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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Fork Lost River Flow and Habitat Enhancement Project | 1B23061WNME | Mendocino | 39.98992, -123.91642 | This Project will improve habitat for coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), in Lost River, an important salmon bearing tributary in the Mattole River headwaters. The primary objective is to address the limiting factor of low summer stream flows. Additionally, the project is expected to improve summer rearing and winter refuge habitat as well as fish passage. The Project has three primary objectives that are intended to recover stream habitat essential to salmonid production: 1) Streamflow Enhancement; 2) Instream and floodplain habitat enhancement; and 3) Fish Passage improvements. Streamflow Enhancement: The Project aims to slow runoff and extend the declining limb of the hydrograph to increase base flow in the dry season through both installation of instream channel spanning structures, and wetland habitat creation along a small tributary. The instream structures will include subsurface clay restrictive barriers designed to slow subsurface flow and increase surface flow in aggraded reaches. One terrace pond will be constructed to provide metered flow into the project reach during the lowest flow period from Aug 1- October 15. Instream and floodplain habitat enhancement: In addition to wet season flow retention and associated dry-season streamflow benefits, the project will enhance instream and floodplain habitat by raising the stream bed to engage with the floodplain, increasing pool resilience, and adding instream habitat complexity through wood placement. Enhancement of the riparian ecosystem is expected, with increased diversity and abundance of riparian plants, in response to the higher water table. The project is designed to restore natural processes over the long-term, promoting the formation of a complex and meandering stream and wetlands complex meandering stream and wetlands. Fish Passage improvements: The project proposes to install a series of log weirs at the upstream extent to improve fish passage at an existing knickpoint barrier. | May 25 through June 14 | Jake Shannon, Jacob.Shannon@waterboards.ca.gov |
| Oakmont Village Meadowgreen #2 HOA Bank Stabilization Project | 1B190115WNSO | Sonoma | 38.44345 °N, 122.61178 °W | The purpose of the Project is to repair the failing stream bank along an unnamed tributary to Santa Rosa Creek, known as Oakmont Creek, that threatens the adjacent properties. Permanent impacts to the stream channel from activities of bioengineering the stream bank and access grading total to 0.12 acres (325 LF). Temporary impacts total to 0.124 acres (325 LF) for construction access. 0.738 acres will be restored or enhanced as mitigation for these impacts, including revegetating the alcoves, RSP, riparian areas, top of bank, and staging areas. Construction is anticipated to start August 1, 2023 and be completed prior to the rainy season, or October 15, 2023. | May 11, 2023 through June 6 | Emma Tracy Emma.Tracy@Waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2834 |
| McMurray Streamflow and Habitat Enhancement Project | 1B23045WNHU | Humboldt | 40.032495, -123.957446 | This streamflow augmentation and groundwater retention project includes construction of two ponds and an infiltration gallery. The west pond will increase the capacity of an existing pond on a Class III tributary to 390,000 gallons. The west pond will be filled by rainwater and water from the tributary and will use a subsurface clay barrier located in the keyway to seal the pond. The east pond will be built with a storage volume of 240,000 gallons, be filled primarily by rainwater and lined with a High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) liner to avoid losses to groundwater. Both ponds will connect to the infiltration gallery to provide water for groundwater recharge while also decreasing water temperatures. The flow augmentation is estimated at 5.5 gpm, based on the total combined pond volume after 25% evaporation loss and divided by 60 days representing the lowest flows, that being August 15-October 15. The proposed ponds have a total surface area of 0.5 acres and a tributary hillslope area of 1.7 acres. It is estimated that inputs to the ponds, both through direct rainfall as well as tributary and sheet flow from the adjacent hillslope, will total approximately 4.6 million gallons based on 40 inches of annual precipitation. | May 5, 2023 through May 25 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@Waterboards.ca.gov |
| Trinity Alps Forest Restoration Project | 1A23048WNTR | Trinity | 40.740724, -122.9409066; 41.241688, -122.69713; 41.226972, -122.716957; 41.211671, -122.65872; 41.167749, -122.716141 |
This Project seeks to restore approximately 3,600 acres of biodiverse alpine woodland that lies on the Pacific Crest Trail corridor and is adjacent to large federally-designated wilderness areas. After restoration is complete, applicant intends to donate the land to the U.S. Forest Service to be incorporated into existing U.S. Forest Service lands and wilderness areas. Of the proposed project area of 3,609 acres, approximately 3,508 acres are expected to be included in wilderness areas and 101 acres are expected to be included in non-wilderness areas. Approximately 213 road features and 27 miles of road are proposed to be removed which impact around 89 stream crossings, 100 springs, and about 25 meadow features. Removal of roads and associated logging infrastructure like culverts for this project will restore hillslope hydrology over thousands of acres, remove hundreds of habitat barriers, restore dozens of wetlands and restore tens of thousands of feet of streams. Project work will be conducted as prescribed by the Rural Roads Handbook (closure and decommissioning section). Any additional sites discovered would be treated as the same as known project areas. Restoring roads via decommissioning consists of three basic tasks: 1) Complete excavation of stream-road crossing fills, including the 100-year flood channel bottom widths and stable side slopes; 2) Excavation of unstable or potential unstable fill or landslide materials that may fail, erode, and cause sedimentation and; 3) Road surface treatments to disperse and reduce surface runoff and decrease soil compaction. | May 5, 2023 through May 25, 2023 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@Waterboards.ca.gov |
| Mattole Watershed Stream Improvement Project | 1B23046WNHU | Humboldt | 40.00872, -123.92462 | The goals of phase one of this project are to 1) realign 160 feet of current channel to occupy 300 feet of historic meander and install four rock weirs in the new channel for grade control, 2) use floodplain alluvium from channel excavation to seal log weirs in previous channel, 3) install woody debris habitat features in 1,300 feet of Bureau of Land Management project reach to create essential aquatic habitat, and 4) maintain existing weirs in the project reach to achieve desired functionality. For future phases, restoration needs and proposed treatments will be identified and developed as part of a five-year restoration plan funded by the BLM. Future phases will seek approval from the Water Board through annual work plans submitted by the BLM and Mattole Salmon Group as they are identified. The majority of project treatments will propose installation of woody habitat structures to encourage backwatering, promote deposition and enhance natural wood and sediment accumulation. | May 5, 2023 through May 25, 2023 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@Waterboards.ca.gov |
| Smith River Estuary Backwater Habitat Enhancement Project | 1A23043WNDN | Del Norte | 41.9119800, -124.18802 | The project will enhance an existing backwater feature on the south bank of the Smith River. The backwater will be widened and deepened to increase the duration and range of flows that juvenile and adult salmonids can access the habitat. In addition, the project will install large wood structures to maintain the backwater entrance, and riparian habitat will be enhanced with native trees shrubs and wetland plants, providing shade cover and habitat for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. A new riparian fence will be installed to fully exclude livestock from the mainstem Smith River and nearby Tolowa Dunes State Park. | May 4, 2023 through May 24, 2023 | Jake Shannon Jacob.Shannon@Waterboards.ca.gov |
| Pacific Power 5G83 North Weed-Part 3 Reconductor Project | 1A22138WNSI | Siskiyou | 41.453°N, 122.39°W to 41.449°N, 122.387°W | The proposed activities for this project are included in Pacific Power's fire mitigation plan and would harden electrical distrubution line and poles within the project site. Seven poles within a wetland would be accessed to replace old conductor with fire resistant conductor. Three of these wood poles would be replaced with fiberglass poles. Temporary impacts to the wetland would include disturbed areas around the three poles to be replaced, pole access routes, and one vehicle turn-around site. Compensatory mitigation would not be required because impacts from the project would be temporary. Project activities would occur as early as June 2023 and is expected to take up to one month to complete. | May 3, 2023 to May 23, 2023 | Shannon Strong shannon.strong@waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2499 |
| Freshwater Park Seasonal Dam/Recreational Pool Project | 1B23025WNHU | Humboldt | 40.756225°N, 124.050737°W | This Project would annually install a flash-board dam in Freshwater Creek during summer months to create a recreational public pool at Freshwater County Park. The previous 401 Water Quality Certification for similar activities expired in 2017. Impacts to the stream channel would include grading to level the ground for the safe operation of a crane located just upstream from the dam. Gravel accumulated from winter flows would be removed from the foundation for the dam, from the dam's outlet pipe, and from within the fish ladder. A 20-foot access channel connecting the fish ladder to the dam's outlet pipe/gate-valve would also be hand dug. Gravel would possibly be used to cover any scoured areas formed by strong winter flows. In October, the pool would be drained and flashboard panels removed from the dam foundation. Compensatory mitigation would not be required because impacts from the project would be temporary. Installation of the dam would occur in June and would be removed in October, annually. | April 27, 2023 through May 17, 2023 | Shannon Strong shannon.strong@waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2499 |
| California Department of Transportation CDOT Highway 1 PM 85.09 - 88.95 Rockport 5 Culverts (01-49620) |
1B23016WNME | Mendocino | PM 85.09 PM 85.74 PM 88.95 |
The Project will replace culverts along approximately 4 miles of State Route 1 in Mendocino County, from post mile (PM) 85.09 to PM 88.95 Three (3) of the five culverts to be replaced are within waters of the US and State and are subject to this permit. Construction includes replacement of culverts, rock-slope-protection, and downdrains as needed. Approximately 33.7 LF permanent impacts to streams and 0.0011 acres of riparian area will be offset by 9.8 LF of shortened culvert, and 89 LF of culvert upsized to 24-inch diameter. The culvert replacement work will amount to approximately 239.2 LF (0.0101 acres) of temporary impacts to streams and 0.0027 acres of riparian area. Construction is planned over approximately 65-working days from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024. | April 27, 2023 through May 17, 2022 | Susan Stewart Susan.Stewart@waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2657 |
| CDOT Hwy96 Horse Creek Bridge Replacement | 1A23011WNSI | Siskiyou | 41.826853 °N, 122.977745 °W | This Caltrans project will replace an existing deficient bridge that crosses the Klamath River with a clear span bridge on a new alignment. Traffic will continue on the existing bridge until new construction is complete. Temporary impacts from construction including building rock access roads, work platforms, in-water gravel work pads, removal of peir pilings, bridge demolition along with riparian vegetation impacts, total to be 0.664 acres. Permanent impacts include two new pier footings within 0.012 acres of the riparian area. Mitigation will be done on-site by removing existing peir pilings and abutments, revegetating stream banks and managing invasive species in the fall following construction completion. Construction is estimated to take about 3 seasons, or approximately 360 working days. | 4/26/23 - 5/17/23 | Emma Tracy, Emma.Tracy@Waterboards.ca.gov 707-576-2834 |
