Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Searsville Watershed Restoration Project, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, CA, 7968-7969 [2023-02564]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7968-7969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02564]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Searsville 
Watershed Restoration Project, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), San Francisco 
District, as the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA), and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), as 
the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), 
will prepare a joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental 
Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Searsville Watershed Restoration 
Project, located in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, California. 
Stanford University is the Project Applicant. The EIS/EIR will analyze 
Stanford's proposed project to modify Searsville Dam and Reservoir and 
restore reaches of Corte Madera Creek and San Francisquito Creek 
upstream and downstream of the dam, expand Felt Reservoir, and upgrade 
the existing San Francisquito Creek pump station. The purpose of the 
Project is to restore hydrogeomorphic processes, riparian habitat, and 
fish passage conditions within the upper San Francisquito Creek 
watershed; to avoid increasing future flood risk associated with 
Searsville Reservoir filling with sediment, and to replace Searsville 
Reservoir's historic non-potable water storage and supply while 
improving seismic safety at Felt Reservoir. The primary Federal 
involvement associated with the proposed action is the discharge of 
dredged or fill material into waters of the United States that would 
require authorization from USACE pursuant to section 404 of the Clean 
Water Act. Discharge of accumulated sediment from Searsville Reservoir 
into the lower reaches of San Francisquito Creek would also be subject 
to section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA) of 1899 in tidal 
reaches, and section 408 review under section 14 of the RHA in reaches 
that are currently under study for Federal flood risk management 
projects.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions must be submitted by March 9, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning the scope and 
content of the EIS/EIR may be submitted to Mr. Greg Brown by email at 
[email protected]; or by surface mail at U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, San Francisco District, Regulatory Division, 450 Golden 
Gate Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102-3404. Requests to be 
placed on the email or surface mail notification lists should also be 
sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Greg Brown at 
[email protected] or 415-503-6791.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Proposed Action. Searsville Reservoir is 
an artificial impoundment created by the construction of Searsville Dam 
in 1891 on Corte Madera Creek, just upstream of the confluence where it 
joins with Bear Creek and forms San Francisquito Creek. Stanford owns 
and operates the Searsville Reservoir and Dam, the San Francisquito 
Creek Pump Station, and Felt Reservoir and uses these facilities to 
supply non-potable water for irrigation, stock watering, and fire 
suppression. Since construction of the dam, Searsville Reservoir has 
been filling with sediment, and water storage capacity has been reduced 
from about 1,200 acre-feet to about 100 acre-feet. The reservoir will 
eventually fill completely with sediment, at which point sediment 
originating in the upper watershed will pass over the dam and deposit 
downstream in San Francisquito Creek, increasing the risk of flooding. 
The EIS/EIR will analyze Stanford's proposed project to modify 
Searsville Dam and Reservoir (37.4072[deg] N, -122.238[deg] W) and 
restore reaches of Corte Madera Creek and San Francisquito Creek 
upstream and downstream of the dam, expand Felt Reservoir (37.3949[deg] 
N, -122.1856[deg] W), and upgrade the existing San Francisquito Creek 
pump station (37.4226[deg] N, -122.1883[deg] W).
    To address these issues, Stanford has proposed a multi-phase 
project on Stanford property at Searsville Reservoir and Dam; in Corte 
Madera and San Francisquito Creeks from Searsville Dam downstream to 
Interstate 280 in unincorporated San Mateo County; at Felt Reservoir in 
unincorporated Santa Clara County; and at the San Francisquito Creek 
Pump Station site which straddles the boundary between San Mateo and 
Santa Clara counties.
    The proposed project includes the following components: (1) 
constructing a gated tunnel through Searsville Dam to flush a 
substantial amount of trapped sediment, restore natural sediment 
transport, reestablish fish passage conditions, and improve ecosystem 
function; (2) restoring a confluence valley supporting a variety of 
habitats above Searsville Dam; (3) constructing channel improvements to 
facilitate fish passage conditions below Searsville Dam, through the 
proposed tunnel, and in restored creek channels upstream of the dam; 
(4) constructing sediment trapping, habitat improvement, and bank 
stabilization features on Corte Madera and San Francisquito Creeks 
between Searsville Dam and I-280; (5) relocating the existing point of 
diversion at Searsville Reservoir to the San Francisquito Creek Pump 
Station site and modifying the Pump Station to accommodate increased 
diversions to Felt Reservoir; and (6) constructing a new dam at Felt 
Reservoir and expanding that reservoir's design capacity to a total of 
1,800 acre-feet.
    2. Alternatives. Multiple alternatives, including the no action 
alternative and the Applicant's preferred alternative (proposed 
project) will be evaluated in the EIS/EIR in accordance with current 
NEPA regulations and guidance, including 33 CFR 230 (USACE NEPA 
Regulations) and 33 CFR 325, appendix B (NEPA Implementation Procedures 
for USACE Regulatory Projects). Additional alternatives to be analyzed 
currently include:
     Dam Removal: implement sediment flushing and restore fish 
passage and

[[Page 7969]]

sediment transport by removing Searsville Dam completely.
     Bypass Channel: restore fish passage and sediment 
transport by constructing a bypass channel around Searsville Dam; 
accumulated sediment in the reservoir would be left in place.
    3. Scoping Process.
    a. Affected Federal, State, regional, and local agencies; Native 
American Tribes; other interested private organizations; and the 
general public are invited to participate in the scoping process. USACE 
is requesting identification of potential alternatives, information, 
and analyses relevant to the proposed action. Questions and written 
comments can be addressed to the contacts identified above and should 
be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of this NOI.
    b. The EIS/EIR will analyze the environmental consequences of 
construction, operation, and maintenance of reasonable alternatives 
carried forward for detailed analysis. Potentially significant issues 
to be analyzed include effects on aesthetics and visual resources; air 
quality and greenhouse gas emissions; biological resources including 
wetlands and special status species; cultural and tribal cultural 
resources; energy; environmental justice and socioeconomics; geology, 
soils and paleontology; hazardous materials and wildfire; flood risk, 
hydrology, and water quality; land use, agricultural and forestry 
resources; noise and vibration; population and housing; transportation; 
and utilities and public services.
    c. USACE shall invite the National Marine Fisheries Service to 
participate as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EIS/EIR. 
USACE will also work closely with the DWR, as lead CEQA agency, in the 
preparation of the joint EIS/EIR.
    d. USACE will consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer 
and with Native American Tribes to comply with the National Historic 
Preservation Act, and with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to comply with the 
Endangered Species Act. USACE will also coordinate with the USFWS to 
comply with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and with NMFS to 
comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act.
    e. Two virtual public scoping meetings will be held in late 
February or early March 2023 to present information to the public and 
to receive comments from the public on the proposed project, 
alternatives, and the scope of the environmental analysis. Dates, 
weblinks, and other details for the scoping meetings will be posted to 
the USACE San Francisco District website (https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/).
    4. Availability of the Draft EIS. The draft EIS is scheduled to be 
available for public review and comment in October 2023. The decision-
making process for the related permitting action will not be completed 
until all NEPA requirements have been met.

Antoinette R. Gant,
Commanding, U.S. Army.
[FR Doc. 2023-02564 Filed 2-6-23; 8:45 am]
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