Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report XIV [XIV] for the 2016 American River Watershed Common Features Project, Sacramento, CA

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) to the 2016 American River Watershed Common Features (ARCF) General Reevaluation Report (GRR), Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/FEIR). USACE will serve as the lead National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB) will serve as the lead California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) agency, with support from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The construction of cutoff walls and seepage berms to decrease the likelihood of levee failure, and installation of bank armoring to protect levees from erosion, are project actions authorized by WRDA 2016 to reduce flood risk to metropolitan Sacramento. The elements of the project will be organized and discussed in the SEIS in a manner to avoid restating discussions and findings that remain current and accurate in the 2016 ARCF EIS/EIR. This would allow the reader of the ARCF SEIS/SEIR to focus on the document's analysis of impacts of design changes to project features, while the relevant sections of the 2016 ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR would be referenced where no design changes are planned. Mitigation will be considered as required for any additional impacts addressed in the ARCF SEIS/SEIR. A description of the current proposed plans for the project is set forth below.