Water Quality Certification Public Notices
Water Quality Certification Actions - Applicants for federal permits that involve dredge or fill activities in surface waters (including wetlands) are required to obtain certification from the state verifying that the activity will comply with state water quality standards. Most of these federal permits are referred to as 404 permits (in reference to Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act). Applicants for some other types of federal license or permits (ex. FERC licenses) that authorize activities that may result in discharges to waters of the United States are also required to obtain state certification. This state certification is called 401 Certification (in reference to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act). In California, 401 certification actions are the responsibility of the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards. It is the policy of this Regional Board to provide public notice of pending 401 Certification actions in order to gather comments from concerned agencies and the public. The following list contains notification of pending 401 Certification actions.
| Project Name | WDID | County | Location | Description | Comment period | Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta River Habitat Improvement Project: Phase 1 Implementation | TBD | Siskiyou | 41.659902, -122.497866 | The purpose of this Project is to promote conservation, habitat enhancement, and the recovery of coho salmon within the Shasta River, including Big Springs Creek, Hole in the Ground Creek, and Parks Creek. The Project’s restoration elements include enhancing in-stream and off-channel habitats, enlarging spring alcoves, reconnecting oxbows, and improving floodplain connectivity to provide velocity refuge and increase habitat diversity. This will be achieved through strategic grading to improve connectivity, large wood and boulder in-stream habitat structures, beaver dam analogs (BDAs), and riparian plantings. Please contact our staff for a more detailed project description. | May 6 through May 27, 2025 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov |
| McKnight Gravel Extraction Operations Project | 1B25035WNHU | Humboldt | 40.9118°, -123.6138° | The proposed project would continue ongoing annual extraction of river run material from the McKnight gravel bar within the Trinity River. Annual extraction volumes may vary from year-to-year but would not exceed 10,000 cubic yards. Up to 10,000 cubic yards of gravel would be extracted annually from approximately 1.8 acres of the McKnight Gravel Bar. Mining would occur during the summer low-flow season. The proposed extraction period would occur between June and October 15 each year, with the annual completion date to be determined in coordination with CDFW and NOAA Fisheries. Extraction techniques may include skims, trenches, alcove extractions, and riparian enhancement extractions. The preferred extraction methods would be determined each year during preparation of the annual |
April 30, 2025 to May 21, 2025 | Amanda Piscitelli, amanda.piscitelli@waterboards.ca.gov (707) 445-6126 |
| Middle Creek Instream and Floodplain Habitat Enhancement Project | TBD | Siskiyou | 41.85062, -122.71906 | This project will produce an approximately 1,200 square foot off-channel rearing pond that will connect to the primary channel on the east bank of Middle Creek, install 15 beaver dam analog (BDA) structures within the stream channel and side channel, install 25 engineered wood structures strategically placed instream and throughout the floodplain, remove a low berm that is restricting floodplain connectivity and revegetate all disturbed soils with a diversity of native plants. | April 25 through May 15, 2025 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov |
| Salt Creek Floodplain Restoration Project | 1A24162WNTR | Trinity | 40.551529, -123.214133 | The goal of the project is to restore vertical and lateral hydrologic connectivity between Salt Creek, its floodplain, and adjacent groundwater aquifer to increase aquifer recharge, storage, and water quality of groundwater availability for release to the stream as baseflow. Restoring the connectivity between the stream and floodplain will also restore geomorphic function and aquatic habitat. The project also serves as a potential first phase in extending the restoration of Salt Creek further upstream. Specific project objectives include: 1. raise the channel bed elevation to: a. create a gravel channel bottom for fish spawning habitat, velocity refugia and cooler water through hyporheic flows, and b. recharge groundwater for longer flow recession with colder water inflows (extend duration of late spring/summer refugia for salmonids); 2. create high-flow velocity refugia for rearing salmonids; 3. create off-channel alcove habitat in the Log Pond outflow channel for low-velocity salmonid rearing habitat and potentially cool-water spring/summer rearing habitat; 4. reduce erosion potential to adjacent Tule Creek Road and Water Works District Access Road; 5. improve upstream channel alignment with the Tule Creek Road Bridge; 6. create a geomorphically stable and self-maintaining channel system that benefits native species; and 7. avoid increases in existing 100-year flood extents. | April 24 through May 14, 2025 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov |
| California Department of Transportation CDOT Highway 197 PM 3.2-4.0 & Highway 199 PM 20.3-26.5 Del Norte STAA Improvement Project (01-0N290) | 1A25012WNDN | Del Norte | DN-197: DN-199: |
The proposed Project will construct improvements at two locations along State Route (SR) 197 and five locations on United States (US) Highway 199 in Del Norte County to allow the reclassification of the SR 197–US 199 corridor as part of the STAA network of truck routes. These improvements include widening lanes and modifying curve geometry at identified locations to accommodate standard STAA-sized vehicles while maintaining and improving safety for the traveling public. Aquatic resources impacts include 886 LF of temporary impacts to streams, and permanent impacts of 42 LF to streams, and 0.187 acres of permanent impacts to riparian areas. Permanent impacts to streams will be offset by 115 LF of culvert upsizing credit, and mitigation for permanent riparian impacts includes riparian planting of 0.19 acres. Project construction will last for approximately three to six years, from spring 2026 through winter 2031. | April 18, 2025 through May 8, 2025 | Susan Stewart Susan.Stewart@waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2657 |
| California Department of Transportation | 1A25027WNTR | Trinity | PM 74.72
|
The project will restore deteriorated pavement, and repair or replace guardrail, bridge approach rail, bridge deck, and drainage facilities at ten (10) jurisdictional PM locations within the overall project, which includes a total of 33 PM locations from PM 67.70 to 69.00 and PM 74.72 to T85.06. Culverts will be replaced using a cut & cover method. The project will result in temporary impacts including 0.032 acre of wetland, 427 linear feet (LF) of streams, and 0.05 acre of riparian area. Permanent impacts of 13 LF to streams will be offset by daylighting and upsizing culverts. Temporary impacts to streams will be restored at project completion, and impacts to wetlands and riparian areas will be restored by re-establishment, planting., and monitoring. The project will be in construction for approximately two years, from May 15, 2026 – October 30, 2027. | April 18, 2025 through May 8, 2025 | Susan Stewart Susan.Stewart@waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2657 |
| Trinity River Restoration Program – Channel Rehabilitation & Sediment Management | R1-2025-XXXX | Trinity | Approximately 40.72437° N, 122.80234° W (upstream extent); 40.76993° N, 123.12706° W (downstream extent) | The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) is proposing to continue to regulate the Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program – Channel Rehabilitation and Sediment Management (Project) pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1341) and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. On May 20, 2010, the Regional Water Board issued General Water Quality Certification R1-2010-0028 for the proposed activities, and continued regulatory coverage on May 20, 2015, and June 8, 2020, by issuing General Water Quality Certifications R1‐2015‐0028 and R1-2020-0025, respectively, for the same activities. The Regional Water Board’s file for past permitted activities contain additional project information and are available for public review by contacting Jake Shannon at Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov or at (707) 576-2673. A virtual public workshop is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 5:00pm. The log-in information is: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzIyNTE5MTgtMjZlNy00NDM4LWEyMWUtODY4NjZjOTU5NTA2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22fe186a25-7d49-41e6-9941-05d2281d36c1%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2278343b7b-6cb1-4d92-b991-479f84c6a506%22%7d or Dial in by phone at +1 916-562-0861,,867751073#. Regional Water Board staff will consider all written comments on the proposed permitting action received during the 45-day comment period. The comment period begins on the date of issuance of this notice and ends at 5:00 p.m. on the last day. Written comments can be submitted electronically to Northcoast@waterboards.ca.gov. | April 10, 2025 through May 25, 2025 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov |
