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Salton Sea SCH Project

Salton Sea SCH Project. Stakeholders Meeting November 15, 2011. What We Want to Accomplish Today . Review the development and identification of State’s preferred alternative Provide updates on SCH Project Draft EIS/EIR comments Project design Permitting Schedule Funding

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Salton Sea SCH Project

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  1. Salton Sea SCH Project Stakeholders MeetingNovember 15, 2011

  2. What We Want to Accomplish Today • Review the development and identificationof State’s preferred alternative • Provide updates on SCH Project • Draft EIS/EIR comments • Project design • Permitting • Schedule • Funding • Provide Stakeholders an opportunity to comment on updates

  3. Scope of SCH Project • Review of authority for SCH project • SCH does not address all restoration objectives evaluated in PEIR • SCH is not an overall restoration plan for the Salton Sea • SCH ponds are pilot projects

  4. Key Implementation Principles of all Alternatives • Why blend Sea and river water? • Vegetation control • Mosquito control • Reduced availability of selenium in food web • Why focus on fish-eating birds? • Fish and fish-eating birds affected first • No near-term shortage of shorebird habitat • Consistent with PEIR proposal of Early Start habitat

  5. Reasons for IdentifyingAlternative 3 as State’s Preferred Alternative • Pumped diversion minimizes impacts on agricultural lands • Sedimentation basin not on farmland • Long pipeline bisecting tile drain systems in farm fields not needed • New River area preferred because • Less geologically active • Impacts on geothermal resources minimized • Lower selenium levels than Alamo River water • Of the New River pumped diversion alternatives, Alternative 3 provides the most potential habitat

  6. Draft EIS/EIR Comments • Salton Sea restoration • QSA • Funding/project costs • Project design • Water rights/supplies • Operations/maintenance • Compatibility with geothermal/agriculture • Selenium • Preferred alternative • Identify text citations in Draft EIS/EIR • Prepare responses to general comments • Prepare focused responses to specific questions based on • NEPA/CEQA requirements • Technical considerations • Engineering considerations • Comments/responses vetted by SCH agencies Key Comment Topics Approach to Responses

  7. General Design Progress • Water delivery to the potential project sites • Seawater pump station               • River water gravity delivery • River water pumped delivery • Sedimentation basin for river water • Facility and habitat features • General maintenance facility and access needs • Islands, channels, depth profile considerations • Constructability evaluation • Geotechnical analysis feeding into berm design • Ability of construction equipment to operate in site environment

  8. Permitting • Required permits/approvals • Section 401 Water Quality Certification • Section 404 Individual Permit • Section 106 Consultation • Section 7 Consultation • Streambed Alteration Agreement • Section 2081 Incidental Take Permit • Imperial County Air Pollution Control District Permit • Status • Role in overall environmental clearance • Next steps

  9. Current Project Schedule • Draft permit applications – Fall 2011 • Final EIS/EIR – Spring 2012 • Permits complete – Summer 2012 • Final design – Fall 2012 • Begin construction – Spring 2013 • Complete construction – Summer 2014

  10. Salton Sea Funding • Anticipated funds available for SCH Project • Proposition 84 • Water agency contributions

  11. Upcoming Meetings/Coordination • Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing— November 28 • Upcoming Financial Assistance Program meeting in December—specific date to be announced

  12. Discussion

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