Upper Truckee River Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project
Summary
SCH Number
2023040367
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Administration Division
(CDFW)
Document Title
Upper Truckee River Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/14/2023
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has awarded USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit a grant (Agreement #Q2296030) for the Project. The Project will benefit Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT, Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi), a federally threatened fish, by eradicating nonnative trout species, such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), from five
miles of the Upper Truckee River watershed. The Project will accomplish eradication of non-native trout through electrofishing and gillnetting in stream segments temporarily isolated from flow with dewatering and diversion.
When complete, the Project will provide enhanced habitat for LCT with a well-connected heterogeneous stream system in which the species may exhibit lacustrine and stream life history phases and produce higher population densities, thereby increasing the probability of long-term persistence of the species.
Contact Information
Name
Treva Porter
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
South Lake Tahoe
Counties
El Dorado
Regions
Northern California
Other Information
The Upper Truckee River Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project
(Project) is located in the Meiss Inventoried Roadless Area on National Forest Service land, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), centering on 38.75829, -120.02346. The Project area covers 5 miles of perennial stream in the upper portions of the Upper Truckee River below the confluence of Showers Lake Outlet to a waterfall at 38.78341, -120.02682 and the outlets of Showers Lake and Round Lake. The Project area is approximately 9 miles south of the City of South Lake Tahoe, south of California Highway 89 and north of California Highway 88.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Public Resources Code section 21080.56
Reasons for Exemption
The Project meets all of the eligibility criteria of Section 21080.56: (1) the Project
is exclusively to conserve, restore, protect, or enhance, and assist in the recovery of California native fish and wildlife, and the habitat upon which they depend; or is exclusively to restore or provide habitat for California native
fish and wildlife; (2) the Project may have incidental public benefits; (3) the Project will result in long-term net benefits to climate resiliency, biodiversity, and sensitive species recovery; and includes procedures and ongoing management for the protection of the environment; and (4) Project construction activities are solely related to habitat restoration. On March 17, 2023, pursuant to Section 21080.56, subdivision (e), the Director of CDFW received a request from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region, to concur with the Board’s determination as lead agency that the Project meets the qualifying criteria set forth in Section 21080.56,
subdivisions (a) through (d), inclusive. On March 30, 2023, the Director of CDFW concurred with that determination.
County Clerk
El Dorado
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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