To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: David Manning 707-547-1988
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Cape Horn Dam Fish Passage Improvement Planning and Design Project
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution ratifying and approving the General Manager of Sonoma County Water Agency’s filing of a grant application with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation to obtain a 2023 WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Projects grant for the Eel River at Cape Horn Dam Fish Passage Improvement Planning and Design Project; and authorizing the General Manager or designee to execute a grant agreement and any amendments thereto with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, and take all actions necessary to carry out the project and implement the grant agreement.
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Executive Summary:
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) provided an opportunity to apply for funding through its WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Grant Program (AERP). AERP aims to support collaborative efforts in studying, designing, and constructing projects that restore aquatic ecosystems. These projects should have broad regional benefits and focus on enhancing the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitats through restoration and improved fish passage.
In June 2023, Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) filed an application for AERP funding with Reclamation. Due to the application period timeline, Sonoma Water couldn't secure Board authorization to submit the proposal prior to Reclamation’s application deadline. Reclamation requires this authorization to be approved by the Board prior to the award, which is expected in early 2024. Therefore, Sonoma Water is now requesting the Board to ratify and approve the proposal submittal, and if awarded, authorize the General Manager to execute and implement the grant agreement.
The project proposed is the “Eel River at Cape Horn Dam Fish Passage Improvement Planning and Design Project” (Project), which involves planning and designing improvements for fish passage at Cape Horn Dam on the Eel River. The Project will further develop assessment work currently underway as part of a $2 million dollar grant to Sonoma Water from California Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) 2021 Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Grant Program.
If awarded AERP funds, the Project will provide facilitation of a technical advisory group evaluating preliminary designs produced under the DWR grant, and further development of one preferred design alternative to the 60% design stage.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/Background:
The Potter Valley Project (PVP), owned and operated by PG&E since the 1930s, has been diverting water from the Eel River into the Russian River watershed for more than a century. Despite representing less than 2% of the Eel River flow, the PVP has historically accounted for up to 50% of the average annual inflow into Lake Mendocino. The PVP operates year-round, with variable diversion rates depending on hydrologic conditions and time of year. The PVP has played a crucial role in supplying water for agriculture, consumptive use, and instream flows to benefit aquatic ecosystems. However, its operations have likely contributed to the decline of salmonid populations and ecological conditions in the Eel River. The uncertainties surrounding the PVP’s future have necessitated further studies and design planning to identify a preferred alternative for diversion and fish passage improvements at Cape Horn Dam on the Eel River.
In 2017, Congressman Jared Huffman convened an Ad Hoc Committee of Eel River and Russian River stakeholders, with the stated goal of agreeing on potentially viable scenarios, built on technical working group recommended solutions, for the future of the PVP and the associated opportunities and impacts of the scenarios. The Ad Hoc Committee adopted two co-equal goals for the PVP:
1. Improve fish passage and habitat on the Eel River sufficient to support recovery of naturally reproducing, self-sustaining and harvestable native anadromous fish populations, including migratory access upstream and downstream at current PVP dam locations; and
2. Minimize or avoid adverse impacts to water supply reliability, fisheries, water quality, and recreation in the Russian River and Eel River basins.
The efforts of various stakeholders to suggest and evaluate alternatives for modifications to the PVP, with the general goals of improving fisheries habitat and/or passage while preserving water supply reliability for the Russian River, have been considerable. Stakeholders from both the Eel and Russian Rivers have sought future PVP conditions that improve fish passage and habitat on the Eel River and minimize or avoid adverse impacts to water supply reliability, fisheries, water quality, and recreation in the Russian River and Eel River basins.
In 2019, PG&E decided not to pursue a new license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), creating risk and uncertainty for Eel and Russian River basin communities. Five Ad Hoc Committee participants decided to work together to develop a plan for the future of the Project that meets the needs of all communities in the Russian and Eel River basins. This plan included submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI) to file a pre-application with FERC to obtain the license to operate the project. Named the Two-Basin Partnership, the parties to the NOI were California Trout, the County of Humboldt, the Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, and Sonoma Water.
Using funds provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Two-Basin Partners completed a series of technical feasibility study reports in 2021. The reports were prepared by consulting engineers and biologists and received review from resource agency staff and professionals from the Two-Basin Partnership organization. The feasibility study reports identified four alternatives to allow salmon and steelhead to volitionally migrate past the Cape Horn Dam site while preserving the ability to divert water from the Eel to the Russian River watershed using existing infrastructure at the Van Arsdale diversion tunnel.
In April 2022, the Two-Basin partners abandoned their bid to relicense the PVP and in July 2022, PG&E filed a plan and schedule to surrender its license and decommission the project. Although PG&E intends to decommission the project and remove Scott and Cape Horn Dams, Two-Basin partnership organizations continue to advocate for continued transfers of Eel River water to the Russian River in a manner that enhances Eel River fisheries.
On Nov. 2, 2021, the Board authorized Sonoma Water to prepare and file a grant application with DWR for further analysis, planning, and design of a revised PVP configuration, and the Project was subsequently awarded $2 million dollars. One of the three key work tasks in the grant project was an assessment of project diversion facilities, evaluating the feasibility and risks associated with acquiring and modifying critical diversion facilities to continue importing water from the Eel River into the Russian River Watershed. This task will also develop robust feasibility designs and cost estimates for modifications to and operations of the Cape Horn Dam and appurtenant diversion facilities to restore capacity to meet design flow rate, improve fish passage, assess maintenance needed, and implement feasible upgrades to the system. The DWR-funded studies are under way, and the Project Diversion Facilities Assessment will yield a short list of two potential Van Arsdale fish passage/diversion alternatives that will meet the ecosystem and water reliability objectives of the stakeholders. The DWR-funded assessment assumes the removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam. Under this DWR grant, Consultants will develop two fish passage designs to the 30% level. This work is expected to be completed before June 1, 2024.
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) provides an opportunity to apply for funding through its WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Grant Program (AERP). AERP aims to support collaborative efforts in studying, designing, and constructing projects that restore aquatic ecosystems. In June 2023, Sonoma Water applied for AERP funding. If awarded, the new grant funding will be used to provide facilitation of a technical advisory group evaluating preliminary designs produced under the DWR grant, and to advance development of one preferred design alternative to the 60% design stage. Project designs at the 60% level are sufficient to apply for construction grants from a variety of sources. Award announcements are expected to be made in January 2024, and grant agreements executed three to six months after announcements.
If Reclamation does not fund this proposed project, Sonoma Water will continue to seek other funding opportunities to advance design to 60%.
Project Details:
The objective of the Project as proposed to Reclamation is to develop a 60% design for enhancing fish passage at Cape Horn Dam. The Project has two primary components. First, it involves the facilitation of a technical advisory group who will review the designs resulting from the "Project Diversion Facilities Assessment" that was funded by the DWR grant. This group of stakeholders will provide valuable insights and expertise in evaluating the potential alternatives. Second, an engineering design consultant will be engaged to further develop the selected preferred alternative and advance it to the 60% design level. This phase aims to refine and enhance the preferred design, ensuring its feasibility and effectiveness in improving fish passage at Cape Horn Dam on the Eel River.
Total projects costs are estimated to be $4,203,101. The grant application requests $2,000,000 in federal funding. If awarded, Sonoma Water will provide project and grant administration, and contract with engineering design and facilitation consultants. Its approximate financial interest (local cost share) will be $2,203,101 and will be budgeted in the Russian River Projects fund.
If the grant application is successful, staff will return to the Board with a project and funding update, as well as to present consulting agreements anticipated in the grant application for Board consideration. Consultants will be selected following a federally compliant selection process. These agreements will provide the following services:
1. Facilitation Services: Consultant will facilitate discussions with the Technical Advisory Group related to project design alternatives.
2. Engineering Design Services: Design development of the selected preferred alternative to the 60% design level.
3. Operational and Constructability Review: Examination of 60% design documents to detect and/or resolve any omissions and/or inconsistencies related to scope gaps, atypical components that raise the level of difficulty of building requirements, material lead time, etc.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment:
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 5. Climate Change - Assess risk and uncertainty of climate change, and develop and take actions that improve resiliency and sustainability.
Strategy: 5.1 Develop and implement practices to understand and minimize vulnerability to climate change impacts.
Action Item: 5.1.2 Support interagency partnership efforts addressing regional climate-resiliency planning and projects.
The Project will provide water supply resiliency to the Russian River in the face of exceptional drought, continuing effects of climate change, and the uncertainties surrounding the PVP’s future.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
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FY23-24 Adopted |
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FY25-26 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The total cost of the proposed project that is the subject of Reclamation grant application is estimated to be $4.2 million. If awarded, $2.2 million in project costs offset by the $2 million Reclamation grant will be budgeted in FY 2024/2025, FY 2025/2026, and FY 2026/2027.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None