Cal Poly Pond/Reservoir Maintenance
Summary
SCH Number
2026090172
Public Agency
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Document Title
Cal Poly Pond/Reservoir Maintenance
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/3/2026
Document Description
The project consists of routine maintenance and minor restoration at three existing campus agricultural water storage reservoirs: Indonesian Reservoir, Middlecamp Reservoir, and Drum Reservoir.
Over time, sediment accumulation and dense emergent vegetation growth, primarily bulrush, have reduced water storage capacity and water quality and impaired existing reservoir infrastructure. Vegetation and sediment have obstructed overflow intake structures, clogged pump intakes, contributed to pump burnouts, and hindered routine inspections and maintenance.
Project activities include selective removal of excess emergent vegetation and accumulated sediment; off-site transport and disposal of removed material at a licensed disposal facility; equipment staging for (refueling, stockpiling, and parking) outside aquatic resources, where feasible; and implementation of stormwater best management practices, including biodegradable straw wattles and native-species hydroseeding of disturbed banks.
All work will occur within the existing reservoir footprints and associated infrastructure and will be conducted from reservoir banks using excavators. The project will not expand reservoir capacity, modify reservoir boundaries, remove trees, create new facilities or roadways, alter existing land uses, or increase operational capacity beyond existing conditions. The project does not involve expansion or creation of waters of the state.
The reservoirs are existing managed water-storage facilities supporting campus agricultural pedagogy, including farms, gardens, and land laboratories used as living classrooms for hands-on, place-based learning. They also support campus flood-management resilience. Beneficiaries include campus students, faculty, agricultural programs, and the broader campus community.
These activities will restore water storage volume, improve water quality, and enhance the reservoirs’ effectiveness for agricultural water supply and campus flood management. The reservoirs are also utilized by CAL FIRE for aerial wildfire-suppression support; by restoring reservoir function and reducing vegetation obstruction, the project will improve aerial access to available water resources.
Contact Information
Name
Scott Bloom
Agency Name
Cal Poly State University
Job Title
Campus Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
near San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo
Counties
San Luis Obispo
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
Via Carta Road and Stenner Creek Road
Zip
93407
Total Acres
4.65
Parcel #
076-341-019
State Highways
CA State Hwy 1
Railways
UPRR
Airports
none
Schools
none
Waterways
Brizzolara Creek, Stenner Creek
Township
30S
Range
11E
Section
25/26
Base
MDM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1, Existing Facilities: Sec. 15301; Minor Alterations to Land Sec. 15304
Reasons for Exemption
The project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines §15301 (Class 1—Existing Facilities). Class 1 applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing public or private facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. More specifically, §15301(h) expressly includes the maintenance of existing water supply reservoirs. The project is limited to maintenance of three existing, managed agricultural water-storage reservoirs and their associated intake and overflow infrastructure. It will restore existing operational function by removing accumulated sediment and excess emergent vegetation; it will not increase storage or operational capacity, expand reservoir boundaries, construct new facilities or access roads, or change existing land uses.
The project is also supported by State CEQA Guidelines §15304 (Class 4—Minor Alterations to Land), because the limited, localized vegetation management and bank restoration constitute minor alterations to land, water, and vegetation. To the extent sediment removal is characterized as maintenance dredging, §15304(g) may additionally apply, provided removed material is transported to a disposal location authorized by all applicable state and federal regulatory agencies.
The project has no potential for significant environmental effects because all work will occur within the existing reservoir footprints and associated infrastructure, using temporary equipment operated from the reservoir banks. The project avoids expansion into undeveloped areas and will not result in new impervious surface, new traffic-generating uses, increased water demand, increased operational noise, or growth-inducing effects. Construction-related effects, including equipment noise, dust, exhaust emissions, and vehicle trips, will be temporary, localized, and limited to the duration of maintenance activities.
Potential effects on water quality, erosion, and sedimentation will be avoided or minimized through implementation of stormwater best management practices, including biodegradable straw wattles and native-species hydroseeding of disturbed banks. Selective vegetation removal will be confined to excess emergent vegetation necessary to restore reservoir function; no trees will be removed. Removed material will be transported off site and disposed of at a licensed facility. The project will improve, rather than degrade, reservoir water quality, water-storage function, agricultural water supply, flood-management resilience, and access to water resources used by CAL FIRE for aerial wildfire-suppression support.
None of the exceptions to categorical exemptions set forth in State CEQA Guidelines §15300.2 applies. The project does not involve a cumulative expansion of reservoir use; is not located in a designated scenic highway corridor; does not involve a hazardous-waste site; does not cause substantial adverse change to a historical resource; and, based on the project’s limited maintenance scope and avoidance measures, does not present unusual circumstances creating a reasonable possibility of a significant effect on the environment.
Based on these findings, the proposed project will not have a significant effect on the environment and is, therefore, exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
County Clerk
San Luis Obispo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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