MERIDIAN, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released a Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed Meridian Farms Water Company Phase 2 Fish Screen Project. The Proposed Project would replace and consolidate the two existing unscreened diversion structures on the Sacramento River (Drexler and Meridian diversions) with a new 135-cubic-feet-per-second screened intake and pumping facility in the vicinity of the town of Meridian, Sutter County.
The Proposed Project meets the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service anadromous fish screen design criteria. Under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Reclamation is authorized to assist the state of California in developing and implementing measures to avoid losses of juvenile anadromous fish resulting from unscreened diversions on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries.
The new intake facility would be located immediately adjacent to MFWC’s existing Meridian diversion structure. The Proposed Project also includes improvements to the main canal to provide needed flow capacity to the Drexler Service Area, extension of the Drexler Pipeline and construction of a new Drexler re-lift pump station on the main canal east of the Sacramento River. The Proposed Project would not increase MFWC’s overall diversion capacity from the Sacramento River.
The FONSI was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and is available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=10330. If you encounter problems accessing the document, please call 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or email mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.
For additional information or to request a copy of the FONSI, please contact Shelly Hatleberg at 916-978-5050 or shatleberg@usbr.gov. The FONSI may also be viewed at Reclamation’s Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
