From the Department of Water Resources:
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be the Lead Agency and will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the West False River Drought Salinity Barrier project (proposed project).
Project Location: The drought salinity barrier would be located on West False River approximately 0.4 mile east of its confluence with the San Joaquin River, in Contra Costa County between Jersey and Bradford islands, approximately 4.8 miles northeast of the City of Oakley (Figures 1 through 3). The staging area would be located on the Jersey Island levee. Embankment rock used to construct the barrier. With the installation of the barrier, three new water quality monitoring stations would also be installed in Woodward Cut and Railroad Cut in San Joaquin County.
Project Description: The proposed project consists of a temporary barrier in the West False River that DWR may install up to two times between 2023 to 2032, including consecutive years, if drought conditions occur, for a period of up to 20 months. In the years where the barrier is installed, DWR would construct the barrier no sooner than April 1 and remove the barrier by November 30 of the subsequent year or the same year, when DWR determines the barrier is no longer needed based on hydrologic conditions. A barrier in West False River would be an effective tool to protect the beneficial uses of the interior Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) water by reducing saltwater intrusion while preserving the use of critically needed reservoir water.
Written comments on the scope of the EIR are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022.
WFRDSB NOP_021822_signed_ay11
