News Release Archive

Reclamation, CA Department of Water Resources and National Weather Service Extend Public Comment Period for Joint Operations Center Relocation Project

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, 02/16/2011 11:26

For Release: February 16, 2011

For Release On: February 16, 2011

Reclamation, CA Department of Water Resources and National Weather Service Extend Public Comment Period for Joint Operations Center Relocation Project

The Bureau of Reclamation, California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the National Weather Service (NWS) have extended the public comment period on the proposed relocation of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) in Sacramento County. Reclamation, DWR and NWS first requested comments on the project be received by Thursday, February 17. Due to public response, the comment period will now be extended to Thursday, March 3.

To better coordinate California water and flood operations, the three agencies plan to relocate the JOC by 2015 from the existing facility on El Camino Avenue near Watt Avenue in Sacramento to a new site. The proposed relocation would improve communications and coordination during emergencies, such as floods and droughts, and would accommodate approximately 600 employees. The new facility would house control centers for the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project, a flood operations center, backup power supplies, primary and backup communication systems, complex computer infrastructure, and physical and cyber security systems, and would meet state essential service criteria. The current facility was adapted from a former retail store property and does not meet state essential service criteria.

Two locations are being considered for a new JOC:  a site owned by Reclamation adjacent to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and a commercial site on Kilgore Road near Sunrise Boulevard. Reclamation and DWR are in the preliminary stages of the Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) process. This initial scoping period is the first of several opportunities for public input on the project. This request for comments is being extended to ensure the public has an opportunity to identify issues to be studied as the EIS/EIR progresses. Obtaining public input is an important part of the EIS/EIR process, and Reclamation and DWR welcome all comments. Upon completion of a Draft EIS/EIR, the document will be made available and the public will again have an opportunity to comment. For more information, see the project website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/joc.html.

Written comments on the proposed content and scope of the EIS/EIR can be provided to Reclamation or DWR at:

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.