SACRAMENTO,
Calif.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation) have released for public review the draft Initial
Study and Environmental Assessment (IS/EA) for the proposed Fremont Weir
Adult Fish Passage Modification Project, located in the northern portion of
the Yolo Bypass, approximately 8 miles northeast of Woodland in Yolo
County.
The proposed project is being carried out to meet requirements in the 2009
National Marine Fisheries Service’s Biological Opinion and Conference
Opinion on the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State
Water Project. The Yolo Bypass, a prominent feature of California’s State
Plan of Flood Control, provides valuable rearing habitat for downstream
migrating juvenile salmon while also providing a fish migration corridor
for adult anadromous fish. Structures within the Yolo Bypass have delayed
and prevented adult special-status fish species, such as Chinook salmon,
steelhead, and green sturgeon from migrating upstream through the Yolo
Bypass and returning to the Sacramento River.
The purpose of the proposed project is to improve fish passage at the
Fremont Weir and within the Tule Canal. The project would modify an
existing fish ladder at the Fremont Weir and improve fish passage within
the channel both upstream and downstream of the Fremont Weir. In addition,
one downstream agricultural road crossing would be removed and another such
crossing would be replaced with a structure that provides improved fish
passage within the Tule Canal. Construction is scheduled to begin in the
summer of 2017.
The proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and draft IS/EA have been
prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and
the National Environmental Policy Act and are available for public review
and comment from Feb. 3 through March 6, 2017. Copies of the documents are
available at:
*
href="http://www.water.ca.gov/environmentalservices/yolobypass/projects/yolo_fremont.cfm"
>
http://www.water.ca.gov/environmentalservices/yolobypass/projects/yolo_fremont.cfm
*
href="https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=12670"
>
https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=12670
*
https://www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice/yolo-bypass.html
· A printed copy is available to view during business hours (8 a.m. to 5
p.m.) at the DWR office located at 3500 Industrial Blvd. in West Sacramento
and Reclamation’s Bay-Delta Office at 801 I St., Suite 140, in Sacramento.
Please submit comments in writing or email to either:
* Karen Enstrom, California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial
Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691 or Karen.Enstrom@water.ca.gov.
* Ben Nelson, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I St., Suite
140, Sacramento, CA 95814 or bcnelson@usbr.gov.
Written comments must be received by close of business Monday, March 6,
2017. For further information, please contact Karen Enstrom at (916)
376-9778 or Karen.Enstrom@water.ca.gov
or Ben Nelson at (916) 414-2424 (TTY 800-877-8339) or bcnelson@usbr.gov.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
