Draft EIS/EIR for the San Luis Reservoir SRA Resource ...

5. Environmental Analysis
major; however, the reduction in travel distance and time in this part of the
Plan Area would be a beneficial effect that would not be realized under
Alternatives 1, 2, and 3.
Parking Demand As described in Section 2.10.4, the Plan Area currently
experiences parking shortages only at San Luis Creek and Los Banos Creek use
areas during peak visitation periods. Sufficient parking is available at Basalt,
Dinosaur Point, and Medeiros use areas and capacity is not exceeded. Increased
visitor use, either from regional population growth or from Plan Area
improvements introduced by the action alternatives, could contribute to peak use
parking shortages in the Plan Area. This effect would vary by alternative as
follows:
• Alternative 1, the No Action/No Project Alternative, would not provide
improved or new facilities and features that would accommodate
additional visitors to the Plan Area. Some increase in visitor attendance
could be accommodated as some parking areas do not currently fill to
capacity. No adverse impacts are anticipated.
• Alternative 2 proposes some enhanced or new facilities that could
accommodate additional visitors, primarily from adding capacity at
campgrounds at Basalt, San Luis Creek, and Los Banos Creek use areas.
The increase in visitor attendance could be accommodated at Basalt Use
Area regardless of improvements to facilities. This alternative could have
minor adverse impacts to parking capacity at San Luis Creek and Los
Banos Creek use areas.
• Alternative 3 would allow for new and expanded day use and camping
facilities that could accommodate a greater number of Plan Area visitors
but would not specifically add parking except at Medeiros Use Area.
Where RV site capacity is increased, parking is automatically included,
such as at Basalt (where the camping area would be reconfigured or sites
would be added to allow for larger RVs, and 30 RV campsites would be
added) and Medeiros use areas (where up to 100 new tent/RV sites could
be added). Alternative 3 would also allow for providing up to 20 tent/RV
sites on the South Shore of Los Banos Creek Reservoir, which again
would automatically include parking in this constrained area; however,
additional parking would need to be identified if up to 30 tent sites were
added on the North Shore, as proposed in this alternatives. Other facilities
would allow for an increase in day use and overnight use without
specifically creating additional parking capacity: at Basalt Use Area, a
new group camp could accommodate up to 60 people; at Medeiros, 100
primitive campsites could be accommodated; and at Los Banos Creek, the
campground could be expanded by up to 30 tent sites. During nonpeak
visitation periods, impacts to parking capacity would be minor. Major
short-term impacts that could occur during peak periods such as holiday
weekends would be reduced to minor levels through implementation of
measures such as those described in Section 5.4.7.4.
San Luis Reservoir SRA 5-59
Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/EIR