Petition of Change Place of Use for Permitted Applications to Appropriate Water

Petition of Change Place of Use for Permitted Applications to Appropriate Water

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) has petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board to change its permits for its Central Valley Project (CVP) to expand its service area. The proposed change would add two small plots of land, totaling approximately 231 acres, located in the San Luis Water District (District), to the permitted Place of Use (POU) for delivery of CVP water. The land consists of approximately 71 acres located in the east half of Section 12, and 160 acres located within the northwest quarter of Section 29, Township 14 South, Range 12 East, Mount Diablo Base & Meridian, in Merced County. The District had previously supplied water to these two plots under the misconception that it was allowed to do so under its contract with the Bureau. No additional water will be diverted from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta resulting from this expansion of the POU. Other lands in the District will be fallowed to provide irrigation water for the acreage. Present agricultural activity on the acreage will be continued. No new Amount, Season of Diversion, Point of Diversion, or Purpose of Use is required under this petition. A biological survey indicated that no listed species of plants or animals would be affected by the proposed action. The Merced County Local Agency Formation Commission, lead agency for this poroject, adopted a Negative Declaration on December 20, 1998. No protests to the proposed project were received.

Merced