State Route 74 / Ortega Highway Safety Improvements (EA 043200)

State Route 74 / Ortega Highway Safety Improvements (EA 043200)

The California Department of Fish and Game is executing a Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement number 1600-2006-0084-R5 pursuant to Section 1602 of the Fish and Game Code to the project applicant, Mr. Mili Lim of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The applicant will alter the streambed of unnamed drainages and San Juan Creek, tributary to Pacific Ocean by the installation of 5 new and 41 existing culverts. It is anticipated that two rock culverts would receive only minor retrofits. Forty inlets are proposed to convey on-site water to the culverts and discharge it to San Juan Creek. Asphalt concrete (AC) dikes would also be incorporated to minimize erosion. Corrugated metal pipe (CMP) culverts would be replaced by reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) via open cut method. Replacement would occur only from the level of the roadway. All RCP would be installed at the same location where currently CMP exist. The operator shall not impact more than 0.125 acre of stream channel and associated wetland/riparian habitat subject to Department jurisdiction pursuant to Fish and Game Code Section 1600 et. seq. of which approximately 0.055 acre are permanent impacts and approximately 0.07 acre are temporary impacts. The operator shall mitigate for impacts by removing four acres of Arundo donax and/or other invasive riparian vegetation from the San Juan Creek watershed, remove existing asphalt and structures at the Lower San Juan Creek Picnic Area, restore 0.24 acre of oak woodland, 0.335 acre of chaparral, and create 0.444 acre of riparian vegetation (including wetlands) at the Lower San Juan Creek Picnic Area (adjacent to San Juan Creek) and a total of 0.37 acre of coastal sage scrub will be restored at the on-site planting area and barrier fencing will be installed to keep arroyo toads from entering the construction area.

San Juan Capistrano

Orange