980-1997) Table 3-1 Water Quality of Alternative Sources to Maintain Downstream Flows FIGURES Figure 1-1 Site Location Map Figure 1-2 Site Plan Figure 2-1 Regional Water Quality Control Board Jurisdictional Boundaries Figure 2-2 San Juan Hydrologic Unit Figure 2-3 San Juan Creek Basin Figure 2-4 Seasonal Variation of Stream Flows for San Juan Creek Figure 2-5 Seasonal Variation of Temperature of San Juan Creek Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project GENTERRA CONSULTANTS, INC. FERC No. 11858 ii 222A-EIS-LEAPS-TOC Figure 2-6 Seasonal Variation of Suspended Sediment Concentration of San Juan Creek Figure 2-7 Seasonal Variation of Suspended Sediment Load for San Juan Creek Figure 2-8 San Jacinto Watershed Figure 2-9 Lake Elsinore Management Project Diagram Figure 4-1 Conceptual Reservoir Liner Systems APPENDICES Appendix A Description of Firm and Resumes of Key Project Personnel Appendix B Water-Quality Objectives of San Juan Creek Watershed (excerpts from the San Diego Region Basin Plan) Appendix C Water-Quality Data for Lake Elsinore, California Department of Water Resources Appendix D Statistical Summary of Lake Elsinore Water-Quality Data (Montgomery Watson, 1997) Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project GENTERRA CONSULTANTS, INC. FERC No. 11858 iii 222A-EIS-LEAPS-TOC CONCEPTUAL-LEVEL HYDROLOGY STUDY Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project Riverside County, California EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction This report describes the results of a conceptual-level hydrology study for the proposed Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project (LEAPS) in Riverside County, California. This hydrology study discusses the baseline data, potential impacts, and potential alternatives associated with the construction of the LEAPS project. The proposed LEAPS hydroelectric facility will cycle water between the existing Lake Elsinore and a proposed man-made reservoir located in the San Juan Creek Watershed approximately 1,650 feet above Lake Elsinore, within the Elsinore Mountains of the Cleveland National Forest. The inflow to the upper reservoir will be water pumped up from Lake Elsinore during off-peak periods, and direct rainfall into the reservoir. The proposed configuration of the candidate upper reservoir calls for an embankment dam on the downstream side and possibly dikes on other reservoir sides. The upper reservoir has a minimum planned capacity of 5,500 acre-feet with an anticipated surface area of approximately 60 to 120 acres. Other features of the project include a penstock, an underground powerhouse located at the base of the Elsinore Mountains, and a tailrace tunnel. Unlike many hydroelectric projects, the upper reservoir does not entail impoundment of the upstream watershed. Essentially the same amount of water is cycled back and forth between the upper and lower reservoirs. In general, the