TABLE OF CONTENTS Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project FEIR Page Summary S-1 1. Introduction 1-1 1.1 Purpose of the EIR 1-1 1.2 Intended Use of the EIR 1-1 1.3 Organization of the Final EIR 1-1 1.4 CEQA Process 1-2 1.4.1 Notice of Preparation 1-2 1.4.2 Public Scoping Meeting 1-3 1.4.3 Draft EIR 1-3 1.4.4 Final Environmental Impact Report Publication 1-3 1.4.5 Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 1-3 1.5 Project Background 1-4 1.5.1 Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District 1-4 1.5.2 Irvine Ranch Water District 1-6 1.5.3 Interim Recharge Project 1-7 2. Project Description 2-1 2.1 Overview and Project Location 2-1 2.2 Project Objectives 2-1 2.3 Purpose and Need for the Project 2-1 2.4 Rosedale’s Existing Conjunctive Use Program and Facilities 2-4 2.4.1 Memorandum of Understanding 2-4 2.5 Description of Proposed Project 2-6 2.5.1 Annexation 2-6 2.5.2 Recharge Facilities 2-6 2.5.3 Water Supplies 2-8 2.5.4 Recovery Facilities 2-10 2.5.5 Conveyance Facilities 2-13 2.6 Construction 2-15 2.6.1 Construction Equipment 2-16 2.7 Project Construction Schedule 2-16 2.8 Operation and Maintenance of Facilities 2-16 2.8.1 Project Operation 2-16 2.8.2 Maintenance 2-17 2.9 Project Approvals 2-17 2.10 Alternatives 2-18 2.10.1 No Project Alternative 2-18 2.10.2 Recharge Basin Location Alternative 2-19 Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project i ESA / 205426 Final EIR May 2008 Table of Contents Page 2.10.3 Injection Well Alternative 2-19 2.10.4 Alternatives Rejected from Further Consideration 2-19 3. Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures 3-1 3.1 Aesthetics 3.1-1 3.2 Agricultural Resources 3.2-1 3.3 Air Quality 3.3-1 3.4 Biological Resources 3.4-1 3.5 Cultural Resources 3.5-1 3.6 Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources 3.6-1 3.7 Hazards and Hazardous Materials 3.7-1 3.8 Hydrology, Groundwater Resources and Water Quality 3.8-1 3.9 Land Use, Planning and Recreation 3.9-1 3.10 Noise 3.10-1 3.11 Transportation and Traffic 3.11-1 3.12 Utilities and Public Services 3.12-1 4. Cumulative Impacts 4-1 4.1 Introduction 4-1 4.2 Related Projects 4-2 4.2.1 Geographic Scope 4-2 4.2.2 Project Timing 4-2 4.2.3 Type of Projects Considered 4-2 4.2.4 Description of Future Water Banking Projects 4-5 4.2.5 Kern River Freeway Specific Plan 4-6 4.3 Impacts and Mitigation Measures 4-7 5. Growth Inducement Potential 5-1 5.1 Overview 5-1 5.2 Population 5-1 5.3 Water Supply and Demand 5-3 5.4 Growth Inducement Potential 5-5 5.5 Resource Management Plans 5-7 6. Alternatives Analysis 6-1 6.1 Introduction 6-1 6.1.1 CEQA Requirements for Alternatives Analysis 6-1 6.1.2 Project Objectives 6-2 6.1.3 Key Impacts of the Proposed Project 6-2 6.2 Alternatives to the Project 6-2 6.2.1 No Project Alternative 6-2 6.2.2 Recharge Basin Location Alternative 6-3 6.2.3 Injection Well Alternative 6-8 6.3 Summary of Alternatives Analysis 6-11 6.4 Environmentally Superior Alternative 6-12 6.5 Alternatives Not Evaluated in This EIR 6-12 6.5.1 Orange County Storage 6-12 6.5.2 Conservation 6-13 6.5.3 Recycled Water 6-13 Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project ii ESA / 205426 Final EIR May 2008 Table of Contents Page 7. References 7-1 8. List of Report Preparers 8-1 9. Introduction to Response to Comments 9-1 10. Comments Received on the Draft EIR 10-1 11. Reponses to Comments 11-1 12. Revisions Made to the Final EIR 12-1 Appendices A. Notice of Preparation B. Scoping Comment Letters C. Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District (RRBWSD) Summary of CEQA Documentation D. RRBWSD Conjunctive Use Program Banking Program Operations E. Memorandum of Understanding Groundwater Banking and Sale Program F. Strand Ranch Well Placement and Drawdown Analysis G. Strand Ranch Water Quality Report H. Title 22 Sample Analysis Results I. Wildermuth Environmental Credentials List of Figures 1-1 Project Location Strand Ranch 1-5 2-1 Project Site and Existing Facilities 2-2 2-2 Strand Ranch Recharge Facilities 2-7 2-3 Strand Ranch Recovery Facilities 2-11 2-4 Rosedale Recovery Facilities 2-12 2-5 Strand Ranch Conveyance Facilities 2-14 3.1-1 Project Site Photos 3.1-2 3.2-1 Agricultural Lands 3.2-2 3.4-1 Location of Pioneer Canal and Slough Area 3.4-4 3.4-2 Strand Ranch Slough and Riparian Vegetation 3.4-5 3.4-3 Metropolitan Bakersfield HCP 3.4-10 3.6-1 Geology of the Southern San Joaquin Valley 3.6-2 3.7-1 Contaminated Sites on Strand Ranch 3.7-3 3.8-1 Kern County Water Districts 3.8-6 3.8-2 100-Year Flood Hazard Area 3.8-15 3.9-1 Land Use 3.9-3 3.11-1 Regional Transportation Network within Project Site 3.11-2 4-1 Kern County Water Districts 4-4 6-1 Alternative Project Locations 6-5 List of Tables S-1 Summary of Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures S-8 2-1 Rosedale Conjunctive Use Program Partnership Agreements 2-4 Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project iii ESA / 205426 Final EIR May 2008 Table of Contents Page List of Tables (Cont) 2-2 Total Banking Program Operations since 2004 (AF) 2-5 3.3-1 Ambient Air Quality Standards for Criteria Pollutants 3.3-3 3.3-2 Project Area Air Pollutant Summary, 2000-2006 3.3-4 3.4-1 Wildlife at Strand Ranch – PPA Survey Results 3.4-6 3.4-2 Wildlife at Strand Ranch, 2007 3.4-8 3.4-3 Special-Status Species and Habitat with Potential to Occur Within The Proposed Project Area and Greater Kern County 3.4-12 3.6-1 Historic Earthquakes Magnitude 5.0 or Greater in Kern County Area 3.6-4 3.6-2 Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale 3.6-6 3.8-1 Surface Water Quality for Select Parameters 3.8-5 3.8-2 Strand Ranch Shallow Well Sampling Results Detected Compounds Only 3.8-12 3.8-3 Surface Water Quality for Select Parameters 3.8-25 3.10-1 Estimated Noise Levels From Construction Activities 3.10-5 3.10-2 Typical Noise Levels from Construction Equipment 3.10-6 3.10-3 Vibration Velocities for Construction Equipment 3.10-7 3.11-1 Level of Service Definitions 3.11-4 4-1 Capital Improvement and Development Projects 4-3 4-2 Groundwater Banking Programs in Kern County 4-5 5-1 IRWD Population Projections 5-2 5-2 Rosedale Population Projections 5-2 5-3 MWD’s Single Dry-Year Supply Capability and Total Demand (AFY) 5-3 5-4 IRWD Current and Planned Water Supplies 5-5 5-5 Amount of Groundwater Projected to Be Pumped (AFY) 5-5 5-6 Historic Consumptive Use within Rosedale District (AFY) 5-5 5-7 Key Regional Resource Management and/or Protection Agencies With a Role in Addressing Secondary Effects of Planned Growth in Orange County 5-8 6-1 Summary of Alternatives Analysis 6-11 9-1 Persons, Organizations, and Public Agencies Commenting in Writing 9-2 List of Acronyms AEWSD Arvin Edison Water Storage District AGR agricultural water supply Amsl above mean sea level AQMP Air Quality Management Plan BMP best management practice BVWSD Buena Vista Water Storage District CARB California Air Resources Board CCAA California Clean Air Act Caltrans California Department of Transportation Corps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CCTS Central California Taxonomic System CDC California Department of Conservation CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act CLWA Castaic Lake Water Agency Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project iv ESA / 205426 Final EIR May 2008 Table of Contents List of Acronyms (cont) CVP Central Valley Project CEQA California Environmental Quality Act cfs cubic feet per second CH4 methane CMP Congestion Management Program CNEL Community Noise Equivalent Level CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide CO2E carbon dioxide equivalents Cy cubic yards DNL Day-Night Noise Level DOT United States Department of Transportation’s DTSC Department of Toxic Substances Control dBA A-weighted decibels FCAA Federal Clean Air Act FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map FMMP Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program GHG greenhouse gas GWR groundwater recharge HAZNET California Hazardous Waste Information System IND industrial service supply IRWD Irvine Ranch Water District KMVCD Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District KRT Kern Regional Transit KWBA Kern Water Bank Authority KT & RG Kern-Tulare and Rag Gulch Water Districts LCFS low carbon fuel standard LUST leaking underground storage tank LWMR limited warm fresh water habitat MBTA Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act Mmax maximum moment magnitude MMRP Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan MBHCP Metropolitan Bakersfield Habitat Conservation Plan MSHCP Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan MUN municipal and domestic water supply Mw moment magnitude MWD Metropolitan Water District of Southern California MWDOC Municipal Water District of Orange County N2O nitrous oxide NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NCCP Natural Communities Conservation Plan Act NOC Notice of Completion NOP Notice of Preparation NOx nitrogen oxides NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NFIP National Flood Insurance Program Strand Ranch Integrated Banking Project v ESA / 205426 Final EIR May 2008 Table of Contents List of Acronyms (cont) PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PCB Polychlorinated Biphenyls PFCs perfluorocarbons RCPG Regional Comprehensive Plan and Guide RARE rare, threatened, or endangered species RCA Regional Conservation Authority RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ROG reactive organic gases RRBWSD Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District RTP Regional Transportation Plan RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board SARA Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management District SCAG Southern California Association of Governments SIP State Implementation Plan SJVAPCD San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District SPAWN spawning, reproduction, and development SWP State Water Project SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan SWRCB State Water Resources Control Board TACs Toxic Air Contaminants TMDL total maximum daily load USDA U.S.