HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/03/2002, C5 - STEELHEAD PASSAGE RESTORATION ON COON CREEK- A MITIGATION FOR THE WATER REUSE PROJECT council 9/3 /02
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CITY OF SAN LUIS 0 B I S P 0
FROM: John Moss,Utilities Directoriater
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Prepared By: David Pierce, Projects Manager
SUBJECT: STEELHEAD PASSAGE RESTORATION ON COON CREEK—
A MITIGATION FOR THE WATER REUSE PROJECT
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve and authorize the distribution of a Request for Proposals for Engineering Services to
design a steelhead passage restoration project as mitigation for the Water Reuse Project and
authorize the CAO to award the contract if within the project budget for this service of$50,000.
DISCUSSION
The biological opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for the Water
Reuse Project contains several terms and conditions for the incidental take permit to be effective.
One of these mitigation measures requires the City to offset project action effects on habitat by
acquiring and preserving in perpetuity instream habitat at a ratio of no less than 2:1 or creating
instream habitat at a ratio of no less than 1:1. Discussions with the California Department of
Fish and Game's local habitat restoration biologist indicated that Coon Creek offered the most
significant potential on the Central Coast for providing additional steelhead habitat. Plugged
culverts about a half-mile from the ocean block upstream migration to a pristine mostly inaccessible
stream. Replacing these culverts offered the potential of one project fulfilling the requirement to
offset the impact to 5.7 miles of San Luis Obispo Creek. A habitat suitability survey was
conducted to determine the amount and quality of habitat on Coon Creek. Approximately 5.6 miles
of stream is accessible above the blocked culverts compared to the 5.7 miles of San Luis Obispo
Creek that is affected when recycled water is diverted to irrigation instead of being discharged to
San Luis Obispo Creek. While San Luis Obispo Creek is about three times as wide, the quality of
the habitat on Coon Creek is about three times as good. Therefore these two stream segments have
about the same carrying capacity for steelhead. City Staff has worked out an agreement with
PG&E to allow this work to be accomplished on their property.
This request for proposal is to obtain engineering services to design a bridge or large culvert that
will replace the blocked culverts and will greatly reduce the possibility of a similar obstruction in
the future. The design will have to deal with the sediment that has built up behind the blocked
culverts and stabilize the banks.
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game will be
involved in the selection of design alternatives and the NMFS will issue approval of the mitigation
plan before the City brings back plans and specifications for construction.
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Water Reuse Project—RFQ For Construction Management Services
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FISCAL EMPACT
Estimated Cost of Design Services $50,000
Through FY 2002-03 a total of $1,070,000 has been budgeted for mitigation measures for the
Water Reuse Project CIP. There is currently an available balance of$678,000 in this account to
support this project (FY 2001-2003 Financial Plan Appendix B page 106).
A copy of the Request for Proposals is available for review in the Council Office
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