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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 08061991 - WC.1 WC A r , TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORSj Contra •�.:ice:.- -t: FROM: WATER COMMITTEE Costa SUPERVISOR TOM TORLAKSON, CHAIR ' ~^^ County ids...-_. .-•. SUPERVISOR SUNNE WRIGHT MCPEAK r, „ DATE: AUGUST 6, 1991 SUBJECT: FISH LADDER IN WALNUT CREEK CHANNEL, RFP FOR WETLAND IDENTIFICATION; DRAFT WETLANDS ORDINANCE; FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE REFERRALS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Direct the Public Works Department Flood Control Division to work with the Community Development Department on immediate facilitation and expedition of. a fish . ladder (preferably a permanent structure) , for the Walnut Creek Channel; and incorporation of same in the Master Plan for this area, including Board support of an emergency meeting of agencies comprising the Master Plan group. 2 . Direct the Community Development Department to revise the Request For Proposal for consultant identification/evaluation of wetland areas, and release RFP for consultant bid on this project. 3 . Direct the Community Development Department to complete additional research on the proposed working draft wetlands ordinance, revise ordinance accordingly, and submit to County Counsel and the County Administrator for review and comment. 4. Direct the Fish and Wildlife Committee to hold a workshop with relevant agencies/departments to evaluate alternatives including freshwater marsh creation on the Praxis property. 5. Refer to the Fish and Wildlife Committee the following issues: 1) Shell Marsh grazing rights; and 2) Marsh restoration project with Central Sanitary District. FISCAL IMPACT None. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: xx YES SIGNATURE RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) : �Od^2 /�ldfCS�7✓`,_ Supervisor Tom Torlakson, Chair Supervisor Sunne Wright McPeak ACTION OF BOARD ON A,;o,.tom 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _ The Board added to Recommendation No. 1 a request to the Water Committee staff to write a letter to Overcon Construction Co. , Bryan & Murph Eng. and Ashby Lumber to thank them for offerin their services in connection with the fish ladder project. VOTE O SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Orig: Community Development Dept. (CDD) ATTESTED August 6, 1991 cc: County Administrator PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF County Counsel THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Public Works Department AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Attention: Flood Control RG:gms BY , DEPUTY ws:\bo\fish-etc Fish Ladder, RFP for Wetland, etal Continued - Page Two BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS 1. . On March 12, 1991 the Board referred the matter of preservation of the spawning grounds within Pacheco and Walnut Creek channels to the Fish and Wildlife Committee and the Water Committee for review. Overcon Construction Company, Bryan and Murphy Engineering, and Ashby Lumber have offered their services to the County to construct a fish ladder at the drop structure located under highways 680 and 242 on County property. These companies propose to engineer and construct the ladder at no cost to the County. The existing drop structure makes fish passage difficult, and migration is impossible during dry years and during the current drought. Pacheco Creek and Walnut Creek are spawning grounds for steelhead trout and king salmon, which have been decreasing in numbers, due in part to the drop structure. During the Water Committee meeting on July 22, 1991 the Fish and Wildlife Committee expressed their wholehearted support of the project, as did several other agencies. The Water Committee recommends that Flood Control and the Community Development Department expedite the planning process with the Corps so that either a permanent or temporary structure is in place prior to the next spawning run. Preference is given to a permanent structure, if possible. The Water Committee further recommends that the Master Plan currently being drafted for the Walnut Creek channel reflect enhancement of fishery resources as a priority, through implementation of fish ladder structures and other means. The Water Committee recommends Board support of an emergency meeting of those agencies involved in the Master Plan to insure consistency. 2 . In response to Board direction, the Fish and Wildlife Committee presented to the Water Committee a draft Request for Proposal for consultant identification/evaluation of wetlands areas within the County. The initial, smaller scale proposal called for a select area within east county to be included as part of the study. The Trust for Public Lands and Ducks Unlimited have proposed a study targeting the majority of tidal areas within the County as the focus of an expanded proposal, with the Trust for Public Lands donating a like amount of funding for the expanded project. The Water Committee recommends including the expanded proposal as part of the RFP and sending to qualified consultants to elicit several detailed proposals. 3 . The Fish and Wildlife Committee was directed by the Board to work with the Community Development Department on an ordinance for protection of the remaining wetland resources within the County. A current working draft of the ordinance was addressed at the last Water Committee meeting, and comments were received. Staff requested some additional time in order for additional research to be done on aspects of the ordinance. The Water Committee recommends additional work on and revision of the ordinance, then submittal to County Counsel and the County Administrator Office prior to resubmittal to the Water Committee. 4 . Praxis Development and Ducks Unlimited have provided to the Water Committee estimates to restore the Praxis property (proposed Maritime Business Park) to wetlands. Both proposals call for removal of differing amounts of fill to establish tidal wetlands areas on-site. In order to consider all alternatives, the Water Committee recommends that the Fish and Wildlife Committee meet with relevant agencies/departments, and consider a freshwater marsh alternative using treated effluent. 5. The Water Committee endorses the Fish and Wildlife Committee's request to look into costs associated with Shell Marsh grazing rights, and a joint-project proposal for marsh restoration on Central Sanitary District property. ws:\bo\fish-etc