Concord – The Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) have taken the next step necessary in evaluating the Phase 2 expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir from 160,000 acre-feet up to 275,000 acre-feet.
Interested stakeholders can now review the draft document, and provide comments in writing or at a public meeting scheduled in July.
Los Vaqueros Reservoir, in Brentwood, is owned and operated by CCWD. CCWD and Reclamation have been working on a joint evaluation of expanding Los Vaqueros Reservoir to develop water supplies for environmental management for fish and habitats, increase water supply reliability, and improve the quality of water deliveries. In 2012, the first phase of the expansion increasing capacity from 100,000 acre-feet to 160,000 acre-feet was completed by CCWD and provides customers with drought supply and water supply reliability benefits.
With the State’s announcement of availability of Proposition 1 funding for storage projects, a group of 11 water agencies entered into agreements with CCWD to prepare a funding application and necessary environmental documents for a Phase 2 Expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir from 160,000 acre-feet up to 275,000 acre-feet.
The next step in evaluating that further expansion is releasing the Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for public review. The Final EIS/EIR was certified in 2010 by CCWD – the Draft Supplement to the Final EIS/EIR updates that document with new information available.
Interested stakeholders can participate in six public meetings to learn more about the Phase 2 Expansion and provide comments. Meeting locations allow for attendance by customers of the water agencies considering project participation. All meetings will start with an open house and presentation in the first hour, followed by a public hearing for the second hour. Meeting details are as follows:
- Sacramento: Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I Street
- San Jose: Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Santa Clara Valley Water District, 5750 Almaden Expressway
- Concord: Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Contra Costa Water District, 1331 Concord Avenue
- Oakland: Thursday, July 20, 2017, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. East Bay Municipal Utility District, 375 11th Street
- Brentwood: Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak Street
- Los Banos: Thursday, July 27, 2017, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters and Visitors Center, 7376 S. Wolfsen Road
For further information about the Draft Supplement to the Final EIS/EIR, public meetings and how to comment, please visit: www.ccwater.com/lvstudies.
