Water Transfer Program for the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, 2014–2038 Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report Mid-Pacific Region May 2012 State Clearinghouse No. 2011061057 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority May 2012 1 Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary .................................................................................................... ES-1 3 ES.1 Background ..................................................................................................ES-1 4 ES.2 Project Purpose and Need/Objectives ..........................................................ES-2 5 ES.3 Public and Agency Involvement ..................................................................ES-4 6 ES.4 Alternatives Considered and Preferred Alternative .....................................ES-5 7 ES.4.1 No Action/No Project Alternative ...................................................ES-5 8 ES.4.2 Action Alternatives ..........................................................................ES-6 9 ES.5 Summary Comparison of Impacts/Effects of Alternatives ..........................ES-8 10 1.0 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................. 1-1 11 1.1 History and Background ................................................................................ 1-2 12 1.1.1 Wetland Habitat Water Requirement ................................................. 1-4 13 1.1.2 Central Valley and State Water Project Contractors .......................... 1-4 14 1.2 Purpose and Need / Project Objectives .......................................................... 1-5 15 1.2.1 Refuge Water Supplies ...................................................................... 1-6 16 1.2.2 Agricultural Water Use ...................................................................... 1-7 17 1.2.3 Santa Clara Valley Water District ...................................................... 1-9 18 1.2.4 Potential Additional CVP Contractors ............................................. 1-10 19 1.2.5 Potential Additional SWP Contractor .............................................. 1-12 20 1.3 Possible Related Projects ............................................................................. 1-12 21 1.3.1 Irrigated Lands Waiver (Central Valley Regional Water 22 Quality Control Board) .................................................................... 1-15 23 1.3.2 San Joaquin River Restoration Program .......................................... 1-15 24 1.3.3 Review and Potential Amendment of State Water Resources 25 Control Board Southern Delta Salinity and San Joaquin River 26 Flow Objectives from the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan .............................. 1-16 27 1.3.4 Review and Possible Issuance of Rules by U.S. 28 Environmental Protection Agency Relating to Delta 29 Conditions ........................................................................................ 1-17 30 1.3.5 Grassland Bypass Project, 2010–2019 ........................................................ 1-17 31 2.0 Alternatives............................................................................................................ 2-1 32 2.1 Project Location ............................................................................................. 2-2 33 2.2 No Action / No Project Alternative ............................................................... 2-2 34 2.2.1 Assumptions Related to the Wetland Habitat Areas ........................ 2-12 35 2.2.2 Assumptions Related to the Delivery of Water to CVP 36 Contractors ....................................................................................... 2-13 Water Transfer Program, 2014–2038 Draft EIS/EIR i – May 2012 EC 2012 DEIS-R___TOC.docx San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority 1 2.2.3 Assumptions Related to the Delivery of Water to SWP 2 Contractors ....................................................................................... 2-14 3 2.2.4 Assumptions Related to the Exchange Contractors ......................... 2-14 4 2.3 Action / Project Alternatives ....................................................................... 2-17 5 2.3.1 Water Development Alternatives ..................................................... 2-18 6 2.3.2 Water Acquisition Scenarios............................................................ 2-21 7 2.4 Required Approvals and Permits ................................................................. 2-25 8 2.5 Alternatives Considered but not Evaluated in Detail .................................. 2-25 9 2.6 Agency Preferred Alternative ...................................................................... 2-27 10 2.7 Summary Comparison of Alternatives ........................................................ 2-27 11 2.7.1 Environmentally Superior Alternative ......................................................... 2-31 12 3.0 Scope of Impact Analysis ..................................................................................... 3-1 13 3.1 Resources to Be Evaluated ............................................................................ 3-1 14 3.2 Resources Not Evaluated ............................................................................... 3-1 15 3.2.1 Cultural Resources ............................................................................. 3-2 16 3.2.2 Energy ................................................................................................ 3-2 17 3.2.3 Geology and Soils .............................................................................. 3-2 18 3.2.4 Hazardous Materials .......................................................................... 3-2 19 3.2.5 Noise .................................................................................................. 3-2 20 3.2.6 Mineral Resources ............................................................................. 3-3 21 3.2.7 Recreation .......................................................................................... 3-3 22 3.2.8 Utilities and Public Services .............................................................. 3-3 23 3.2.9 Traffic and Transportation ................................................................. 3-3 24 3.2.10 Visual Resources ................................................................................ 3-3 25 3.3 Water Receiving Areas Analysis ................................................................... 3-4 26 3.3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 3-4 27 3.3.2 San Joaquin Valley and Tulare Lake Basin Wildlife Areas .............. 3-4 28 3.3.3 Background of Long-Term and Interim Renewal Contracts ............. 3-5 29 3.3.4 CVP Water Users North of the Delta ................................................. 3-8 30 3.3.5 CVP Water Users South of the Delta ............................................... 3-12 31 3.3.6 SWP Water Users South of the Delta .............................................. 3-23 32 3.3.7 Related Biological Opinions and ESA Consultations ...................... 3-27 33 3.4 Effect and Impact Significance Determinations .......................................... 3-39 34 4.0 Surface Water Resources ..................................................................................... 4-1 35 4.1 Affected Environment/Environmental Setting .............................................. 4-1 36 4.1.1 Surface Water Resources ................................................................... 4-2 37 4.1.2 Regulatory Setting ............................................................................. 4-8 Draft Water Transfer Program, 2014–2038 ii – May 2012 EIS/EIR EC 2012 DEIS-R___TOC.docx Table of Contents 1 4.2 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 4-9 2 4.2.1 Key Impact and Evaluation Criteria ................................................ 4-10 3 4.2.2 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation ........................................... 4-12 4 4.2.3 Cumulative Effects........................................................................... 4-49 5 4.2.4 Impact and Mitigation Summary ..................................................... 4-50 6 5.0 Groundwater Resources ....................................................................................... 5-1 7 5.1 Affected Environment/Environmental Setting .............................................. 5-1 8 5.1.1 Groundwater Resources ..................................................................... 5-1 9 5.1.2 Regulatory Setting ............................................................................. 5-9 10 5.2 Environmental Consequences ...................................................................... 5-10 11 5.2.1 Key Impacts and Evaluation Criteria ............................................... 5-10 12 5.2.2 Environmental Impacts and Mitigation ........................................... 5-11 13 5.2.3 Cumulative Effects........................................................................... 5-16 14 5.2.4 Impact and Mitigation Summary ..................................................... 5-18 15 6.0 Biological Resources ............................................................................................. 6-1 16 6.1 Affected Environment/Environmental Setting .............................................. 6-1 17 6.1.1 Resources ..........................................................................................