Westlands Water District's Execution of Warren Act Contracts and Exchange Agreements with the United States
Summary
                SCH Number
            
            
                2023030035
            
        
                    Public Agency
            
            
                Westlands Water District
                
            
        
                Document Title
            
            Westlands Water District's Execution of Warren Act Contracts and Exchange Agreements with the United States
        
                Document Type
            
            
                NOE - Notice of Exemption
            
        
                Received
            
            
                    Posted
                
                
                    3/1/2023
                
            
                Document Description
            
            The project is the execution of Warren Act Contracts and Exchange Agreements with the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for the purpose of conveying and storing groundwater and other non-Project water on behalf of Westlands Water District (District).  The beneficiaries of the project are the District, its landowners, and water users.  The USBR is a party to the bilateral agreements and as such is a recipient of the District’s approval (Public Resources Code §§21065, 21167.6.5).  The Project is entirely administrative in scope.
        Contact Information
                        Name
                    
                    
                        Russ Freeman
                    
                
                        Agency Name
                    
                    
                        Westlands Water District
                    
                
                            Job Title
                        
                        
                            Deputy General Manager Resources
                        
                    
                        Contact Types
                    
                    
                        Lead/Public Agency
                    
                
                            Phone
                        
                        
                    
                            Email
                        
                        
                    Location
                    Counties
                
                Fresno, Kings
            
                    Regions
                
                Countywide
            
                    Other Location Info
                
                
                    Westlands Boundary within Fresno and Kings County
                
            Notice of Exemption
                            Exempt Status
                        
                        
                            Categorical Exemption
                        
                    
                            Type, Section or Code
                        
                        
                            Section 15261, 15300.2, 15301, 15304
                        
                    
                            Reasons for Exemption
                        
                        
                            Westlands Water District has determined that this project is exempt from the CEQA as provided in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 15261 and 15300.2 because the action continues ongoing conveyance funded and fully operational prior to November 23, 1970, storage, receipt and delivery of water supplies developed in previous compliance with and/or found to be exempt from the CEQA will continue, and it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed actions in question may have a significant effect on the environment; with no expansion of service and no new facilities constructed because the District will deliver the water received under Warren Act Contracts and Exchange Agreements to lands within the District's boundaries for beneficial use on eligible land already in production and through existing facilities. 
Execution of the agreements is categorically exempt from compliance with the CEQA as provided in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 15300 through 15333, with reference to Sections 15301 and 15304, because it merely provides for continued operation of existing facilities, will involve only minor alterations to land already developed and maintained for agricultural purposes.
                        
                    
                        County Clerk
                    
                    Kings
                Attachments
                        Notice of Exemption
                    
                    
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