Temporary Warren Act Contract No. 22-WC-20-5954 between Central Coast Water Authority and United States Bureau of Reclamation

2022060224

Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA)

NOE - Notice of Exemption

6/10/2022

6/10/2022

Ray Stokes

Central Coast Water Authority

Executive Director

Lead/Public Agency

255 Industrial Way
Buellton, CA 93427

(805) 688-2292

RAS@ccwa.com

Santa Barbara County

Categorical Exemption

Class 1; 14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15301; Class 4; 14 Cal. Code Regs. §15304

CEQA Guidelines section 15301 (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15301 [Class 1 exemption]) sets forth an exemption from CEQA for the operation and permitting of existing facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. CEQA Guidelines section 15304 (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15304 [Class 4 exemption]) further provides an exemption for “minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes.” The Temporary Warren Act Contract is exempt because it will continue to allow the annual introduction, storage, and conveyance of up to 13,750 acre-feet of water acquired by or available to CCWA from or through the SWP into Cachuma Project facilities for delivery to the CCWA South Coast Participants and will therefore not expand the use of Cachuma Project facilities beyond that now permitted by CCWA’s existing 25-year Warren Act Contract. None of the exceptions to use of an exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply and the Temporary Warren Act Contract will not have a significant impact on the environment where it will continue to allow the annual introduction, storage, and conveyance of the same quantity of water available to CCWA from or through the SWP into Cachuma Project facilities as has been authorized for the last 25 years. Under the Temporary Warren Act Contract, CCWA water would continue to be introduced and conveyed through Cachuma Project facilities (i.e., Bradbury Dam outlet works, Stilling Basin, Lake Cachuma, North Intake of the Tecolote Tunnel, and the South Coast Conduit) to the CCWA Participants located along the South Coast Conduit. No modifications to existing infrastructure or construction would occur. Through the Temporary Warren Act Contract, measures to avoid and minimize effects to listed species, including the Southern California Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Distinct Population Segment will be implemented. Reclamation issued an Environmental Assessment (“EA”) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act for the Temporary Warren Act Contract on March 25, 2022, and the public comment period closed on April 22, 2022. Reclamation’s approval of the Temporary Warren Act Contract is contingent on its issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (“FONSI”) concluding that issuance of the Temporary Warren Act Contract would not have a significant impact on the environment. Reclamation has indicated that it will issue its FONSI after obtaining concurrence from the National Marine Fisheries Service that issuance of the Temporary Warren Act Contract would have either no effect on species listed under the Endangered Species Act, or would be not likely to adversely affect such species or their critical habitat. As more fully described in Reclamation’s EA, over the last 25 years, CCWA has monitored and studied its operations under its existing long-term 25-year Warren Act Contract, including water quality and temperature. Through its monitoring, CCWA has not identified any information suggesting that that there is a reasonable possibility that the continued conveyance of 13,750 acre-feet of water pursuant to the Temporary Warren Act Contract will have a significant effect on the environment.