Zacharias Ranch Mitigation Bank Tidal Restoration
Summary
SCH Number
2025071042
Public Agency
Sacramento County
Document Title
Zacharias Ranch Mitigation Bank Tidal Restoration
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/24/2025
Document Description
Westervelt Ecological Services (WES or Project Sponsor) is proposing to restore approximately 500 acres of seasonally farmed agricultural land to floodplain and tidal marsh on a roughly 600-acre property along Snodgrass Slough between Lambert Road and Twin Cities Road in southwestern Sacramento County. Restoration would include breaching sections of the existing farm berm, introducing tidal waters back into the property, excavating tidal and subtidal channels throughout the site, and planting native vegetation
(project).
Contact Information
Name
Julie Newton
Agency Name
County of Sacramento
Job Title
Environmental Coordinator
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Brighton Heard
Agency Name
Westervelt Ecological Services
Job Title
Applicant
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Sacramento
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Countywide
Parcel #
146-0030-010, 146-0030-025, 146-0070-002, 146-0070-014
Other Location Info
Along Snodgrass Slough between Lambert Road and Twin Cities Road, roughly two miles northeast of the City of Walnut Grove in the southwestern portion of Sacramento County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Section 15317 - Open Space Contracts or Easements
Reasons for Exemption
Section 15183 (PRC Section 21083.3), provides that projects which are consistent with the development density established by zoning, community plan, or general plan policies for which an environmental impact report (EIR) has been certified "shall not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site." An EIR was prepared and certified by the Board of Supervisors for the Sacramento County General Plan Update (SCH# 2007082086) incorporated by reference and available at:
https://planning.saccounty.gov/PlansandProjectsln-Progress/Pages/GeneralPlan.aspx.
Class 17 consists of making and/or renewing open space contracts under the Williamson Act. The project includes rescinding the existing Williamson Act Contract and simultaneously entering into an Open Space Easement Agreement pursuant to the Williamson Act statute.
The project is consistent with the development density and use characteristics considered by the General Plan EIR and Zoning Code for the Agriculture 80 (AG-80) land use designation. The County Zoning Code includes open space habitat as a permitted use for lands zoned AG-80. Implementation of the project would include the restoration of the property to provide habitat for sensitive species. Much of the property's elevation is within the intertidal zone or shallow subtidal zone and requires pumping water out to maintain conditions to support farming practices and crop viability. Due to the high-water table and seasonal inaccessibility of the property, crops can only be grown during the summer months. In 2022, the farmer was not able to complete the harvest of their crops due to early fall rains that made soil conditions too wet for farm equipment to access the property. Further this property has been subject to overtopping or breach of the farm berms in 1986, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2017 and 2023 resulting in significant investment to repair. The General Plan Delta Protection section includes the following policy DP-17: Conversion of land to nonagriculturally oriented uses should occur first where productivity and agricultural values are lowest. Therefore, based on the conditions of the property (minimal access for farm equipment, multiple berm breaches, lower elevation) restoring the property to open space wildlife habitat is consistent with the General Plan.
No new impacts peculiar to the project or the parcel on which the project will be located have been identified that would necessitate further environmental review beyond the impacts and issues already disclosed and analyzed in the General Plan Update EIR. No other special circumstances exist that would create a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, no further environmental review is required.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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