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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10271987 - S.10 J T°j BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM; Contra Supervisor Tom Torlakson Costa DATE : Corot , October 27, 1987 . f 11 JV SUBJECT; PROPOSAL TO FLOOD DELTA ISLANDS FOR WATER STORAGE. SPEC IF I C RE EST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND -AND JUST I F I CATION RECOMMENDED' ACTION: Refer to the Water Committee, the Community Development Department, and the Flood Control District to review a proposal .by Bedford Properties to flood Delta islands for water storage. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Please refer to attached minutes of the Delta Advisory Planning Council of October 5, 1987, regarding a presentation on : the "Delta Wetlands Project. " ;. In reviewing this project, the following questions need to be considered: What effects would this project have on the Delta environment? What are the pros and cons? . Are county permits required? What other permits might be required? Is this a significant enough. change in .the. land use to. necessitate a change in the general plan or zoning? If so, does the California Environmental. Quality Act apply? Is there .an EIR being processed now? If so, under whose jurisdiction? What additional public hearings are scheduled? TT:gro Attachment 1-7 CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT.; YES SIGNATURE' RECOMMrNOATI.ON .OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF .BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER 51GNATUREI51: ACTION OF BOARD ON October -22-,-1-98 7 "%F PROVED AS RECCiWMENDED X OTHER r VOTE OF, SUPERVISORS 1 HEREEr., CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSEffT I, III fuND CORRECT COPY OF'AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES. AND ENTERED ON ,THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON ,THE DATE SHOWN. CC: Water Committee ATTESTEDi��!�f�ls Community Development Public Works - Flood Control PHIL BATCHELOR. CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR County Administrator- M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY SUMMARY MINUTES DELTA ADVISORY PLANNING COUNCIL Meeting of October 5, 1987 Rio Vista, California 1. Meeting began. at 9:0.7 a.m. Present: Contra Costa County: Robert Gromm, John Mass . Sacramento .County: Don Nottoli (A) for Toby Johnson' (S) Frank Schmiedel , John Anderson San Joaquin County: No representation Solano County: No representation Yolo County: Herbert Hunn There. was no quorum due to inadequate supervisorial representation. Absent: Contra Costa County: Tom"Torlakson (S) San Joaquin County: Douglas Carter (S) , Dante Nomellini " Solano County: Richard Brann (S) , James Stewart, Grace Anderson Yolo County: Clark Cameron., (S) 2. Chairman's Report Chairman Gromm noted the problem , of obtaining " a quorum. Gromm called attention to the DWR's Delta Water Atlas. . It was noted that Yolo County will not fund DAPC for FY 87/88 and, therefore, DAPC may become a four county organization. Hunn said he would talk to, Yolo County officials about the problem and attempt to resolve it. 3. Presentation: Delta Wetlands Project (.A Plan to' Flood Certain Delta Islands for Water Storage) by John Winther, Project Manager, Bedford Properties. Chairman Gromm introduced John Winther of Bedford Properties, I,nc. Winther noted that Bedford Properties has been relatively quite about the project due to the need to acquire land which had' to be secured. by private capital and not condemnation. Subsequent to July 1, 1987 (the date that the Water Rights Application was filed) , Bedford has been much .more candid and open about their. proposal . He passed out a handout titled "Delta Wetlands Project Fact Sheet." The object ..is to change the land ' use on Bouldin, Webb, Holland and Bacon Islands (Contra Costa and San Joaquin Counties). from- agriculture to managed wetlands The wetlands will be managed" to benefit: (1) fish; (2) wetland wildlife; (.3) Delta levee stability; and (4) water qu4a"1ity. - 2 - Concerning .,proposed flood elevations,, Winther _said Webb Tract and Bacon Island would be flooded to above sea level , Holland Island to sea level , and Bouldin Island to 5 feet below sea level . Bouldin Island would have a lower elevation due to State Highway 12 and the inability to build a tall levee south of State Highway 12. Winther ,said. that Bedford would put. a beech slope with a 10:1 slope on the inside of, the island levees. Due to the compression of peat soils, this process would take three..years. The beech :.slope is : designed to mitigate wave erosion by means of dissipating wave wash energy.. They ruled. out rip- rap for the inside levee slopes because it is inappropriate for wildlife and is too; heavy. During . the winter when the Delta is "out of control " the islands wi 11 be flooded by. intaking water through a series of screened siphons. The flood- ' ing will occur quickly during periods' of high flow-and the water shall be held from January:to the first of May. Beginning.May .lst, the stored water will be quickly .drawn down (in about 90 .days) by means of pumping: Winther said. the beech slope' s composition of porous materials would negate any :levee slippage. Winther said the pumped .wa.ter would- be placed back in the Delta (Delta pool )., '.and would be conveyed by. natural channels. -The islands) would be drawn down to .a "moist soil condition" by the end of . July with the exception of 7-10 percent of the land area that would remain permanently submerged. "Riparian Water" would be _.flooded onto parts of the islands during the fall to facilitate a. wetland environment for water. fowl . This environment would include such native species as smartweed, swamp timothy and watergrass. -Beginning January 1,. should water be available,. re-flooding for water storage would commence. Winther noted that 11. percent of the time there .is not enough water to reflood for storage purposes and the islands would remain as shallow wetland until May 1. Winther also said that about anoth- er 10 percent of the. time there is too much water (oversupply) and thus no market -for salable water. Winther outlined the reverse flow problem (water flowing up the San Joaquin system east of Sherman Island and thence south to: the export pumps) . ' He noted that striped bass eggs and larvae rather than flowing out to Suisun Marsh are consequently sucked into the export pumps. The eggs and larvae are unscreeenable and the bass offspring cannot be screened until some point in July. He said their proposed discharge points are between Sherman Island .and the export pumps, and noted that discharge on the north side of. Bouldin Island would tend to head off reverse flows. Winther said that their project would not draw water onto the islands dur- ing May, June, and July and that this situation would save the 2 acre feet of water per acre of : land that is' normally drawn under present conditions. This savings would amount to roughly 42,000 acre feet .of water .which would thence be available for use in the Delta's channels and would consequently have a "tendency" to push striped bass eggs/larvae out towards Suisun Marsh (State pumps are under controlled operation. at .this time of the year) . Winther stated their practices could cut in-Delta induced fisheries losses by 7-10 percent. He noted that .their diversions would occur from January - March when fish are screenable. - 3 - Winther said that under a worst case scenario when their water was immedi- ately pumped .south. upon discharge (the "dump and pump scenario) ; - it would have a behi gn' effect of fisheries, since it.. would not alter any existing situation in a negative. manner. Permanent wetlands are mostly found along some levees, and seasonal wet- lands occur on some of the. farmed islands and tracts. Winther said even with the loss of an island's wetland (Bouldin Island was cited because it provides. .the best seasonal wetland. of the four targeted islands) for two. three months, their project would yield twice as much wetland relative to what is now. available. He noted that they. would keep their levees "rough" with vegetation: Winther commented that their islands, which possess deep peat soils, have a subsidence of 3 inches per year and will have settled about 4 1/2 feet over the next 20 years. Conversion to wetland should negate the' subsidence problem. Winther cited. Van Sickle Island (Suisun Marsh) 'which isa tradi tional wetland and possess deep peat soils and noted it had not sign•ifi-. cantly subsided. The .levee's inside beech slope will also inhibit levee breaks. . Winther said that the project would release 270,000 - acre feet . into the. Delta during the summer. The dilution effect would not be critical .but it would be. a step in the right direction. He also discounted the seriousness of agriculture chemical : runoff, but noted their project would realize a decrease 'i.n such chemicals relative to existing conditions. Winther noted. that 270,000 acre foot water storage facility in the Delta which ships water south in the summer will create a vested interest in protecting Delta water quality amongst Southern California purchasers. He also noted that Bedford properties was. willing to spend $2/acre foot on. research into the Delta's wildlife issues. Schmiedel asked. �about the effects of summertime. releases . relative to upstream discharges.. Winther replied that DWR must maintain a 1,500 cubic foot/second flow on the Feather River. The most that could be cut would be . the 2 acre . feet/land acre the four subject islands presently. draw (42;000 acre feet) . Schmiedel i.nquired., about holding storage water over from one year to the next. , Winther said that this situation would impact wetland growth and DF.G is currently concerned about this. problem. Schmiedel asked about water quality in the upper Delta.. Winther .said the State might hold, some water in the upper Delta or further upstream during May=July when Bedford is discharging. Winther said the numbers associated with this scenario wogld be quite minor. He also noted that the project would be off-line by the .' end of July. . Chairman .Gromm asked about conveyance from Bedford's ho.lding . faciYities to the export pumps. Winther . said they would utilize natural channels, and noted their discharge locations are between Sherman. Island and the pumps. Mass felt that $125/acre foot was very expensive and stated that DFG had not done a good job in managing ducks.. He . also asked about the displacement of. farmers. Winther said they are, buying from willing sellers. Winther said farmers currently leasing would be ..displaced. Winther said their project -would save energy when compared to farming. Mass referred -bacK to the $125/acre foot price and compared it to the going rate of $10-$15/acre foot' San Joaquin Valley farmers are presently paying. Winther. said the water market is reflecting full. cost. . He noted Los Vaqueros water .will have a firm yield @ $300/acre foot and that Los .Banos Grande's firm yield is $224/acne foot: Winther said new water is expensive and would likely be sold to urban users. The $125/acre foot is perceived by Metropolitan Water District as' attractable.. Mass noted the State is adding. storage areas, e.g. the. Yolo By-Pass and that 'we could be close to desalinization. Winther said that the..Los Banos Grande water @ $224/acre foot has customers. VGromm asked about total project costs. . Winther said it would be around $200 million. Mass asked about land acquisition. . Winther said Bedford now owns most of Bouldin Island and Holland Tract. Options are being exercised on Bacon Island and Webb Tract: Anderson asked about. the permitting process. Winther said an EIR/EIS is being prepared -and that permits would have to be issued by the State Water' Control Board and the U.S. Army C.O.E. The project is a permitted use in San. Joaquin County, but would require a land use permit in Contra Costa County. A stream encroachment permit will also ,be required. Hunn asked about liability during levee breaks. .Winther said that if Bedford is meeting FEMA standards -and should .Bedford. be a victim of levee failure, then they should get bail out funds as -would any other land owner. If Bedford causes. a break, then that situation would be different. Schmiedel asked about the COE's opinion of the project. Winther said they are receptive. . DWR is cautious, but using a fair approach. Winther in response to Anderson said their levees are non-project. Winther said in reply to Natolli that they would pump the stored .water by July. 31, and that if wetland vegetation doesn't establish, then Bedford will plant their own. He noted the. success of an experimental plot on Holland Tract last September.. He said that DFG has been overly cautious on. the genera- .tion of wetland vegetation. Mass noted the Delta' s waterflow contains many seeds. Mass also disagreed. with DFG about wetland regeneration. Audience Questions Bob Gilbert questioned the waterfowl benefits. He said there are two sets of waterfowlflights and 30,000-50,000 geese use Webb Tract and don't like standing water. The impounded water would negate this traditional feeding ground from January to March. He also . voiced similar concerns about Dabbler ducks. Winther asked what has happened since . 1830 and what will happen 50 years from now after 150 inches -of subsidence has occurred.