Appendix B 

Scoping Meeting Materials 

 

WHAT IS A WATER TRANSFER?

• Sale of water between a willing seller and a willing buyer

• Water sold must have been put to benefi cial use in previous years

• Sellers must take an action to make water available

OVERVIEW

• Reclamation is not initiating a “bank” or “program”

• Reclamation is not purchasing water under this EIS/EIR

• Project time frame is 2012 through 2022

• Transfers analyzed include

• CVP supplies

• Non-CVP water supplies that require use of CVP or SWP facilities (including 

Warren Act contracts)

• Single year or multi-year transfers

• Transfers would not necessarily occur each year within the 10-year time frame

• Transfers of SWP water will not be directly analyzed in the EIS/EIR (all transfers 

will be included in the cumulative analysis)

PURPOSE AND NEED

Hydrologic conditions, climatic variability, and 

regulatory requirements for operation of water 

projects commonly aff ect water supply availability 

in California, making advance planning for water 

shortages necessary and routine. This hydrologic 

and climatic variability, as well as regulatory restrictions, can strain water supplies in areas that are 

dependent on delivery of supplies to meet most, if 

not all, of the water demand. This is especially true 

in areas south of the Delta that are dependent on CVP operations for delivery of water 

supplies. In an eff ort to be more prepared to manage for water shortages caused by 

decreases in water delivery from the CVP, various water agencies have requested that 

Reclamation facilitate water transfers from areas of greater supply north of the Delta 

to areas of need south of the Delta. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to facilitate 

voluntary water transfers from willing sellers north of the Delta to water users south of 

the Delta and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

OVERVIEW
Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

STUDY AREA, ROLES, 

 & RESPONSIBILITIES

NEPA LEAD AGENCY – 

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 

• Lead development of 

Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS)

• Manage Federal permitting 

eff orts (Endangered Species Act)

• Approve and facilitate transfers

CEQA LEAD AGENCY – SAN LUIS 

& DELTA- MENDOTA WATER 

AUTHORITY

• Lead development of 

Environmental Impact Report 

(EIR)

• Assist in permitting eff orts

• Negotiate transfers on behalf 

of potential buyers who are 

member agencies

CEQA RESPONSIBLE AGENCY – CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT 

OF WATER RESOURCES

• Review and provide feedback on development of EIS/EIR

• Review and comment on transfer proposals

• Operate SWP to facilitate transfers

BUYERS AND SELLERS 

• Identify transfer needs

• Negotiate transfer terms, including transfer method, amount, period and price

• Provide transfer proposal to Reclamation and DWR for review

Legend: 

 Potential Sellers 

Upstream from the Delta

 Potential CVP buyers 

in Central Valley or San 

Francisco Bay Area

Sacramento River

San Joaquin River

Delta Region

STUDY AREA 
Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

TYPES OF TRANSFERS

GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION

• Sellers forego diversion of surface water 

supplies and pump equivalent amount of 

groundwater

• Buyers receive foregone surface water supply

CROPLAND IDLING

• Sellers make surface water available by not 

planting agricultural fi elds

• Buyers receive unused surface water supply

CROP SHIFTING

• Sellers switch from a higher water use crop to a 

lower water use crop

• Buyers receive the diff erence in water use

STORED RESERVOIR PURCHASE

• Sellers release water from non-CVP or SWP 

reservoirs that would otherwise have remained 

in storage 

OTHER METHODS SUGGESTED DURING SCOPING
Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY 

• Groundwater

• Surface Water Hydrology

• Water Quality 

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

• Vegetation and Wildlife 

• Fishery Resources

PHYSICAL RESOURCES

• Geology and Soils

• Air Quality 

• Visual Resources

• Climate Change

RESOURCES TO BE ANALYZED

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES 

AND SOCIOECONOMICS 

• Agricultural Resources

• Land Use

• Regional Economics

• Recreation

• Cultural Resources

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

EIS/EIR PROCESS

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PURPOSE 

• Compliance activities associated with the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will:

• Evaluate reasonable alternatives that could reduce 

or avoid environmental impacts

• Provide information for public review and comment

• Identify signifi cant environmental impacts

• Develop mitigation (ways to reduce or avoid environmental impacts)

• Communicate to decision makers the impacts, mitigation, and public 

comments

WHAT IS SCOPING? 

• Public scoping serves to include agencies, stakeholders, and the interested 

public in the decision making process and to allow full environmental 

disclosure. Reclamation and SLDMWA invite stakeholder and public input on 

the environmental considerations as part of the scoping process of the Draft 

EIS/EIR.

• Scoping helps to identify and refi ne:

• Potential alternatives

• Potential environmental impacts

• Potential mitigation measures

EIS/EIR TIMELINE

2011 2012

Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring

Public Scoping 

Meetings

Impact Analysis Draft EIS/EIR Comment 

Period & Public 

Hearings

Final EIS/EIR Record 

Decision/

Notice of 

Determination
Long-Term North to South Water Transfers EIS/EIR

COMMENT STATION

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS 

• All comments due by close of business on February 28, 2011

TONIGHT

• Fill out a comment form at this station and return it to the comment box

• Verbally submit comments to the court reporter

BY FEBRUARY 28, 2011 

• You may either mail the comment card to the address on the back; or mail, 

email, or fax a letter to the contact information below. Please include your name, 

address, and phone number

Brad Hubbard

Bureau of Reclamation

2800 Cottage Way, MP-410 

Sacramento, CA 95825

E-mail: bhubbard@usbr.gov

Fax: (916) 978-5290

Frances Mizuno

San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority

P.O. BOX 2157 

Los Banos, CA 93635 

E-mail: frances.mizuno@sldmwa.org 

Fax: (209) 826-9698 / (209) 832-6200