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- Reclamation and Contra Costa Water District Release Final EIS/EIR for Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project
News Release Archive
Reclamation and Contra Costa Water District Release Final EIS/EIR for Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project
Media Contact:
Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero@usbr.gov
For Release: March 15, 2010
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) have released the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project located in Contra Costa County, California. The purpose of expanding Los Vaqueros Reservoir is to develop reliable dry year water supplies, provide additional water quality improvement for CCWD municipal and industrial customers, and provide additional emergency water supply for the San Francisco Bay Area. The EIS/EIR provides an environmental analysis of the proposed expansion of the existing reservoir from 100,000 acre-feet to 160,000 acre-feet and alternatives to 275,000 acre-feet.
The Final EIS/EIR is the basis for decision-making for the Federal, State, and local agencies. Reclamation will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD) following a 30-day notice of the publication of the Final EIS/EIR. The ROD will identify the decision and discuss the relevant factors considered. The CCWD Board of Directors is scheduled to consider certification of the Final EIR and project approval at a public meeting on Wednesday, March 31, 2010. If the Board certifies the Final EIR and approves the project, CCWD will publish a Notice of Determination (NOD) on April 1, 2010, and file the NOD with the Contra Costa County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse.
"Reclamation is very pleased to be part of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project - the first surface storage expansion project to move forward under the CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act of 2004," stated Mr. Donald R. Glaser, Regional Director of Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region. "Expanding Los Vaqueros will be instrumental in improving dry year water supply reliability and water quality in the San Francisco Bay area. Reclamation and CCWD are committed to continue working with the State of California, water users, environmental groups, and all other stakeholders involved in the Bay-Delta Conservation Planning process and additional storage studies."
The Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion is one of five potential surface water storage projects identified in the CALFED Storage Program and the CALFED Bay-Delta Program's Programmatic Record of Decision, dated August 2000. The CALFED Bay-Delta Program is a 30-year program (2000-2030) based on four major resource management objectives that guide actions designed to achieve a healthy ecosystem while supplying 25 million Californians with a reliable water supply. The objectives are ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability, water quality, and levee system integrity. Reclamation plays a key role as the Federal lead agency for implementing water supply reliability actions in coordination with State and local partner agencies.
The Final EIS/EIR is available online. If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Reclamation's Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 916-978-5608) or e-mail mpPublicAffairs@usbr.gov.
Printed or CD copies of the Final EIS/EIR may be requested from Ms. Sharon McHale, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2830, Sacramento, CA 95825, or Ms. Marguerite Naillon, Special Projects Manager, CCWD, at 925-688-8018 or mnaillon@ccwater.com.
For additional information, please contact Ms. McHale at 916-978-5086 (TTY 916-978-5608) or smchale@usbr.gov or visit the project websites at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/vaqueros/index.html or http://www.lvstudies.com.
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