Sites Reservoir Project Agreement
Summary
SCH Number
2022030503
Public Agency
Coachella Valley Water District
(CVWD)
Document Title
Sites Reservoir Project Agreement
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/17/2022
Document Description
The Sites Reservoir project objective is to improve California’s water supply and the State Water Project’s (SWP) ability to continue to reliably deliver water south. The project is included as part of the proposed solutions to the State’s water supply challenges in Governor Newsom’s 2019 Water Resilience Portfolio. CVWD is a member agency of the SWP contractors. In recognition of the need to secure additional water supply for the Coachella Valley, CVWD began its membership in the Sites Reservoir project (Sites Project) after the Board authorized Phase 1 participation on January 24, 2017. CVWD proposes to continue funding as amended to complete the Phase 2 of the project.
The Sites Project currently is sized at 1.5 million acre-feet at an estimated cost of $3.93 billion (B, 2021$) consisting of the following four phases:
• Phase 1: calendar years (CY) 2015 - 19, Funding/ Proposition 1 Application
• Phase 2: CY 2019 - 24, Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Final Feasibility Report, Permits, Water Rights, Full Operation Analysis, Secure Federal and State Funding, Preliminary Engineering, Land Acquisition
• Phase 3: CY 2025 - 26, Right of Way and Final Design
• Phase 4: CY 2026 - 32, Construction and Close-Out
The annual cost for CVWD’s total participation in the project over all phases is estimated to range between $7.6 M to $9.2 M (2021$), contingent on grant funding, which includes debt service and average operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. CVWD’s contribution to the Phase 2 task is based on CVWD’s participation in SWP deliveries, and the expected water supply delivered by the Sites Reservoir project. The storage volume allocated to CVWD is 62.3 thousand acre-feet, to be used in a manner that best suits the organization’s needs. CVWD has determined 10 thousand acre-feet annually is appropriate. It is anticipated that 36 months are needed to complete the Phase 2 work effort (January 2022 to December 2024).
Additional tasks to be completed in Phase 2 to narrow the range and provide for more accurate costs include:
• Continue to secure Federal and State Funding
• Complete Final EIR/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Obtain environmental permits required for WSIP final award
• Advance engineering of project feature encroachments to 65% design level (in support of permitting)
• Complete preliminary engineering (30% design level) and Phase 1A/1B of Geotechnical Investigations
• Execute final operations agreement with Facility Partners, and Federal and State Agencies
• Receive Water Right Order and Permit
• Develop Mitigation Acquisition Master Plan
• Develop Land Acquisition Master Plan and ROW Manual
• Land Acquisition Planning
Contact Information
Name
Robert C. Cheng
Agency Name
Coachella Valley Water District - Coachella, CA
Job Title
Assistant General Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
William Patterson
Agency Name
Coachella Valley Water District - Coachella, CA
Job Title
Environmental Supervisor
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Imperial, Riverside, San Diego
Regions
Unincorporated
Other Location Info
No specific physical location. The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) is a State Water Project Contractor and its service area includes portions of Riverside, Imperial and San Diego counties.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Ministerial
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA Guideline §15262
Reasons for Exemption
The actions to be considered a CEQA “project,” these actions would be statutorily exempt from environmental review pursuant to State CEQA Guideline §15262 because the actions merely call for the funding and completion of feasibility and planning studies, not including the completion of CEQA review itself.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA Guideline §15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The actions are exempt under the “common sense” exemption in State CEQA Guidelines §15061, subdivision (b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the actions may have a significant effect on the environment. None of the exceptions to the use of the “common sense” exemption as identified in State CEQA Guidelines §15300.2 exist with the recommended actions
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
State CEQA Guidelines §15378
Reasons for Exemption
Approval of these actions are not subject to CEQA for multiple reasons. These actions do not qualify as a “project” subject to CEQA because the actions constitute: (1) continuing administrative or maintenance activities, such as general policy and procedure making; (2) government fiscal activities that do not involve any commitment to any specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment; and (3) organizational or administrative activities of a public agency that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment (State CEQA Guidelines §15378).
The recommended actions do not constitute project approval by CVWD of the Sites Reservoir Project, nor do the actions authorize or approve construction of the Sites Reservoir Project. In addition, the recommended actions do not authorize or approve any actions by the agreement parties that may cause direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect environmental impacts. As such, the actions recommended herein are not a “project” requiring environmental review under CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guideline §15378, subdivisions (a2) and (b)(2), (b)(4), and (b)(5).
County Clerks
Imperial, Riverside, San Diego
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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