2022-2023 Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project
Summary
SCH Number
2022020570
Public Agency
Westlands Water District
Document Title
2022-2023 Groundwater Pumping and Conveyance Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/24/2022
Document Description
The Project includes executing Warren Act contract(s) with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and State Water Project Analysis Office (SWPAO) Agreement(s) with the Department of Water Resources to convey up to 30,000 acre-feet of groundwater in the San Luis Canal (SLC) through February 2023, provided the allocation to south of Delta Central Valley Project water contractors is 20% or less, or until the Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation is lifted. The Project would allow well owners within the District that are more than 2 miles from the SLC to pump groundwater into the SLC, using existing or temporary surface pipelines and existing integration locations along the SLC, for delivery and use on other land in the District, or to temporarily store it in San Luis Reservoir to meet peak summer crop demands and guard against water shortages in 2022. Per USBR’s Water Quality Monitoring Plan (usbr.gov/mp/nepa/includes/documentShow.php?Doc_ID=46945; see Appendix B) for the Project, water quality testing and groundwater level monitoring will be performed routinely.
The District’s implementation of the Project is in response to emergency conditions, which are demonstrated by, among other factors, the limited amount of water available from the Central Valley Project. The District anticipates the USBR will rely upon its recent approval of the Five-Year Warren Act for Westlands Water District Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact (CGB-EA-2020-032 and CGB-FONSI-2020-032, respectively) to support execution of the one-year Warren Act contract.
Contact Information
Name
Russ Freeman
Agency Name
Westlands Water District
Job Title
Deputy General Manager of Resources
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Fresno, Kings
Regions
Unincorporated
Other Information
District-wide, located in western Fresno and Kings counties.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
On May 10, 2021, Governor Newsom declared a State of Emergency (Proclamation) to address the severe drought condition, in particular the Central Valley. Government Code section 8571 authorizes the Governor to suspend certain regulatory requirements, including CEQA, under emergency conditions. The Proclamation orders the State “to expeditiously consider requests to move water to areas of need, including requests involving voluntary water transfers, forbearance agreements, water exchanges, or other means,” and suspends CEQA for purposes of carrying out or approving this and other directives. The Project will carry out this directive and will prevent or mitigate the impacts of the drought emergency.
The Project is an emergency project and is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080(b)(4) and CEQA Guidelines section 15269(c) because it involves specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate the drought emergency. The Project also is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301 because it involves operation of existing facilities with no or negligible expansion of use.
County Clerks
Fresno, Kings