California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 9 - Delta Protection Commission › Chapter 3 - Regulations Governing Land Use and Resource Management in the Primary Zone of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta › Section 20050 - Utilities and Infrastructure

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Overview
Due to the Delta's location between major population areas,
				  its unique resources, especially water and natural gas, and its flat terrain
				  and general lack of development, the Delta has high value as a utility and
				  transportation corridor.
Utilities located in the Delta include: radio, cellular
				  telephone and television transmission towers; electrical transmission lines
				  including Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Sacramento Municipal Utility
				  District, and Western Area Power Administration lines; natural gas pipelines,
				  serving local gas fields and regional pipelines; petroleum transportation
				  pipelines; and water transportation canals and pipelines transporting water
				  from the Delta to regional users and to the State and federal water
				  projects.
The regional electrical transmission lines carry power within
				  California as well as between regions of the western United States. More than
				  500 miles of transmission lines and more than 60 substations lie within the
				  Delta boundaries. Several electrical peaking plants surrounding the Delta
				  depend on these transmission lines. Within the larger Delta-Suisun Marsh area
				  are approximately 240 operation gas wells. Natural gas pipelines serve local
				  gas fields and regional pipelines. PG&E's underground natural gas storage
				  area under McDonald Island provides up to one-third of the peak natural gas
				  supply for its service area. Pipelines carry gasoline and aviation fuel across
				  the Delta from Bay Area refineries to depots in Sacramento and Stockton for
				  distribution to Northern California and Nevada. They provide approximately 50
				  percent of the transportation fuel used in that region. The Mokelumne Aqueduct,
				  consisting of three pipelines, is the main municipal water conveyance facility
				  for 1.3 million people in the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The aqueduct
				  crosses five Delta islands/tracts (Orwood Tract, Woodward Island, Jones Tract,
				  Roberts Island, and Sargent-Barnhart Tract) protected by levees.
Local governments regulate the utilities that serve Delta
				  residents and visitors including potable water, sewage disposal, and solid
				  waste disposal. Most potable water is obtained from groundwater through local
				  wells. Most wastewater from homes and businesses is treated in on-site septic
				  tanks. Some of the larger communities and developments have self-contained
				  wastewater treatment facilities. Communities outside the Primary Zone currently
				  are anticipated to continue to release treated wastewater into Delta waterways
				  (though wastewater discharge requirements issued by the regional water board),
				  onto constructed wetlands, or onto agricultural lands. Most solid waste
				  generated in the Delta is disposed of at facilities outside the area.
Transportation systems traversing around and through the
				  Delta include several railroads and freeways, state highways, and county
				  roads.
Three interstate freeways (Interstate 5, Interstate 80, and
				  Interstate 580) provide major transportation and trucking routes that pass the
				  periphery of the Delta. The three major state highways in the Delta (State
				  Routes 4, 12, and 160) are typically two lanes, sometimes built on top of
				  levees. Originally meant for lower traffic volumes at moderate speeds, the
				  state highways are now heavily used for regional trucking, recreational access,
				  and commuting. More than 50 bridges, including approximately 30 drawbridges,
				  span the navigable channels of the Delta.
Regional rail traffic between the Bay Area and the Central
				  Valley passes through the Delta. The Amtrak San Joaquin route from Bakersfield
				  to Sacramento/Oakland, which crosses through the Delta, had nearly 800,000
				  riders in 2006. In addition, companies such as the Sierra Northern Railway use
				  existing short-line tracks for inter-regional freight and passenger
				  services.
Two major ports lie north and east of the Primary Zone, the
				  Ports of Sacramento and Stockton, respectively. The Stockton and Sacramento
				  Deep Water Ship channels traversing the Delta were constructed in 1933 and
				  1963, respectively. The Stockton channel is 35 feet deep and can handle
				  55,000-ton class vessels with full loads. More than 300 ships and barges used
				  the channel in 2005. The Sacramento ship channel is 30 feet deep with plans
				  underway to increase its depth to 35 feet. Both ports are likely to expand in
				  the future, which would result in an increase in ship and barge traffic through
				  the Delta. Several million tons of diversified products are shipped through the
				  Delta each year.
Airports in the Primary Zone of the Delta primarily serve
				  individual land-owners, agriculture-serving businesses and small air
				  operations.
(b) Goals
Ensure that the construction of new utility and
				  infrastructure facilities is appropriate and the impacts of such new
				  construction on the integrity of levees, wildlife, recreation, agriculture and
				  Delta communities are avoided, minimized and mitigated.
(c) Policies
(1) Impacts associated with construction of
				transmission lines and utilities can be mitigated by locating new construction
				in existing utility or transportation corridors, or along property lines, and
				by minimizing construction impacts. Before new transmission lines are
				constructed, the utility should determine if an existing line has available
				capacity. To minimize impacts on agricultural practices, utility lines shall
				follow edges of fields. Pipelines in utility corridors or existing
				rights-of-way shall be buried to avoid adverse impacts to terrestrial wildlife.
				Pipelines crossing agricultural areas shall be buried deep enough to avoid
				conflicts with normal agricultural or construction activities. Utilities shall
				be designed and constructed to minimize any detrimental effect on levee
				integrity or maintenance, agricultural uses and wildlife within the Delta.
				Utilities shall consult with communities early in the planning process for the
				purpose of creating an appropriate buffer from residences, schools, churches,
				public facilities and inhabited marinas.
(2) Ensure that new houses built in the Delta
				agricultural areas but outside of the Delta's unincorporated towns continue to
				be served by independent potable water and wastewater treatment facilities
				and/or septic systems. Agricultural uses that require wastewater treatment
				shall provide adequate infrastructure improvements or pay to expand existing
				facilities, and not overburden the existing limited community resources. The
				appropriate governing body shall ensure that new or expanded construction of
				agriculturally-oriented wastewater disposal systems meet the appropriate
				standards/conditions and are not residentially growth inducing. Independent
				treatment facilities should be monitored to ensure no cumulative adverse impact
				to groundwater supplies.
(3) Ensure
				that new municipal sewage treatment facilities (including storage ponds) that
				support development or business outside of the Delta Primary Zone are not
				located within the Delta Primary Zone. The Rio Vista project, as described in
				the adopted Final Environmental Impact Report for such project, and the
				Ironhouse Sanitary District use of Jersey Island for disposal of treated
				wastewater and biosolids are exempt from this policy.
(4) Encourage recycling programs for metals,
				glass, paper, cardboard, and organic materials in order to minimize waste
				generation. Recycling facilities for these materials should be suitably located
				to serve Delta residents, visitors, and businesses. High groundwater tables and
				subsiding soil make the Delta an inappropriate location for solid waste
				disposal.
(5) Maintain roads within
				the Delta to serve the existing agricultural uses and supporting commercial
				uses, recreational users, and Delta residents. Promote the maintenance and
				enhancement of major thoroughfares already used as cross-Delta
				corridors.
(6) Allow air
				transportation in the Delta to continue to serve Delta residents and
				agriculture-related businesses. Due to subsidence, transmission lines, high
				winds, fog, and high raptor and waterfowl use, the Primary Zone is not an
				appropriate location for new or expanded general aviation airports.
(7) Encourage the provision of infrastructure
				for new water, recreational, and scientific research
				facilities.