Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project Project Description Technical Memorandum October 2012 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose of this TM ........................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2.1 Stipulation of Settlement.................................................................... 1-2 1.2.2 San Joaquin River Restoration Program ............................................ 1-4 1.2.3 Overview of the Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements .................................................................................... 1-6 1.2.4 Scoping and Public Involvement Process .......................................... 1-8 1.3 Purpose and Uses of the Project EIS/R ....................................................... 1-12 1.3.1 National Environmental Policy Act ................................................. 1-12 1.3.2 California Environmental Quality Act ............................................. 1-13 1.3.3 Type of Environmental Document................................................... 1-14 1.4 Relationship to Other SJRRP NEPA and CEQA Documents ..................... 1-15 1.5 Purpose and Need for Action and Project Objectives ................................. 1-16 1.6 Responsibilities of Lead Agencies, Responsible Agency, and Implementing Agencies ............................................................................... 1-17 1.7 Project Study Area ....................................................................................... 1-18 1.7.1 Geographic Area Description .......................................................... 1-18 1.7.2 Description of Existing Conditions within the Study Area ............. 1-18 1.7.3 Description of Local Hydrology ...................................................... 1-24 1.8 Organization of this Technical Memorandum ............................................. 1-26 2.0 Alternatives Formulation Process ....................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Alternatives Development Process Overview ............................................... 2-1 2.2 Stakeholder Involvement ............................................................................... 2-2 2.2.1 Federal, State, & Local Agencies ...................................................... 2-2 2.2.2 Landowners ........................................................................................ 2-4 2.2.3 Public ................................................................................................. 2-5 2.3 Initial Options Formulation ........................................................................... 2-5 2.4 Alternatives Formulation ............................................................................... 2-6 2.5 Summary of the Alternatives Evaluation Process ......................................... 2-8 2.5.1 Summary of the Evaluation Criteria .................................................. 2-8 2.5.2 Scoring Alternatives Data and Professional Judgment .................... 2-10 3.0 Description of Alternatives .................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Alternatives Development ............................................................................. 3-1 Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project Project Description Technical Memorandum i – October 2012 San Joaquin River Restoration Program 3.1.1 NEPA Requirements .......................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 CEQA Requirements ......................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Overview of Alternatives ............................................................................... 3-2 3.3 No-Action/No-Project Alternative................................................................. 3-3 3.4 Elements Common to All Action Alternatives .............................................. 3-5 3.4.1 Fish Habitat and Passage ................................................................... 3-5 3.4.2 Levees ................................................................................................ 3-8 3.4.3 Seepage Control Measures ................................................................. 3-9 3.4.4 Borrow ............................................................................................... 3-9 3.4.5 Levee protection............................................................................... 3-10 3.4.6 Removal of existing levees .............................................................. 3-10 3.4.7 Floodplain Grading .......................................................................... 3-10 3.4.8 Lone Willow Slough Fish Screen .................................................... 3-11 3.4.9 Infrastructure for Fish Monitoring ................................................... 3-11 3.4.10 Existing infrastructure relocations or floodproofing........................ 3-11 3.4.11 Construction Access......................................................................... 3-15 3.4.12 Operations and Maintenance............................................................ 3-17 3.4.13 Land Acquisition .............................................................................. 3-20 3.4.14 Phased Implementation .................................................................... 3-20 3.4.15 Monitoring and Management Plan................................................... 3-20 3.4.16 Conservation Strategy ...................................................................... 3-21 3.5 Compact Bypass with Narrow Floodplain and South Canal ....................... 3-45 3.5.1 Fish Habitat and Passage ................................................................. 3-48 3.5.2 Floodplain and Riparian Habitat ...................................................... 3-49 3.5.3 Compact Bypass Channel ................................................................ 3-51 3.5.4 South Canal ...................................................................................... 3-51 3.5.5 Structures ......................................................................................... 3-52 3.5.6 Water Deliveries .............................................................................. 3-57 3.5.7 Construction Considerations ............................................................ 3-57 3.5.8 Summary .......................................................................................... 3-58 3.6 Compact Bypass with Wide Floodplain and Bifurcation Structure............. 3-62 3.6.1 Fish Habitat and Passage ................................................................. 3-65 3.6.2 Floodplain and Riparian Habitat ...................................................... 3-66 3.6.3 Compact Bypass Channel ................................................................ 3-69 3.6.4 Structures ......................................................................................... 3-69 3.6.5 Water Deliveries .............................................................................. 3-70 3.6.6 Construction Considerations ............................................................ 3-71 3.6.7 Summary .......................................................................................... 3-71 Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project ii – October 2012 Project Description Technical Memorandum Table of Contents 3.7 Fresno Slough Dam with Narrow Floodplain and Short Canal ................... 3-75 3.7.1 Fish Habitat and Passage ................................................................. 3-78 3.7.2 Floodplain and Riparian Habitat ...................................................... 3-79 3.7.3 Short Canal....................................................................................... 3-79 3.7.4 Structures ......................................................................................... 3-79 3.7.5 Removal of River Sediments ........................................................... 3-83 3.7.6 Water Deliveries .............................................................................. 3-84 3.7.7 Construction Considerations ............................................................ 3-84 3.7.8 Summary .......................................................................................... 3-84 3.8 Fresno Slough Dam with Wide Floodplain and North Canal ...................... 3-88 3.8.1 Fish Habitat and Passage ................................................................. 3-91 3.8.2 Floodplain and Riparian Habitat ...................................................... 3-92 3.8.3 North Canal ...................................................................................... 3-92 3.8.4 Structures ......................................................................................... 3-92 3.8.5 Removal of River Sediments ........................................................... 3-93 3.8.6 Water Deliveries .............................................................................. 3-94 3.8.7 Construction Considerations ............................................................ 3-94 3.8.8 Summary .......................................................................................... 3-94 3.9 Alternatives Comparison Tables ................................................................