Routine Maintenance Agreement for the Lower Owens River Project (LORP)
Summary
SCH Number
2008118007
Public Agency
City of Los Angeles
Document Title
Routine Maintenance Agreement for the Lower Owens River Project (LORP)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/4/2008
Document Description
The City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is applying for a Lake or Streambed Alteration agreement (LSAA) with the California Department of fish and Game (CDFG) to conduct routine maintenance activities on the Lower Owens River Project (LORP). The LORP is a large scale restoration project that will establish a healthy, functioning riverine-riparian ecosystem in the Lower Owens River and surrounding areas, enhance biodiversity and benefit threatened and endangered species, and continue to sustain current recreational, livestock, and agricultural uses of the land.
These proposed activities include maintenance of the LORP Intake and Pump Station facilities, maintaining measuring stations, flumes, and culverts, seasonal habitat flow preparation and management, spot clearing of obstruction, sediment, blockages, and beaver dams, and the replacement, maintenance, and/or removal of existing facilities, if and where needed. Maintenance work described in this notification will only be performed in and around existing facilities and in spot locations in the river channel and associated airways. Disturbance from maintenance will only affect a minute fraction of the LORP area and LADWP does not anticipate any significant impacts to occur as a result of these activities.
Contact Information
Name
Gene Coufal
Agency Name
City of Los Angeles
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Inyo
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1,2, Sec 15301,15302
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed maintenance work is critical to the success of the LORP and will ensure that the City meets its restoration goals and legal commitments. Operations and maintenance work is subject to a Class 1 Categorical Exemption under Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines. This section reads, "Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alterations of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical, equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination." Further, Section 15301 (i) provides the following as an example: "Maintenance of fish screens, fish ladders, wildlife habitat areas, artificial wildlife waterway devices, streamflows, springs, and waterholes, and stream channels (clearing of debris) to protect fish and wildlife resources."
The work described in this notification pertains to maintenance and generally will not require new construction. However some structures (such as measuring stations and culverts) may require replacement at some point in time. If this work becomes necessary, it would fall under a Class 2 Categorical Exemption under Section 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines. This exemption applies to "Replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced."
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.