FINAL INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (IS/MND)

The Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District (KLRDD) is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Lead Agency for the Knights Landing Ridge Cut Erosion Repair Project (Project). KLRDD has completed an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Project in compliance with CEQA.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION

DATE: December 07, 2021

TO: Responsible Agencies, Interested Parties, and Organizations

SUBJECT: Knights Landing Ridge Cut Erosion Repair Project

The Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District (KLRDD) is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Lead Agency for the proposed Knights Landing Ridge Cut Erosion Repair Project (Proposed Project). KLRDD has directed the preparation of an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Project in compliance with CEQA.

Project Location: 6.25 miles along both banks of the Knights Landing Ridge Cut canal levee just south of Knights Landing in Yolo County, California.

Project Description: The Project is the repair of eroded areas on the waterside of levees of the 6.25-mile-long Knights Landing Ridge Cut (KLRC), a human-made leveed drainage channel, using rock slope protection, and vegetation in some areas, similar to the approach approved by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in their Sacramento River Bank Protection Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Project objective is to arrest or avoid streambank erosion that threatens the integrity of the Sacramento River Flood Control Project levee system. Hydraulic excavators would be utilized at repair locations to remove and reshape existing soil and to place rock and other materials hauled in from commercial sources by truck. Some in-water work would occur, including installing up to 1-ton rock slope protection (RSP) below the water line using land-based methods and equipment, and possible installation of silt curtains within the canal using a small boat. Excavated materials would be incorporated into the work. Limited excavation or cutting into the landward side of levees would occur. Rock fill materials would be brought in utilizing trucks on existing roads. Any material staging would occur in the immediate vicinity of the work on the levee, on the levee toe roads, or within the designated 2.5-acre staging area at the base of the east levee. Solid waste generated by the Project would include limited quantities of removed vegetation that would be disposed of at the nearest solid waste disposal facility. Access routes to the Project location would be via State Route 113 to the northern end, or via County Road 16 and CR 17 near the southern end. Vehicles would then use the existing dirt and gravel levee toe roads and the gravel road on the levee crown. Repairs will be implemented in phases over the next 10 years as erosion areas are identified and funding becomes available.

Potentially Significant Environmental Impacts: Potentially significant impacts to biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards/hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, transportation, and tribal cultural resources were identified in the Initial Study. All impacts would be reduced to a less than significant level with the implementation of identified mitigation measures.

Draft IS/MND Document Review and Availability: The public review and comment period for the Draft IS/MND will extend for 45 days starting December 7, 2021 and ending January 6, 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, printed hard copies will not be available to the public. However, the Draft IS/MND can be viewed and/or downloaded here:

Knights Landing Ridge Cut Erosion Repair NOI_revised120321

Knights Landing Ridge Cut Erosion Control Draft ISMND 12-8-2021 FULL.JEM

‍Appendix A_Air Quality GHG Energy (CalEEMod and EMFAC Outputs)

Appendix B_KLRC Erosion Repair BRA_110821

Requests for confidential reports held in Appendix C can be submitted to mnagy@rd108.org

Appendix D_Noise Figures and Model Data Output

Questions: Comments and/or questions regarding the IS/MND may be directed to:

Meegan Nagy, PE, Deputy Manager

Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District

P.O. Box 50

Grimes, CA 95950

mnagy@rd108.org