2023-02564: 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

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.

The agency’s own summary, as published.