Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 Aquatic Habitat Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration Project No. 26154002 June 2019 Prepared by: Santa Clara Valley Water District 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose, California 95118-3614 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................ iii Key Terminology ......................................................................................................................... v SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Organization of this Document ................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of the Mitigated Negative Declaration ....................................................................... 1 Decision to Prepare a Mitigated Negative Declaration for this Project .................................... 1 Agency and Public Review ...................................................................................................... 2 Interagency Collaboration and Regulatory Review ................................................................. 3 SECTION 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................. 6 5 Background .......................................................................................................................... 6 5 Project Overview .................................................................................................................. 7 6 Construction Timing and Schedule .................................................................................. 16 13 Environmental Protection Measures ................................................................................ 16 13 SECTION 3. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ......................................................................... 33 31 Project Location ............................................................................................................... 33 31 Physical Environment ....................................................................................................... 33 31 SECTION 4. ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION ................................................................. 34 32 Initial Study Checklist ....................................................................................................... 34 32 Background ...................................................................................................................... 34 32 Determination: .................................................................................................................. 36 34 1. Aesthetics ................................................................................................................ 37 35 2. Agricultural Resources ............................................................................................ 38 36 3. Air Quality ................................................................................................................ 40 37 4. Biological Resources ............................................................................................... 45 42 5. Cultural Resources .................................................................................................. 57 51 6. Geology and Soils ................................................................................................... 59 53 7. Greenhouse Gas Emissions.................................................................................... 60 54 8. Hazards and Hazardous Materials .......................................................................... 63 56 9. Hydrology and Water Quality .................................................................................. 65 59 10. Land Use and Planning ........................................................................................... 68 62 11. Mineral Resources .................................................................................................. 69 62 12. Noise and Vibrations ............................................................................................... 69 63 13. Population and Housing .......................................................................................... 72 66 14. Public Services ........................................................................................................ 73 67 15. Recreation ............................................................................................................... 73 67 16. Transportation and Traffic ....................................................................................... 74 68 17. Tribal Cultural Resources ........................................................................................ 76 70 18. Utilities and Service Systems .................................................................................. 77 71 19. Energy .......................................................................................................................... 78 20. Wildfire ......................................................................................................................... 79 21. Mandatory Findings of Significance ........................................................................ 80 73 SECTION 5. REPORT PREPARATION ............................................................................... 83 75 SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT .................................................................. 83 75 AGENCIES OR PERSONS CONTACTED ...................................................................... 83 75 SECTION 6. REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 84 76 Page i Page LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1: Summary of Required Agency Approvals ................................................................ 5 4 Table 2-1: Gravel Placement Locations and Amounts .............................................................. 9 7 Table 2-2: Project Implementation Schedule ........................................................................ 16 13 Table 2-3. VHP Conditions, AMMs, and District BMPs Incorporated into Project................. 17 15 Table 4-1: Modeled Air Quality Emissions for Phase 1 of the Proposed Project .................. 42 40 Table 4-2: Modeled Air Quality Emissions for Phase 2 of the Proposed Project .................. 43 40 Table 4-3: Maximum Habitat Impacts by Phase ........................................................................ 50 Table 4-4 Table 4-3: Vibration from Large Bulldozers ........................................................... 71 65 Table 4-5 Table 4-4: Construction Equipment Noise Levels .................................................. 72 66 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1: Map of Proposed Project Implementation Sites, Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 ............................................................................................................ 12 9 Figure 2-2: Phase 1 Gravel Augmentation Sites and Project Elements Layout of Phase 1 Gravel Augmentation Sites and Staging Area at Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 ....................................................................................................................... 15 11 Figure 2-3: Representative Potential Cross-Sections of Gravel Augmentation Detailed Cross-sections of Phase 1 Gravel Augmentation at Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 .......................................................................................................... 15 12 ATTACHMENTS ATTACHMENT 1 RWQCB EARLY CONSULTATION RESPONSE ATTACHMENT 2 AIR EMISSIONS DATA SHEETS ATTACHMENT 3 REVISED PROJECT BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ATTACHMENT 4 RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ATTACHMENT 5 MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM SUMMARY TABLE Page ii Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 Aquatic Habitat Improvement Project June 2019 Final Mitigated Negative Declaration List of Acronyms AMMs Avoidance and Minimization Measures ATCM Air Toxic Control Measures BAAQMD Bay Area Air Quality Management District BMPs Best Management Practices Acre ac CARB California Air Resources Board CCR California Code of Regulations CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife Central California Coast CCC CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CNPS California Native Plant Society CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide CO2E carbon dioxide equivalents CRHR California Registry of Historic Resources Cubic yard CY CWA Federal Clean Water Act dB Decibel DBH Diameter of a tree measured at breast height District Santa Clara Valley Water District DPM Diesel Particulate Matter EIR Environmental Impact Report EIR/S Environmental Impact Report/Statement FAHCE Fish and Aquatic Habitat Collaborative Effort ft feet FTA Federal Transit Administration GAP Upper Guadalupe River Gravel Augmentation Study GCRCD Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation District GHG Greenhouse gas GWIWG Guadalupe Watershed Integrated Working Group HDPE High-density polyethylene H2S Hydrogen sulfide Leq equivalent continuous sound level LF Linear feet LOS level of service MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act MND Mitigated Negative Declaration NCCP Natural Community Conservation Plan NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NO2 nitrogen dioxide NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System iii Upper Guadalupe River Reach 6 Aquatic Habitat Improvement Project June 2019 Final Mitigated Negative