Petition by Sonoma County Water Agency Requesting Approval of a Temporary Urgency Change in Permits 12947A, 12949, 12950 and 16596 in Mendocino and Sonoma
1 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2019048451
Public Agency
Sonoma County Water Agency
Document Title
Petition by Sonoma County Water Agency Requesting Approval of a Temporary Urgency Change in Permits 12947A, 12949, 12950 and 16596 in Mendocino and Sonoma
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/23/2019
Document Description
To comply with the requirements of the Russian River Biological Opinion, Sonoma Water is filing a temporary urgency change petition with the SWRCB that asks the
SWRCB to temporarily change the instream flow requirements for the Russian River mainstem that were adopted in Decision 1610 and now are in Sonoma Water's water right permits between May 1 and October 15, 2019, to the following: (a) a minimum instream flow requirement of 125 cfs in the upper Russian River (upstream of the confluence with Dry Creek and downstream of the confluence of the East and West Forks), measured as a 5-day running average of average daily streamflow measurements with a provision that instantaneous flows will not be less than 110 cfs. and (b) 70 cfs in the lower Russian River ( downstream of its confluence with Dry Creek), measured as a 5-day running average of average daily streamflow measurements with a provision that instantaneous flows will not be less than 60 cfs.
Note: See NOE for full descriptions
Contact Information
Name
Connie Barton
Agency Name
Sonoma County Water Agency
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Cloverdale, Healdsburg, See NOE for more details, Ukiah
Counties
Mendocino, Sonoma
Waterways
Upper Russian River, Coyote Valley Dam, Lake Mendocino, Dry creek, Lower Russian River
Other Location Info
See NOE for more details
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
S: 15307, 15308, 15301(i)
Reasons for Exemption
A. Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources and the Environment CEQA Guidelines Sections 15307 and 15308 provide that actions taken by regulatory agencies to assure the maintenance, restoration or enhancement of a natural resource and the environment are categorically exempt from CEQA. If approved, the proposed changes in Russian River minimum instream flow requirements will increase available rearing habitat in the upper Russian River and provide a lower, closer to natural inflow to the estuary between late spring and early fall, thereby enhancing the potential for maintaining a seasonal freshwater lagoon that
could support increased production of juvenile steelhead. NMFS' Russian River Biological Opinion states that these changes are necessary to avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of the listed species.
B. Existing Facilities
Guidelines Section 15301 (i) provides, generally, that the operation of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination is categorically exempt from CEQA. Subdivision (i) of Section 15301 specifically includes maintenance of streamflows to protect fish and wildlife resources. Sonoma Water's petition to the SWRCB to change to the instream flow requirements specified in the Russian River Biological Opinion does not request and will not expand Water Agency use or increase the water supply available to Sonoma Water for consumptive purposes. The proposed change in Russian River minimum instream flow requirements still will be within the existing operational parameters established by Decision 1610.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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