Reservoir 7101-2 Construction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2023050660
Public Agency
Coachella Valley Water District
(CVWD)
Document Title
Reservoir 7101-2 Construction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/26/2023
Document Description
The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) will construct and operate a new above-ground steel water tank, Reservoir 7101-2, at the developed Reservoir 7101 site. The purpose of the project is to alleviate existing water storage deficiencies in CVWD’s Bombay Beach Pressure Zone and the collective Pressure Zones in the Bombay Beach Production Zone. The new reservoir would be constructed 80 feet in diameter and 21 feet in height and would have approximately 5,000 square feet of floor area. The reservoir would be constructed with steel, a mixing system, and equipped with cathodic protection to decrease corrosion. The reservoir site would be graded such that the north and east sides of the site would slope up to the existing grade. Approximately 200 linear feet of 12-inch ductile iron pipe would be installed to connect Reservoir 7101-2 to the existing CVWD water system. The reservoir would be painted to blend into the surrounding landscape; no landscaping would be installed due to the remote nature of the site. Construction duration is approximately nine months.
Construction would involve ground disturbance within the existing fenced site, including excavation to a depth of approximately 5 feet for placement of the reservoir foundations and pipe installation. Staging would occur at the project site.
A biological resources memorandum was prepared for the project in June 2020 to determine the potential for effect on plants and wildlife. The study found that no state or federally listed threatened or endangered species were determined to have the potential to occur in the area of potential effect (APE). No special-status plant or animal species were observed during the pedestrian survey. The project would have no effect on endangered or threatened botanical and wildlife species or on designated critical habitat. The APE occurs within the planning boundary of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP/NCCP) but is not located within a conservation area. The closest conservation area is the Mecca Hills/Orocopia Mountains Conservation Area, approximately one mile north and slightly east of the APE. Per the CVMSHCP Section 4.5 Land Use Adjacency Guidelines, the APE would not be considered “adjacent” to this Conservation Area. The Project would not affect a conservation area.
A Cultural Resources Study was prepared for the project in June 2020. The project would not have a significant effect on historical or archaeological resources and no adverse effect on historic properties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
Contact Information
Name
Carlos Huerta
Agency Name
Coachella Valley Water District
Job Title
Environmental Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
North Shore
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Unincorporated
Other Location Info
The 3.25-acre parcel is located approximately 0.3 miles east of Sea View Way on the south side of 70th Avenue in the unincorporated community of North Shore in Riverside County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301 and 15303
Reasons for Exemption
State CEQA Guidelines §15301 (Existing Facilities) allows for additions to existing structures. Per §15301, “Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The project would construct a new 1 MG above-ground steel tank located at the existing Reservoir 7101-1 site. The project would result in an addition to existing structures that would be less than 10,000 square feet. CVWD is not a land use agency and is therefore not bound to the Riverside County General Plan. However, the project would provide public facilities and would not prevent maximum development outlined in the General Plan. The project would not induce new demands for public services or facilities or require addition of public services or facilities (e.g., schools, fire stations, utilities). The project would correct existing water storage deficiencies and enable CVWD to maintain adequate pressure, including fire flow, in the Bombay Beach Pressure Zone and the collective Pressure Zones in the Bombay Beach Production Zone. As determined by biological and cultural resources studies, the project is not located in an environmentally sensitive area. Therefore, the proposed project would be exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines §15301.
Class 3 under State CEQA Guidelines §15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) consists of “construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure.” The project would involve construction of a single new small structure (Reservoir 7101-2). Reservoir 7101-2 would have a footprint of approximately 5,000 square feet. The number of new structures would be limited to one reservoir with a limited footprint. Therefore, the proposed project would be exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines §15303.
Exceptions under State CEQA Guidelines §15300.2 do not apply to the project. There are no designated state scenic highways within the project area. State Route 111, from Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea to State Route 195 near Mecca, approximately one mile southwest of the proposed project, is a State-eligible Scenic Highway, providing views of the Salton Sea and the surrounding mountainous wilderness. The project site would not be visible from State Route 111.
The project site is not known to be a hazardous waste site. According to the State Water Resources Control Board GeoTracker data management system, the project site is not included on a list compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5. No negative environmental consequences associated with hazardous materials are expected to result from project implementation.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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