United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Preliminary Investigative Report for the Reclamation District No. 1500 Flood Control and Flood Safety Rehabilitation Project – Phase I March 2021 Prepared for: Reclamation District No. 1500 United States Department of Agriculture / Natural Resources Conservation Service Prepared by: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group 286 W. Cromwell Avenue Fresno, California 937611 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. 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Report Prepared for: Reclamation District No. 1500 PO Box 96 Robbins, California 95676 Contact: Brad Mattson, General Manager (530) 738-4423 Report Prepared by: Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group Contact: Kevin Johansen, PE ~ Project Manager (559) 449-2700 Table of Contents Preliminary Investigative Report for the Reclamation District No. 1500 Flood Control and Flood Safety Rehabilitation Project – Phase I Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1-1 Watershed Planning Area ........................................................................................................................... 1-1 Project Setting .............................................................................................................................................. 1-2 Current Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................ 1-2 Consultation, Coordination and Public Participation ....................................................................... 2-1 Sponsors, Local Partners, Agencies and Tribal Participation .............................................................. 2-1 Permits and Compliance ............................................................................................................................ 2-3 Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................................................... 3-1 Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................................................... 3-1 Watershed Problems and Resource Concerns ........................................................................................ 3-2 Operations Inefficiencies and Flood Management Reliability .......................................... 3-2 Instream Flow for Fish and Aquatic Habitat ...................................................................... 3-3 Risks to Human Health and Safety ....................................................................................... 3-3 Water Quality ............................................................................................................................ 3-4 District Financial Security ....................................................................................................... 3-4 Watershed and Resource Opportunities .................................................................................................. 3-5 Scope of the EA/EIS ............................................................................................................................. 4-1 Affected Environment – Existing Conditions ................................................................................... 5-1 Regional Summary....................................................................................................................................... 5-1 Topography .................................................................................................................................................. 5-2 Clean Air Act................................................................................................................................................ 5-3 Climate .......................................................................................................................................................... 5-6 Coastal Zone ................................................................................................................................................ 5-6 Coral Reefs ................................................................................................................................................... 5-7 Cultural Resources and Historic Properties ............................................................................................ 5-7 Environmental Justice ................................................................................................................................ 5-7 Fish and Aquatic Species ............................................................................................................................ 5-8 Flood Zones ................................................................................................................................................. 5-8 Geology and Soils ........................................................................................................................................ 5-9 Invasive Species ........................................................................................................................................... 5-9 Land Use and Zoning .............................................................................................................................. 5-10 Prime Farmland ........................................................................................................................................ 5-11 Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group · March 2021 i Table of Contents Preliminary Investigative Report for the Reclamation District No. 1500 Flood Control and Flood Safety Rehabilitation Project – Phase I Public Safety .............................................................................................................................................. 5-12 Emergency Preparedness ..................................................................................................... 5-12 Evacuation Routes and Emergency Access ...................................................................... 5-12 Recreation .................................................................................................................................................. 5-13 Socioeconomics ........................................................................................................................................ 5-13 Threatened and Endangered Species .................................................................................................... 5-15 Vegetation .................................................................................................................................................. 5-16 Visual Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 5-16 Wetlands and Riparian Areas.................................................................................................................. 5-17 Wild and Scenic Rivers ............................................................................................................................ 5-17 Wildlife ....................................................................................................................................................... 5-18 Technical Evaluations ............................................................................................................................ 6-1 Project Alternatives................................................................................................................................. 7-1 Formulation Process ................................................................................................................................... 7-1 Alternatives to be Considered ................................................................................................................... 7-1 No-Action Alternative ............................................................................................................ 7-1 Alternative A – Modernize the existing Karnak Drainage Facilities ............................... 7-2 Alternatives to be Considered Containing Concerns ............................................................................ 7-2 Alternative B – Capture and Store Drainage Water ........................................................... 7-2 Alternative C – Capture and Store Drainage Water on Farmland ................................... 7-3 Alternative D – Construct a Retention Basin with a Smaller Pumping Facility ............ 7-3 Alternative E – Construct a New Pumping Facility at a New Location ........................