Patterson Irrigation District Water Transfer to the South Valley Water Resources Authority Draft Initial Study/Negative Declaration Patterson, California February 2021 Prepared for: Patterson Irrigation District Patterson, CA Prepared by: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group 1800 30th Street, Suite 280, Bakersfield, CA 93308 COPYRIGHT 2021 by PROVOST & PRITCHARD CONSULTING GROUP ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group expressly reserves its common law copyright and other applicable property rights to this document. This document is not to be reproduced, changed, or copied in any form or manner whatsoever, nor are they to be assigned to a third party without first obtaining the written permission and consent of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group In the event of unauthorized reuse of the information contained herein by a third party, the third party shall hold the firm of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group harmless, and shall bear the cost of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group's legal fees associated with defending and enforcing these rights. Report Prepared for: Patterson Irrigation District 948 Orange Avenue Patterson, CA 95363 Contact: Vince Lucchesi, General Manager (209) 892-6233 Report Prepared by: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group 1800 30th Street, Suite 280 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Contact: Dena E. Giacomini, Senior Planner (661) 616-5900 Project Team Members Dale Melville, PE, Client Manager Dena Giacomini, Senior Planner, Project Manager Mary E. Beatie, Principal Planner, QA/QC Amy Wilson, Associate Planner Philip Slater, Senior GIS Specialist Jackie Lancaster, Project Administrator Patterson Irrigation District Water Transfer to the South Valley Water Resources Authority Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Regulatory Information .............................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Document Format ...................................................................................................................................... 1-1 Chapter 2 Project Description ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Project Background and Objectives ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Project Title ............................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Lead Agency Name and Address .......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.3 Contact Person and Phone Number .................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.4 Project Background ................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.5 Project Location ....................................................................................................................... 2-3 2.1.6 Latitude and Longitude ........................................................................................................... 2-3 2.1.7 Description of Project ............................................................................................................. 2-4 2.1.8 Water Supply and Use ............................................................................................................. 2-4 2.1.9 Description of Water Transfer .............................................................................................. 2-7 2.1.10 Site and Surrounding Land Uses and Setting ...................................................................... 2-9 2.1.11 Other Public Agencies Whose Approval May Be Required ............................................. 2-9 2.1.12 Consultation with California Native American Tribes ................................................... 2-10 Chapter 3 Impact Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 Environmental Factors Potentially Affected .......................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Aesthetics ...................................................................................................................................................... 3-2 3.2.1 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................................ 3-2 3.2.2 Regulatory Setting .................................................................................................................... 3-2 3.2.3 Impact Assessment .................................................................................................................. 3-3 3.3 Agriculture and Forestry Resources ......................................................................................................... 3-4 3.3.1 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................................ 3-4 3.3.2 Regulatory Setting .................................................................................................................... 3-4 3.3.3 Impact Assessment .................................................................................................................. 3-5 3.4 Air Quality .................................................................................................................................................... 3-7 3.4.1 Environmental Setting ............................................................................................................ 3-7 3.4.2 Regulatory Setting .................................................................................................................... 3-8 3.4.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 3-11 3.5 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................................ 3-12 3.5.1 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-12 Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group • February 2021 i Patterson Irrigation District Water Transfer to the South Valley Water Resources Authority 3.5.2 Regulatory Setting ................................................................................................................. 3-13 3.5.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 3-13 3.6 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................................... 3-15 3.6.1 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-15 3.6.2 Regulatory Setting ................................................................................................................. 3-15 3.6.3 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-16 3.7 Energy ........................................................................................................................................................ 3-17 3.7.1 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-17 3.7.2 Regulatory Setting ................................................................................................................. 3-17 3.7.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 3-17 3.8 Geology and Soils ..................................................................................................................................... 3-19 3.8.1 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-19 3.8.2 Regulatory Setting ................................................................................................................. 3-20 3.8.3 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 3-20 3.9 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ................................................................................................................... 3-22 3.9.1 Thresholds of Significance .................................................................................................. 3-22 3.9.2 Environmental Setting ......................................................................................................... 3-22 3.9.3 Regulatory Setting ................................................................................................................. 3-23 3.9.4 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 3-24 3.10 Hazards and Hazardous Materials ........................................................................................................