From the San Joaquin River Restoration Program:
The San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP) Office of the Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review and comment the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Passage Project (Project). The proposed action, as authorized by Part III of Title X, Subtitle A of Public Law 111-11, would build a fish screen and a fish passage facility at the Arroyo Canal/Sack Dam facility located on the mainstem of the San Joaquin River near the town of Dos Palos.
In 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), as the federal lead agency, and Henry Miller Reclamation District #2131 (HMRD), as the state lead agency, prepared the Arroyo Canal Fish Screen and Sack Dam Fish Passage Project (Project) Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (2013 EA/IS) to analyze and disclose the anticipated environmental impacts of the proposed Project. However, as the Project neared 100 percent design, surveys revealed a significantly higher rate of regional land subsidence than anticipated at Sack Dam, and environmental compliance documentation efforts were paused to allow for design efforts to consider this new information. Since 2013, Reclamation has evaluated several design alternatives that have been eliminated from further consideration for a variety of technical reasons. Reclamation now has sufficient information to analyze the effects of a feasible design alternative for the Project and is therefore preparing environmental compliance documentation as needed to supplement the previous analyses.
Reclamation is preparing this SEA to analyze and disclose any potential impacts to the human environment of the design refinements to the Project beyond those that were analyzed and disclosed in the 2013 EA/IS.
The document is available for public review online at: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=55520
Written comments are due by close of business on January 27, 2025, to Becky Victorine, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-170, Sacramento, CA 95825.
Comments may also be faxed to 916-978-5469 or emailed to rvictorine@usbr.gov. For additional information please contact Ms. Victorine at 916-978-4624. For more information about the SJRRP, please visit www.restoresjr.net.
