DOCSLIB.ORG

Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management Within the City of Santa Maria

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management Within the City of Santa Maria Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management Within the City of Santa Maria September 7, 2010 Tetra Tech City of Santa Maria Utilities Department 3201 Airpark Dr. Suite 108 2065 E. Main St. Santa Maria, CA 93455 Santa Maria, CA 93454 Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management within the City of Santa Maria Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Problem Statement ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2. City of Santa Maria Goals and Objectives ...................................................................... 1 1.3. Scope of Report.............................................................................................................. 2 1.4. Hydromodification Management Plan Background ........................................................ 2 1.4.1. Regulatory Background .......................................................................................... 2 1.4.2. Hydromodification Management Requirements ...................................................... 3 1.4.3. Joint Effort Process and Participation ..................................................................... 5 2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND DATA AVAILABILITY ........................................................... 6 2.1. Data Inventory ................................................................................................................ 6 2.2. Hydromodification Control Criteria Development ........................................................... 7 3. WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION ................................................................................. 9 3.1. General Information ........................................................................................................ 9 3.1.1. Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 10 3.1.2. Topography ........................................................................................................... 11 3.1.3. Land Use .............................................................................................................. 13 3.1.4. Soils ...................................................................................................................... 16 3.1.5. Climate .................................................................................................................. 18 3.1.6. Groundwater ......................................................................................................... 22 3.1.7. Surface Waters and Subwatersheds .................................................................... 29 3.1.8. Runoff Flow ........................................................................................................... 37 3.2. Water Quality Challenges ............................................................................................. 39 3.2.1. Surface Water Impairments .................................................................................. 39 3.2.2. Groundwater Impairments .................................................................................... 40 4. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................. 41 4.1. Summary of Observations ............................................................................................ 41 4.2. Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 42 4.2.1. Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 42 4.2.2. Quantify Basin Impacts ......................................................................................... 43 4.2.3. Possible Joint Effort Support ................................................................................ 43 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 44 APPENDICES A Field Reconnaissance of Channels in the City of Santa Maria i Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management within the City of Santa Maria Tables Table 1. Summary of Data Types and Source .............................................................................................. 6 Table 2. Summary of Land Use within Study Area ...................................................................................... 14 Table 3. Characteristics of the USDA-NRCS soil groups ............................................................................ 17 Table 4. Percent Breakdown of Soil Groups in Study Area......................................................................... 17 Table 5. Monthly Average Evapotranspiration Rates (inches) .................................................................... 21 Table 6. Average Monthly Evaporation Rates (inches/day) ........................................................................ 22 Table 7. Summary of Water Requirements and Supplies for the City (AFY) .............................................. 24 Table 8. USGS DTW Measurements (February 2010) ............................................................................... 27 Table 9. City of Santa Maria Landfill Min. and Max. .................................................................................... 28 Table 10. USGS Gauging Stations in the Santa Maria Watershed ............................................................. 38 Table 11. CCAMP Monitoring Sites ............................................................................................................. 39 Table 12. Summary of Waterbody Impairments in the City of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria River ..... 39 Figures Figure 1. Santa Maria River Watershed. ..................................................................................... 10 Figure 2. Study Area. .................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 3. Santa Maria Watershed Topography (Hillshade). ........................................................ 12 Figure 4. Parcel Land Use Within Study Area. ........................................................................... 15 Figure 5. Percent Impervious Cover. .......................................................................................... 16 Figure 6. Hydrologic Soil Groups Within Study Area. ................................................................. 18 Figure 7. NCDC Weather Stations and SBC Rain Gauges. ....................................................... 19 Figure 8. Monthly Average Evaporation Rates. .......................................................................... 22 Figure 9. City of Santa Maria Domestic Supply Wells and USGS Monitoring Wells. .................. 25 Figure 10. Landfill Groundwater Monitoring Wells. ..................................................................... 26 Figure 11. Natural Drainages and Susceptibility to Hydromodification ....................................... 31 Figure 12. Surveyed Riparian Habitat. ........................................................................................ 32 Figure 13. City Watersheds and Discharge Points. .................................................................... 33 Figure 14. Retention and Detention Basins. ............................................................................... 36 Figure 15. USGS Gauging Station Locations. ............................................................................ 38 ii Santa Maria Valley Watershed Characterization for Hydromodification Management within the City of Santa Maria 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Problem Statement As urban and agricultural development occur throughout the Central Coast, local landscapes and hydrology are altered by buildings, roads, lawns, landscaping, and parking lots. Those development activities can substantially change site hydrology by covering pervious surfaces (e.g., vegetated areas, natural soils) with impervious surfaces (e.g., roofs, pavement). Additionally, the ability of the landscape to absorb water during storms is reduced by soil compaction during construction and landscaping. As a result, the volume, rate, and frequency of storm water runoff from these sites can increase dramatically, greatly altering key natural hydrologic processes, such as surface runoff, sediment and pollutant transport, groundwater recharge, and evapotranspiration. Such changes in hydrologic process resulting from land development collectively are called hydrologic modification, or hydromodification, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines as, “The alteration of the natural circulation or distribution of water by the placement of structures or other activities” (USEPA 1992). Hydromodification is also an umbrella term for those modifications of the natural water cycle resulting from urbanization, agriculture, and altered drainage patterns that have the potential to affect surface and groundwater resources adversely in a number of ways, such as increasing pollutant loads, reducing groundwater infiltration, or physically altering receiving waters and drainages. Although the hydrologic contributions of an individual site might seem insignificant
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Santa Maria Project
    MP Region Public Affairs, 916-978-5100, http://www.usbr.gov/mp, February 2016 Mid-Pacific Region, Santa Maria Project Construction individual landholders pump water according to The Santa Maria Project, authorized in 1954, is their needs. The objective of the project as located in California about 150 miles northwest authorized is to release regulated water from of Los Angeles. A joint water conservation and storage as quickly as it can be percolated into flood control project, it consists of the the Santa Maria Valley ground-water basin. Twitchell Dam where construction began in With this type of operation, Twitchell July 1956 and was completed in October Reservoir is empty much of the time. For this 1958.The Reservoir was constructed by the reason, recreation and fishing facilities are not Bureau of Reclamation, and a system of river included in the project. levees was constructed by the Corps of Engineers. Twitchell Dam Twitchell Dam is located on the Cuyama River about 6 miles upstream from its junction with the Sisquoc River. The dam regulates flows along the lower reaches of the river and impounds surplus flows for release in the dry months to help recharge the ground-water basin underlying the Santa Maria Valley, thus minimizing discharge of water to the sea at Guadalupe. The dam is an earthen fill structure having a height of 241 feet with 216 feet above streambed, and a crest length of 1,804 feet. The dam contains approximately 5,833,000 yards of Twitchell Dam and Reservoir material. The multi-purpose Twitchell Reservoir Water Supply has a total capacity of 224,300 acre-feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Historic P U B Lic W Ork S P Roje Cts on the Ce N Tra L
    SHTOIRICHISTORIC SHTOIRIC P U B LIC W ORK S P ROJE TSCP ROJE CTS P ROJE TSC ON THE CE N TRA L OCA STCOA ST OCA ST Compiled by Douglas Pike, P.E. Printing Contributed by: Table of Contents Significant Transportation P rojects......2 El Camino Real................................................... 2 US Route 101...................................................... 3 California State Route 1...................................... 6 The Stone Arch Bridge ..................................... 11 Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge..................... 12 Significant W ater P rojects...................14 First Dams and Reservoirs................................ 14 First Water Company........................................ 14 Cold Spring Tunnel........................................... 15 Mission Tunnel ................................................. 16 Gibraltar Dam ................................................... 16 Central Coast Conduit....................................... 18 Water Reclamation In Santa Maria Valley....... 23 Twitchell Dam & Reservoir.............................. 24 Santa Maria Levee ............................................ 26 Nacimiento Water Project................................. 28 M iscellaneous P rojects of Interest.......30 Avila Pier .......................................................... 30 Stearns Wharf.................................................... 32 San Luis Obispo (Port Harford) Lighthouse..... 34 Point Conception Lighthouse............................ 35 Piedras Blancas Light ......................................
    [Show full text]
  • Scanned Document
    DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PERMIT Permittee: California Department of Wildlife; Attention: Timothy Chorey Project Name: Regional General Permit No. 78 Reauthorization for the California Department of the Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Restoration Grant Program Permit Number: SPL-2019-00120-CLH Issuing Office: Los Angeles District Note: The term "you" and its derivatives, as used in this permit, means the permittee or any future transferee. The term "this office" refers to the appropriate district or division office of the Corps of Engineers having jurisdiction over the permitted activity or the appropriate official acting under the authority of the commanding officer. You are authorized to perform work in accordance with the terms and conditions specified below. Project Description: To reauthorize the implementation of salmonid habitat enhancement and restoration projects conducted under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Restoration Grant. Program (FRGP) in various coastal streams within Los Angeles District from San Luis Obispo County to San Diego County, California, implemented through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). Projects would be identified on an annual basis and would apply one or more of the habitat restoration treatments described in the California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual (CDFW Manual). Projects may include • In-stream habitat improvements, including cover structures (divide logs, digger logs, spider logs, and log/root wad/boulder combinations), boulder structures (boulder weirs, vortex boulder weirs, boulder clusters, and single- and opposing-boulder wing- deflectors), log structures (log weirs, upsurge weirs, single- and opposing-log wing- deflectors, and Hewitt ramps) and placement of imported spawning gravel may be utilized in certain locations.
    [Show full text]
  • Santa Maria Project History
    Santa Maria Project Thomas A. Latousek Bureau of Reclamation 1996 Table of Contents The Santa Maria Project ........................................................2 Project Location.........................................................2 Historic Setting .........................................................3 Prehistoric Setting .................................................3 Historic Setting ...................................................4 Authorization...........................................................6 Construction History .....................................................9 Post-Construction History................................................10 Settlement of the Project .................................................12 Uses of Project Water ...................................................13 Conclusion............................................................13 Bibliography ................................................................15 Manuscripts and Archival Material.........................................15 Project Reports, Santa Maria Project..................................15 Government Documents .................................................15 Books ................................................................15 Interviews.............................................................15 Index ......................................................................16 1 The Santa Maria Project The beautiful, broad Santa Maria Basin opens eastward from the Pacific Ocean toward the Sierra
    [Show full text]
  • 2016 Annual Report of Hydrogeologic Conditions, Water Requirements, Supplies and Disposition
    2016 Annual Report of Hydrogeologic Conditions, Water Requirements, Supplies and Disposition Santa Maria Valley Management Area Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers April, 2017 Landsat 5 Satellite Image taken November 14, 2008 2016 Annual Report of Hydrogeologic Conditions Water Requirements, Supplies, and Disposition Santa Maria Valley Management Area prepared by Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers April 27, 2017 Table of Contents Page 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Physical Setting .................................................................................................1 1.2 Previous Studies ................................................................................................2 1.3 SMVMA Monitoring Program .........................................................................2 1.4 Additional Monitoring and Reporting Programs ..............................................4 1.5 Report Organization ..........................................................................................4 2. Hydrogeologic Conditions .................................................................................................5 2.1 Groundwater Conditions ...................................................................................5 2.1.1 Geology and Aquifer System ..............................................................5 2.1.2 Groundwater Levels ............................................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Initial Environmental Study Central Coast Commercial
    CITY OF SANTA MARIA INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION DECEMBER 18, 2019 CENTRAL COAST COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DEALERSHIP, U2019-0010 1400 block of West Stowell Road. PROJECT SUMMARY Project Description A Conditional Use Permit (U2019-0010) for California Truck Centers to construct a 40,000-square-foot facility for commercial vehicle sales, parts sales, and repair facility on a 9.2-acre site in an M-2 (General Manufacturing) district. The project would not include vehicle fueling, paint booth or body repairs. Location 1400 block of West Stowell Road Assessor's Parcel No. 117-240-021 General Plan Designation General Industrial (GI) Zoning General Manufacturing (M-2) Size of Site 9.2 Acres Present Use Vacant Proposed Uses Truck Dealership and Service Facility Access Two driveways on Stowell Road Surrounding Uses/Zoning Property located in unincorporated Santa Barbara County and North used for agriculture Developed sites with industrial uses in the M-2 (General South Manufacturing) district, Developed sites with industrial uses in the M-2 (General East Manufacturing) district Agriculture/industrial uses in a PD/CM/AG (planned development/commercial manufacturing/agriculture) zoning West district. Parking 123 Spaces Required, 123 Spaces Provided Setbacks Front Required: 20 Feet Provided: 120 Feet +/- Side (West) Required: 0 Feet Provided: 130 Feet +/- U2019-0010 DECEMBER 18, 2019 CENTRAL COAST DEALERSHIP AND SERVICE FACILITY INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION PAGE 1 OF 7 Rear (Southeast) Required: 20 Feet Provided:
    [Show full text]
  • 2006 Flood Control
    FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT Prepared for Winter Storms? SUMMARY The Flood Control and Water Conservation District, part of the County Public Works Department, manages the waterways and storage basins in Santa Barbara County. The District deals with emergencies on a regular basis, as winter rains often generate violent flows in the County’s creeks and rivers. The Grand Jury investigated the District’s flood control program to assess its effectiveness in protecting the County from the effects of these flows. The Grand Jury found that the Flood Control and Water Conservation District has a well-planned, proactive, and comprehensive program of annual maintenance and capital improvement projects to prevent flood damage during the winter rains. The Grand Jury also found a well-planned, tested emergency response capability for occasions when heavy flows do occur. The major dams in the County, Bradbury and Twitchell, serve a flood control role as well as forming part of the water conservation system. The dams are under close supervision by Federal and State agencies and have been seismically reinforced. The Grand Jury visited both Bradbury and Twitchell dams and found them under the control of experienced and knowledgeable operators. The Santa Maria levee, which protects the City of Santa Maria and the greater Santa Maria Valley from storm waters in the Santa Maria River, had a major failure in 1998 and is at risk of failing again. Although the District is working proactively to minimize this risk through interim measures, an engineering study indicates that a permanent reinforcement of the levee will cost over $38 million.
    [Show full text]
  • Santa Maria and Sisquoc Rivers Specific Plan
    SANTA MARIA AND SISQUOC RIVERS SPECIFIC PLAN N I "W'wfti This Specific Plan was adopted by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on December 9, 1997 and by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors on January 20, 1998. Santa Maria and Sisquoc Rivers Specific Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction....................................................................................................... 1-1 Chapter II Planning Area..................................................................................................11-1 Chapter III Mining and Reclamation............................................................................... 111-1 Chapter IV Land Use......................................................................................................... IV-1 Chapter V River Channel.................................................................................................. V-1 Chapter VI Biological Resources ...................................................................................... VI-1 Chapter VII Agriculture..................................................................................................... VI1-1 Chapter VIII Groundwater Resources...............................................................................VI11-1 Chapter IX Cultural Resources..........................................................................................IX-1 Chapter X Air Quality........................................................................................................ X-1 Chapter
    [Show full text]
  • Cuyama River Watershed
    Cuyama River Watershed Hydrologic Water Acreage Flows to Groundwater Jurisdictions Unit Name Planning Basin(s) Area Santa Maria Cuyama 140,408 Santa Cuyama Valley; County of San Luis Obispo HU 12 Valley acres in Maria River Santa Maria Los Padres National Forest WPA 9 County; Valley Huasna 729,600 Valley acres total WPA 8 Description: The Cuyama River Watershed starts in Ventura County. The river generally flows northward, and then in a westerly direction to a point of confluence with the Sisquoc River near the town of Garey where it joins the Santa Maria River. The San Luis Obispo County line approximately follows the Cuyama River. A portion of the northern tributaries and part of the Cuyama River are within the southwestern Photo by: N. Smith part of San Luis Obispo County. The northern tributaries rise to a maximum elevation of almost 4,950 feet above sea level at Caliente Mountain with their headwaters in the La Panza and Caliente Mountain Ranges. Twitchell Reservoir is near the downstream end of the Cuyama River Watershed, formed behind Twitchell Dam. The watershed is dominated by rural and agricultural land uses including ranches, orchards, vineyards and row crops. Other land uses include oil and gas production, Los Padres National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands. Watershed Plans: None. Watershed Management Plan Phase 1 Cuyama River Watershed, Section 3.2.4.3, page 293 Cuyama River Watershed Characteristics: Physical Setting Rainfall 7 – 24 inches in County 7 – 30 inches for entire watershed (NRCS Precip 1981-2010) Air Temperature Summer Range (August 1981-2010): 50- 82 F Winter Range (December 1981-2010): 36- 66 F At Twitchell Dam, CA.
    [Show full text]
  • Monitoring Program for the Santa Maria Valley Management Area, Prepared for Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, and Twitchell Management Authority
    Table of Contents Page 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Physical Setting ................................................................................................1 1.2 Previous Studies................................................................................................2 1.3 SMVMA Monitoring Program .........................................................................2 1.4 Report Organization..........................................................................................4 2. Hydrogeologic Conditions.................................................................................................5 2.1 Groundwater Conditions...................................................................................5 2.1.1 Geology and Aquifer System..............................................................5 2.1.2 Groundwater Levels............................................................................8 2.1.3 Groundwater Quality ..........................................................................9 2.2 Twitchell Reservoir Operations ......................................................................12 2.2.1 Reservoir Stage and Storage .............................................................12 2.2.2 Reservoir Releases............................................................................13 2.3 Streams............................................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • Floods in Cuyama Valley, California, February 1998
    FLOODS IN CUYAMA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY INTRODUCTION from automated gages operated by the counties for flood warning (not for C A L I F O R N I A Flooding in southern California recording official rainfall), these data in recent years has been attributed to are useful for analyzing the timing and El Niño, a climate condition based on intensity of rainfall and for obtaining San Luis sea surface temperatures of the Kern Co precipitation estimates for areas not Obispo Co equatorial Pacific Ocean and on trade covered by more highly calibrated Study wind velocities. During El Niño gages. Area conditions, trade winds diminish, and Santa Barbara Co upwelling of colder water in the ocean To document the distribution of Ventura Co Los Angeles is inhibited along the Pacific Coast of flood peaks in the basin, 15 sites on the United States. Precipitation is the Cuyama River and its tributaries enhanced by increased evaporation were selected for indirect from the warmer surface water. The measurements of peak discharge (fig. result is an increase in the number and 2). Standard engineering surveying Location of study area. intensity of storms (Harmon, 1999). methods were used to measure the Figure 1. The storms that occurred in the width, depth, slope, and elevation of Cuyama River Basin (fig. 1) in peak flow for selected channel then joins with the Sisquoc River to January and February 1998 were reaches. These data were then used to form the Santa Maria River, which influenced by a very strong El Niño compute peak discharge using various flows to the west to the Pacific Ocean condition.
    [Show full text]
  • Alamo Creek Watershed
    Alamo Creek Watershed Hydrologic Water Acreage Flows to Groundwater Jurisdictions Unit Name Planning Basin(s) Area Santa Maria Huasna 56,277 Cuyama None County of San Luis Obispo HU 12 Valley acres River at U. S. Forest Service WPA 8 Twitchell Reservoir Description: The Alamo Creek Watershed is an inland basin located in southern San Luis Obispo County. The drainage rises to a maximum elevation of approximately 3,800 feet above sea level. Alamo Creek flows to the Cuyama River at Twitchell Reservoir. Twitchell dam is downstream in the Cuyama Watershed, but its presence affects habitats, hydrology, and land use in Alamo Creek Watershed. Major Photo by: N. Smith tributary basins with their headwaters in the La Panza Mountain Range: Little Jollo, Sheep, Kennel, Los Machos, and Branch Creeks. The watershed is dominated by the Los Padres National Forest which permits recreation including camping, hunting, and off-highway vehicle uses. The watershed also has agricultural land uses. Watershed Plans: None Watershed Management Plan Phase 1 Alamo Creek Watershed, Section 3.2.4.1, page 266 Alamo Creek Watershed Characteristics: Physical Setting Rainfall 18 – 25 inches (NRCS, 2010) 17 inches Mean Annual (SLOCountyWater.org, viewed 2013) Air Temperature Summer Range (August 1981-2010): 50- 82 F Winter Range (December 1981-2010): 36 - 66 F At Twitchell Dam, CA. (NOAA National Climatic Data Center, viewed 2013) Geology Alamo Creek, Branch Creek, Kennel Creek, and Sheep Creek sub Description watersheds are composed of steep moderately infiltrative early to mid-Tertiary headwaters – category #11. Little Jollo Creek sub watershed is composed of moderately steep to steep pre-quaternary non-infiltrative headwaters – category #9.
    [Show full text]