Santa Felicia Dam 72-inch Butterfly Valve Redundancy and Seismic Resiliency Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024050878
Public Agency
United Water Conservation District
Document Title
Santa Felicia Dam 72-inch Butterfly Valve Redundancy and Seismic Resiliency Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/20/2024
Document Description
United Water Conservation District (United) proposes the installation of a supplemental manually operated hydraulic power unit (HPU) for the 72-inch butterfly valve at the Santa Felicia Dam (SFD) and the reinforcement and realignment of segments of the existing hydraulic pipelines inside of the Santa Felicia Dam outlet works tunnel to ensure seismic resiliency (Project). The Project is an interim risk reduction measure developed by United to mitigate dam safety risks, as required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The addition of the supplemental HPU will provide redundant or alternative operation of the SFD 72-inch butterfly valve in the event that the existing HPU is rendered inaccessible by an uncontrolled release of water emanating from a rupture in the 60-inch steel penstock following a seismic event. The additional HPU would be housed inside a metal cabinet that would be founded on a six-foot by six-foot by six-inch concrete pad on the toe of the SFD. Approximately two 200-foot stainless steel hydraulic pipelines housed inside one SCH 80 PVC conduit would be routed from the supplemental HPU west towards the outlet works tunnel where the pipelines would tie into the existing hydraulic pipelines that convey hydraulic fluid to the SFD 72-inch butterfly valve.
Contact Information
Name
Maryam Bral
Agency Name
United Water Conservation District
Job Title
Chief Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Ventura
Regions
Countywide
Parcel #
016021003
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1, Guidelines § 15301 – Existing Facilities
Reasons for Exemption
The section 15301 Existing Facilities exemption “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 key consideration under a section 15301 exemption is whether a project involves negligible or no expansion of use. Examples of projects that are exempt under section 15301 include the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide electric power.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 3, Guidelines § 15303 – New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures
Reasons for Exemption
The section 15303 New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures exemption consists of the “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.”
County Clerk
Ventura
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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