FINAL PROGRAM AND PROJECT SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT/ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan and Cachuma Project Biological Opinion for Southern Steelhead Trout Volume 1 – Main Text and Figures February 2004 Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board Santa Barbara County, California Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation FINAL PROGRAM AND PROJECT-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT/ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan and Cachuma Project Biological Opinion for Southern Steelhead Trout February 2004 VOLUME 1 – EIR MAIN TEXT AND FIGURES Prepared by the Following Lead Agencies: Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board 3301 Laurel Canyon Road Santa Barbara, California 93105 Contact: Ms. Kate Rees 805-569-1391 Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation South-Central California Area Office 1243 N Street Fresno, California 93721 Contact: Mr. David Young 559-487-5127 EIR/EIS Consultant: URS Corporation 130 Robin Hill Road, Suite 100 Goleta, California 93117 Contact: Dr. John Gray 805-964-6010 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1-1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF CACHUMA PROJECT ............................................................1-1 1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT/ACTION.........................................1-2 1.2.1 Purpose and Need ................................................................................1-2 1.2.2 Fish Management Plan...........................................................................1-2 1.2.3 Biological Opinion................................................................................1-3 1.2.4 Implementation ...................................................................................1-4 1.3 LEAD AGENCY STATUS .............................................................................1-6 1.3.1 NEPA Lead Agency..............................................................................1-6 1.3.2 CEQA Lead Agency .............................................................................1-6 1.3.3 CEQA Responsible Agencies ...................................................................1-6 1.4 TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT AND LEVEL OF DETAIL .................1-7 1.5 PUBLIC SCOPING......................................................................................1-8 1.6 RELATIONSHIP TO FUTURE SWRCB WATER RIGHTS EIR ...............................1-8 1.7 PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT EIS/EIR..................................................1-9 2.0 PROPOSED PROJECT/ACTION ...........................................................................2-1 2.1 OVERVIEW OF THE FISH MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................2-1 2.2 OVERVIEW OF THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION...................................................2-2 2.3 SUMMARY OF THE FMP/BO PROJECTS ........................................................2-3 2.3.1 Implementing Agencies and Funding Sources ...............................................2-3 2.3.2 Projects that Have Been Completed or are Now Operative................................2-7 2.3.3 Projects Deemed Infeasible .....................................................................2-8 2.3.4 Implementation Schedule and Near-Term Funding ....................................... 2-10 2.3.5 Role of Private Landowners .................................................................. 2-12 2.3.6 Implication of Adaptive Management Approach .......................................... 2-13 2.3.7 Differences Between the FMP and BO...................................................... 2-13 2.4 FMP/BO PROJECTS INVOLVING DOWNSTREAM RELEASES FOR FISH ............ 2-15 2.4.1 Ramping Schedule for Water Rights Releases............................................ 2-15 2.4.2 Maintain Residual Pool Depth .............................................................. 2-16 2.4.3 Mainstem Rearing Releases................................................................. 2-17 2.4.4 Fish Passage Supplementation ..............................................................2-18 2.4.5 Adaptive Management Account............................................................. 2-20 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 2.5 RESERVOIR SURCHARGING...................................................................... 2-21 2.5.1 Relationship to Releases fro Fish Rearing and Passage................................. 2-21 2.5.2 Method and Schedule for Surcharging .................................................... 2-21 2.6 HILTON CREEK PROJECTS........................................................................ 2-24 2.6.1 Introduction.................................................................................... 2-24 2.6.2 Passage Impediment Removal on Federal Land.......................................... 2-25 2.6.3 Improve Passage through Route 154 Culvert (Caltrans)................................ 2-30 2.6.4 Hilton Creek Channel Extension ........................................................... 2-32 2.7 TRIBUTARY PASSAGE IMPEDIMENT REMOVAL PROJECTS .......................... 2-34 2.7.1 Summary of Projects......................................................................... 2-34 2.7.2 Jalama Road Bridge Project................................................................. 2-34 2.7.3 Quiota Creek Projects........................................................................ 2-38 2.7.4 El Jaro Creek Passage Impediment Project ............................................... 2-46 2.7.5 Nojoqui Creek Grade Control Passage Impediment Project ........................... 2-47 2.8 TRIBUTARY AND MAINSTEM HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS ........................... 2-49 2.8.1 El Jaro Creek Bank Stabilization Project.................................................. 2-49 2.8.2 Tributary Habitat Enhancement Project, Including Conservation Easements ....... 2-54 2.8.3 Mainstem Habitat Enhancement and Protection.......................................... 2-55 2.9 FISH RESCUES .......................................................................................2-55 2.10 PUBLIC EDUCATION ............................................................................2-57 2.11 MONITORING ......................................................................................2-58 3.0 OVERVIEW OF THE CACHUMA PROJECT FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS...............3-1 3.1 CACHUMA PROJECT FACILITIES.................................................................3-1 3.1.1 Bradbury Dam and Lake Cachuma...........................................................3-1 3.1.2 Conveyance and Local Storage Facilities ...................................................3-1 3.1.3 Facility Operations and Maintenance ........................................................3-2 3.1.4 Cachuma Recreation Area.....................................................................3-2 3.2 PROJECT YIELD AND DELIVERY ................................................................3-3 3.2.1 Use of Project Water ...........................................................................3-3 3.2.2 Project Entitlement and Deliveries ...........................................................3-3 3.2.3 Water Rights Releases..........................................................................3-6 3.2.4 Reservoir Operations ...........................................................................3-8 3.2.5 Releases for Fish Studies and Maintenance.................................................3-9 3.2.6 Modified Storm Operations....................................................................3-9 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 3.2.7 Conveyance and Releases of SWP Water ................................................. 3-10 3.3 STATUS OF WATER RIGHTS PERMITS........................................................ 3-11 3.4 RECENT OPERATIONAL CHANGES PURSUANT TO THE BO .......................... 3-12 4.0 SCOPE OF THE EIR/EIS.....................................................................................4-1 4.1 LEVEL OF ANALYSIS IN THE EIR/EIS...........................................................4-1 4.2 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE.....................................................................4-1 4.3 NO PROJECT/ACTION ALTERNATIVE ..........................................................4-2 4.4 IMPACT ANALYSIS AND SIGNIFICANCE THRESHOLDS..................................4-3 4.4.1 Introduction......................................................................................4-3 4.4.2 Impact Thresholds...............................................................................4-4 4.5 FMP/BO PROJECTS WITH NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT...............................4-7 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS – DOWNSTREAM RELEASES FOR FISH....................5-1 5.1 SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY..................................................................5-1 5.1.1 Existing Conditions.............................................................................5-5 5.1.2 Potential Impacts................................................................................5-5 5.1.2.1 Overview of the Hydrologic Model Used in the EIR/EIS .........................5-5 5.1.2.2 Reduction in Spills .......................................................................5-8 5.1.2.3 Changes in Downstream Flows ........................................................5-8 5.1.2.4 Impacts on Flood Hazards ............................................................ 5-12 5.1.3 Mitigation