SCH Number 2021010063

Project Info

Title

Pacheco/Santa Clara Conduit Right-of-Way Acquisition Project

Description

The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) proposes to improve pipe vault maintenance and repair access for District work crews through formal agreements with landowners and implement cost-effective physical improvements to vaults and above-ground maintenance sites along the Santa Clara (SCC) and Pacheco (PC) conduits located within Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. The project pipeline is owned by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and requires a separate federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approval of its Environmental Assessment (EA) documentation. The proposed Project would include acquisition of easements and/or installing/constructing one new all-weather access path to SCC 8, and/or installing/constructing gravel collars, driveways, gates, signs, and/or implementing new travel routes near some of the 37 vaults on the existing SCC and PC conduits Some of the vaults have more than one project element (e.g., could be any combination of easement acquisition, implementation of a new travel route, installation/construction of one new gravel path to SCC 8, installation/construction of a new gravel collar, installation/construction of a new driveway, installation/construction of new gates, installation/construction of new fence sections, or installation/construction of one new sign) as specified in the MND. The proposed Project involves the District obtaining easements from private landowners at ten (10) Santa Clara Conduit Vault locations and construction of one (1) new path to provide all-weather access to vault site SCC 8. Another project element would be to install new gravel collars around existing 20 vaults to allow for safe access by maintenance personnel. The gravel collars would generally measure 32-feet x 32-feet or smaller. Valley Water will construct five (5) new driveways to provide access from public roads to the vault locations. The District would construct one new sign. Sixteen (16) new gates will be constructed near public roads to provide controlled access to vaults. The improvements (obtaining easements and new construction), would allow new operational methods of pipeline and vault access and maintenance in areas where existing access is currently limited. The use of District all-terrain vehicles (operational change) would reduce or minimize the impacts from larger vehicles during periods of wet or limiting conditions.

3 documents in project