News Release Archive

Draft Environmental Impact Documents on Relocating Joint Operations Center Available for Public Review

Public Meetings to be Held

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero@usbr.gov
Ted Thomas, 916-653-9712, tthomas@water.ca.gov

For Release: September 08, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources have released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report describing the environmental impacts at alternative sites for the proposed new Joint Operations Center in Sacramento County, California.A new site will help the agencies better coordinate California water and flood operations. The agencies will hold public meetings on Thursday, Sept. 22 to discuss the alternatives.

By 2015, Reclamation, the California Department of Water Resources and the National Weather Service will relocate their Joint Operations Center (JOC) from the existing facility on El Camino Avenue to a new site.

Three locations are being considered for a new JOC: a site owned by Reclamation adjacent to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, a commercial site on Kilgore Road near Sunrise Boulevard, and a site on the former Mather Air Force Base.

The meetings are scheduled for:

Thursday, Sept. 22
2:00 to 4 p.m. or 6:00 to 8 p.m.
Sacramento State Aquatics Center
1901 Hazel Avenue
Gold River, Calif.

Staff will present an introduction to the project at the beginning of each meeting. The meetings will then be opened to receive comments from the public on the Draft EIS/EIR.

The JOC coordinates water supply and flood management operations. The proposed relocation would improve communications and coordination during emergencies such as floods and droughts, accommodating approximately 600 employees.

The new facility will 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, intense computer infrastructure, physical and cyber security systems and will meet state essential service criteria for an emergency operations center.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIS/EIR) are available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/joc.html. Please provide your written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR at the public meetings or send  written comments to Reclamation by close of business Monday, November 7, 2011.

Bureau of Reclamation
Attention: Doug Kleinsmith, MP-150
2800 Cottage Way
Sacramento, Calif. 95825
Telephone: (916) 978-5034
Fax: (916) 978-5055
E-mail: dkleinsmith@usbr.gov

Reclamation and DWR will be reviewing all comments provided during the comment period.

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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.