San Gorgonio Pass Nested Monitoring Wells Project (the “Project”)
Summary
SCH Number
2025100218
Public Agency
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency
Document Title
San Gorgonio Pass Nested Monitoring Wells Project (the “Project”)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/6/2025
Document Description
The San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (“SGPWA”) entered into a Grant Agreement with the Department of Water Resources of the State of California (Agreement No. 4600015630) as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program, and the agreement assists in financing the Project.
After execution of the Grant Agreement, on June 5, 2024, SGPWA and the United States Geological Survey (“USGS”) executed a Joint Funding Agreement for a cooperative basin-wide monitoring program between the SGPWA and USGS; the proposed work entailed under this program includes the drilling, construction, instrumentation, and documentation of the four multiple-well monitoring sites that comprise the Project. On January 15, 2025, SGPWA issued a Notice to Proceed with the Project. A Notice of Exemption for the Project was previously filed on or about January 22, 2025, but the location of P-2 has since changed.
As with the initial Project, P-2 will be comprised of four wells drilled to a proposed depth of approximately 1,000 feet.
USGS staff will be on-site during the drilling and construction of monitoring sites to coordinate drilling activity, record borehole and drilling conditions, collect and describe drill cuttings, and provide regular progress updates. Groundwater-level and water-quality samples will be collected at each new well to assess the quality of water and help characterize the source, movement, and relative age of water between all sites. Electronic pressure transducers will be installed in each well and the wells will be added into a continuous monitoring network.
Contact Information
Name
Matt Howard
Agency Name
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency
Job Title
Operations Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Banning
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Countywide
Other Information
The Project entails a multiple-well monitoring site located within the County of Riverside.
The multiple-well monitoring site (Proposal ID P-2 or “P-2”) will be located in the City of Banning, at latitude 33.926067 and longitude -116.915047, in the Median of W Ramsey Street, 0.18 miles west of the Sunset Ave and W Ramsey Street Intersection.
The location of P-2 is further depicted on the map attached to the Notice of Exemption as Exhibit “A”
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
14 Cal. Code Regs. (State CEQA Guidelines), section 15303
Reasons for Exemption
The Project is categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 3 exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines section 15303, which applies to the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures, as well as to the installation of small equipment and facilities in small structures.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
14 Cal. Code Regs. (State CEQA Guidelines), section 15306
Reasons for Exemption
The Project is further categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 6 exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines section 15306, which applies to basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. Here, the Project would not result in a serious or major disturbance to any environmental resource, and the Project relates to basic data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities, as set forth in the Project Description above.
There are no unusual circumstances relating to the Project, and the Project will not result in a significant impact to the environment due to unusual circumstances.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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