Caples Lake Dam Outlet Works Emergency Repairs and Water Salvage Project
Summary
SCH Number
2008088002
Public Agency
El Dorado Irrigation District
Document Title
Caples Lake Dam Outlet Works Emergency Repairs and Water Salvage Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/31/2008
Document Description
On July 1, 2008 the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) Board of Directors declared an emergency after learning of severe degradation and other problems with the two slide gate valves that control water releases from Caples Lake. In their present condition, there is significant risk that they could fail without warning, causing either an uncontrolled reservoir draining or inability to make any controlled releases through the dam.
The project involves the release of most or all of the active storage within Caples Lake (16,451 acre-feet as of July 29, 2008) as part of the emergency repair procedures. The water will be temporarily rediverted at the Kyburz Diversion Dam, routed through the Hazel Creek Tunnel, and rediverted and stored in Jenkinson Lake for beneficial use primarily in EID's Eastern Service Area.
Contact Information
Name
W. Chris Word
Agency Name
El Dorado Irrigation District
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Alpine, El Dorado
Other Location Info
Approximately 2 miles NE of Kirkwood
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Section 15269(b, c)
Reasons for Exemption
The emergency repairs are necessary to prevent uncontrolled releases of public water supply from Caples Lake. The Board also found that such uncontrolled releases would create unseasonable high flows that would pose risks to public safety and the environment and that the sudden loss of water would impede EID's ability to provide adequate drinking water to its customers and to generate hydroelectric power for the California market. Adequate drinking water and hydroelectric power are services essential to public health, safety, and welfare, and the emergency dam repairs are necessary to maintain these services.
Continued availability and beneficial use of EID's existing water supplies within Caples Lake to the greatest degree feasible during the emergency repairs is also necessary to maintain water supply services essential to public health, safety, and welfare. With a continuation of record dry conditions, loss of water supply from Caples Lake this year would adversely affect water availability next year in a large portion of the EID service area. To compensate for public water supplies lost from Caples Lake, increased releases from other reservoirs would likely be necessary to meet minimum instream flow requirements, further reducing available consumptive water supplies. Therefore, while emergency dam repairs are effected, rediversion of water released from Caples Lake to Jenkinson Lake is necessary to maintain water supply service essential to public health, safety, and welfare. The rediversion at the Hazel Creek Tunnel will also have the benefit of reducing the effects of the temporary unseasonable high flows in a portion of the South Fork American River.
Disclaimer: The document was originally posted before CEQAnet had the capability to host attachments for the public. To obtain the original attachments for this document, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. You may also contact the OPR via email at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or via phone at (916) 445-0613.