Minor Alteration No. WA2026132 – Upper Elkhorn Basin Geotechnical Investigation Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026100379
Public Agency
Central Valley Flood Protection Board
Document Title
Minor Alteration No. WA2026132 – Upper Elkhorn Basin Geotechnical Investigation Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/13/2026
Document Description
To perform geotechnical explorations within the Upper Elkhorn Basin that will assist in composing the Yolo Bypass Comprehensive Study, a feasibility study assessing the economic justification to widen the Yolo Bypass in the Upper Elkhorn Basin and extend the Fremont Weir to improve flood flow conveyance in the bypass system. will include one test pit, six borings, and ten cone penetration tests (CPTs). The test pit will be approximately three feet wide, eight feet long, and excavated to a depth of approximately eight to ten feet using a track backhoe with a 24-inch bucket and then backfilled by tamping the excavated soil as backfill in approximately 12-inch lifts. The borings will be advanced to depths of approximately 100 feet below the ground surface using truck or track-mounted drill rigs equipped with hollow stem auger and mud rotary (HSA/MR) capabilities. Soil samples will be collected from the borings by driving either a 1.5-inch inner diameter Standard Penetration Test sampler or a 2.5-inch inner diameter California split-spoon sampler 18 inches into undisturbed soil. The CPTs will be conducted by hydraulically advancing an instrumented steel cone into the ground using truck-mounted and/or track-mounted compact CTP rigs. Each CPT will include at least one pore pressure dissipation test to measure the porewater pressure in the aquifer to estimate the groundwater level. The upper five feet of all borings and CPTs will be excavated using hand sampling equipment. Upon completion, all boreholes and CPTs will be backfilled using neat cement grout with bentonite, with the top two feet being backfilled using native material and restoring the project site to pre-project conditions.
Contact Information
Name
Jordan Robbins
Agency Name
Central Valley Flood Protection Board
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Dan Tibbits
Agency Name
Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA)
Job Title
Principal Engineer/Project Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Name
Jason Campbell
Agency Name
Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA)
Job Title
Deputy Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
For inquiries, contact Jordan Robbins (CVFPB)
Agency Name
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Not located within city limits, near the Fremont Weir
Counties
Yolo
Regions
Northern California
Waterways
Yolo Bypass
Other Location Info
The project is located near the Fremont Weir in various spots along the Reclamation District No. 1600 (RD1600) Unit No. 01 Sacramento River levee and the Sacramento Maintenance Yard – East Levee Yolo Bypass (ST0004) Unit No. 01 Yolo Bypass levee, centered at approximate coordinates 38.764641°N, 121.635406°W, in Yolo County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15306
Reasons for Exemption
The Board has determined that the project activities within the Board's authority are exempt from CEQA pursuant to the Class 6 (Information Collection) categorical exemption (California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15306). The project qualifies for this exemption because it involves information collection, research, or resource evaluation activities that do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15304
Reasons for Exemption
The Board has determined that the project activities within the Board's authority are also exempt from CEQA pursuant to the Class 4 (Minor Alterations to Land) categorical exemption (California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15304). The project qualifies for this exemption because it involves minor alterations in the condition of land, water, and vegetation which does not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agricultural purposes. The Board further finds that none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions set forth in California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15300.2 apply.
County Clerk
Yolo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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