Notice of San Joaquin Field Division Culvert Replacement Mitigated Negative Declaration
Notice is hereby given that the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Division of Operations and Maintenance, Environmental Assessment Branch intends to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the San Joaquin Field Division(SJFD) Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Center Drainage Culvert Replacement Project.
Notice is also hereby given that the Draft Initial Study (IS) and Proposed MND prepared by DWR have been released for a 30-day public review.
Project: San Joaquin Field Division Operations and Maintenance Center Drainage Culvert Replacement Project
Project Summary, Background, and Impacts: The proposed Project would include replacement of the existing arch corrugated metal pipe culvert with a new concrete box culvert, improvements to the upstream and downstream flow channels, and improvements to the connection to an existing drainage swale.
The Project proposes a new pre-cast reinforced concrete box culvert with cast-in-place reinforced concrete headwall structures at each end of the culvert. The headwall structures would consist of one headwall, two wing walls, a foundation slab, and a cutoff wall. The Project would also include improvements within the upstream flow channel, southeast of the existing box culvert, and within the downstream flow channel, northwest of the existing box culvert.
Improvements to the upstream flow channel and downstream flow channel would consist of trapezoidal-shaped concrete liners. Additional rock slope protection would be placed to connect an existing drainage swale from the SJFD O&M Center parking lot to the downstream flow channel.
An existing gravel parking area located in the southeast portion of the SJFD O&M Center site would be used during construction as a staging area for materials and parking by construction personnel. Access to the staging area would be provided from the internal circulation road.
The purpose of the Project is to improve drainage. The existing culvert is approximately 50% obstructed due to the accumulation of sediment, and therefore restricts stormwater flows during large rain events. The entrance flooded in 2017, restricting access to the O&M Center.
The IS/MND did not identify any significant and unavoidable impacts. The IS/MND analysis determined that the Project would result in potential adverse impacts associated with Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Hazards and Hazardous materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, and Noise, but that these impacts would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with implementation of mitigation measures.
Location: The Project site is at the SJFD O&M Center in southern Kern County, 23 miles south of the City of Bakersfield. The SJFD O&M Center is at the base of the Tehachapi Mountains in unincorporated Kern County, adjacently east of the California Aqueduct and west of the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 99. The Project site is accessed from the north via the gated entrance on South Sabodan Street just east of the SJFD O&M Center.
Review: The 30-day public review period for this Draft IS and Proposed MND begins December 15, 2022 and ends January 16, 2024. The Draft IS/MND can be reviewed by accessing the following links below:
Submit Comments
Comments regarding the Draft IS/MND should be submitted in writing to:
Ms. Jennifer Worsley
California Department of Water Resources
Division of Operations and Maintenance
715 P St, 5th Floor
Sacramento CA 94236-0001
E-mail: jennifer.worsley@water.ca.gov
Comments are due no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
If comments are provided via email, please include the project title in the subject line, attach comments in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format, and include the commenter’s U.S. Postal Service mailing address.
PRIVACY NOTE: All comments received will be made available for public review in their entirety, including the names and addresses of the respondents. Individual respondents may request that their name and/or address be withheld from public disclosure. DWR will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment.