Emergency Delivery of State Water Project Water through Berrenda Mesa Water District's Facilities to Bypass Devil's Den Pumping Plant due to Unplanned Outage
Summary
SCH Number
2023110190
Public Agency
Central Coast Water Authority
(CCWA)
Document Title
Emergency Delivery of State Water Project Water through Berrenda Mesa Water District's Facilities to Bypass Devil's Den Pumping Plant due to Unplanned Outage
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/7/2023
Document Description
Temporary delivery of approximately 18 cubic feet per second (cfs) of State Water Project water (SWP Water) through Berrenda Mesa's facilities at Kern County Water Agency turnouts on the Coastal Branch of the California Aqueduct (Coastal Branch) in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties while DDPP undergoes repairs for damage sustained in a fire. Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) operates the
Coastal Branch for the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). This bypass will ensure uninterrupted delivery of SWP Water to meet critical water demand to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties until adequate pumping capacity is reestablished at DOPP to meet normal demand.
The SWP includes facilities located throughout the State of California. The SWP is owned and operated by DWR, headquartered in Sacramento, California. Santa Barbara County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is the SWP contractor for Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is the SWP contractor for San Luis Obispo County, and Kern
County Water Agency is the SWP contractor for Kern County. CCWA has assumed responsibility for the acquisition, conveyance and delivery of SWP Water to Santa Barbara County and CCWA's service area is located in Santa Barbara County. Berrenda Mesa Water District is located in Kern County within the service area of the Kern County Water Agency.
Contact Information
Name
Ray Stokes
Agency Name
Central Coast Water Authority
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
Regions
Southern California
Other Location Info
Existing State Water Project (SWP) and Berrenda Mesa Water District facilities in
Kern County to existing turnouts in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(2), (4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
The activity qualifies for an exemption as an Emergency Project under California Code of Regulations Section 15269 (b)/(c) because temporary facilities will be established to bypass Devil's Den Pumping Plant while it undergoes emergency repairs, and will ensure critical water demand deliveries that meet, and do not exceed, existing demand and uses of water in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties pursuant to longstanding contracts. The temporary activity does not involve new development or a change of land use and will continue only until repairs to said pumping plant are complete. (PRC § 21080(b)(2), (4); 14 CCR §15269(b)(c).)
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Pub. Res. Code § 21065; 14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15061 (b)(2), 15378
Reasons for Exemption
The activity is not a project under CEQA (Pub. Res. Code § 21065; 14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15061 (b)(2), 15378) because it will not result in direct or indirect changes to the environment. The SWP contracts permit the delivery of SWP Water within the SWP place of use, which includes all of the affected counties, and the activity is a temporary solution to ensure uninterrupted delivery of water pursuant to those contracts while facilities are repaired. Accordingly, the activity is simply a change in water management operations using existing facilities.
ln the alternative, and if the proposed action were a project under CEQA, the action is categorically exempt under the provisions of CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines. The project is exempt pursuant to categorical exemptions per CEQA Guidelines§ 15301(b), Existing Facilities, which identifies exemptions for 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 use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. This project involves installation of temporary pumping facilities to bypass a single pumping plant while the plant undergoes repairs to ensure normal water delivery to meet existing demand and uses of water in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties and does not involve new development or a change of land use.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines § 15302(c)
Reasons for Exemption
Moreover, the project is exempt pursuant to categorical exemption per CEQA Guidelines § 15302(c), Replacement or Reconstruction for existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced, including but not limited to replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity. The activity at issue involves the installation of temporary facilities to ensure uninterrupted water delivery at normal quantities established by water supply contracts with DWR, to continue only until the fire damage to the Devil's Den Pumping Plant is repaired.
County Clerks
Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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