SCH Number 2022090373

Project Info

Title

Modification of Water Right Permit 21112

Description

The Modification of Water Right Permit 21112 Project (Project) involves adding an additional authorized upstream point of diversion at the El Dorado Irrigation District’s (EID) existing El Dorado Diversion Dam, located on the South Fork American River (South Fork), and an additional place of storage and point of re-diversion to storage at Jenkinson Lake to EID’s existing Water Right Permit 21112 (Permit 21112). EID currently diverts water at the El Dorado Diversion Dam for consumptive use and hydropower generation under various other water rights. Water currently diverted for hydropower generation is returned to the South Fork below the El Dorado Powerhouse. To implement the Project, EID would reduce the amount diverted for power generation by the amount designated for consumptive use under a modified Permit 21112. Because water would be diverted for consumptive use instead of power generation, the Project would reduce the total amount of water returned to the South Fork at the El Dorado Powerhouse. With the Project, the existing Permit 21112 diversion at Folsom Reservoir would be maintained. The maximum amount of water diverted under Permit 21112 at the El Dorado Diversion Dam would be 15,000 acre-feet per year (AFY), and the total cumulative quantity diverted at Folsom Reservoir and the El Dorado Diversion Dam would not exceed 17,000 AFY, which is the maximum annual diversion amount allowed under the existing Permit 21112. The Project would maintain all other limitations of the water right, such as maximum rate of diversion, season of diversion, total diversion to storage, and total direct diversion. Because operational details of the Project are known, the DEIR provides a project-level analysis associated with adding an upstream point of diversion and an additional place of storage and point of re-diversion to storage. No new physical infrastructure would be needed for EID to divert Permit 21112 water at the El Dorado Diversion Dam. However, to convey at Permit 21112’s authorized maximum rate of diversion of 156 cubic feet per second from the El Dorado Diversion Dam to Jenkinson Lake, future improvements to the El Dorado Canal and the channel that conveys water from the outfall of the Hazel Creek Tunnel to Jenkinson Lake would be required. Improvements along segments of the El Dorado Canal would include replacement of wooden flumes, conversion of wooden flumes to concrete u-shaped canal, and/or restoration of canal segments to meet current safety requirements for weight and freeboard. Additionally, installation of a gate to allow the full flow in the El Dorado Canal to be routed into the Hazel Creek Tunnel inlet would be required. Improvements needed to the channel that conveys water from the outfall of the Hazel Creek Tunnel to Jenkinson Lake would include installation of stabilization measures at various locations along the channel between the outlet of the Hazel Creek Tunnel and Jenkinson Lake and installation of appropriately sized culverts and/or bridges at existing channel crossings.

2 documents in project