News Release Archive

Reclamation Issues Decision Document for the Long-Term Water Transfers Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis@usbr.gov

For Release: May 01, 2015

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation signed a Record of Decision for the Long-Term Water Transfers Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report.

The ROD and the FEIS/EIR consider a range of potential transfer activities. As a result, the ROD and the FEIS/EIR describe the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts over a 10-year period, 2015 through 2024, of potential water transfers of Central Valley Project and non-CVP water or transfers from north of the Delta to CVP contractors south of the Delta and in the San Francisco Bay area that require the use of CVP or State Water Project facilities.

Of the four alternatives studied in the FEIS/EIR, Reclamation’s decision is to implement Alternative 2, Full Range of Transfers (Proposed Action). This alternative involves reviewing, approving, and facilitating proposed transfers over a 10-year period. Transfer water may be made available from groundwater substitution, cropland idling, reservoir release, and conservation. The transfers could originate in Colusa, Butte, Glenn, Merced, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and/or Yuba counties, with buyers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kings, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, and/or Stanislaus counties. The FEIS/EIR found no significant impacts on the human environment.

The ROD, as well as other documents for the Long-Term Water Transfers FEIS/EIR is available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=18361. If you encounter problems accessing the documents, please call 916-978-5100 or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov. Copies of the documents are also available at Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Regional Office Library, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825. For additional information, please contact Brad Hubbard at 916-978-5204 (TTY 800-877-8339).

The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority issued a Notice of Determination based on the FEIS/EIR. To request a copy of the NOD and/or related California Environmental Quality Act documents, please contact Frances Mizuno, SLDMWA, at 209-832-6200 or P.O. Box 2157, Los Banos, CA 93635.

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