SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTSD. HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITYExpansion of Golf Course UsesUnder the Management Plan, the existing Sunol Valley Golf Club would continue to operate andcould potentially expand in zones of low vulnerability/sensitivity (Policy WA18.1). Golf courseuse has the potential to affect water quality due to contaminants associated with roads andparking areas, public use and sanitation facilities, and pesticides and fertilizers.The Sunol Valley Golf Course is adjacent to Alameda Creek, north of I-680 on the south side ofthe creek, in the secondary Watershed. Natural drainage from the golf course is towards thecreek. Any expansion of the golf course, which is assumed to be contiguous with the existingsite, would increase the drainage and runoff from golf course uses to the creek. The nature andextent of potential water quality effects would depend on the type of planned expansion. Forexample, construction of impervious surfaces such as paved parking or structures would increasethe volume of runoff. There could be an increase in use and storage of chemicals (includingfertilizers and pesticides) for golf course maintenance, increasing the risk of improper handlingor inadvertent spills. New utilities, sewers, and other services could introduce associatedcontaminants into the Alameda Creek area. Also, temporary construction activities associatedwith golf course expansion would likely involve grading and earthmoving activities, with thepotential to result in erosion and sedimentation to receiving waters. Surface or subsurface flowsvia creeks and groundwater could carry any water quality contaminants from the golf course tothe creek. However, depending on the design and siting of any golf course expansion, potentialwater quality impacts could be reduced to a less than significant level with implementation ofappropriate mitigation measures.The Management Plan states that expansion of the golf course would be considered in areas oflow vulnerability/sensitivity. Although no specific proposal or expansion sites have beenidentified, the map of Composite High Sensitivity Zones (see Figure 2-1 of the ManagementPlan) indicates the presence of a zone of water quality vulnerability in the area of the golf course.However, based on the layout of the existing golf course, the only areas available for expansionwould be further away from Alameda Creek, and the existing golf course could serve as a bufferto protect the creek from potential water quality impacts associated with expansion.The top portion of Table III.D-7 indicates the policy related to golf course expansion that couldresult in significant water quality impacts, while the bottom portion of the table lists the fullrange of policies and management actions that could be required to reduce impacts. Not everybolded action would be necessary to mitigate the effects of the associated potential impactcausingmanagement action. For example, a very minor structure such as a kiosk located in anenvironmentally non-sensitive area may not require any of the bolded actions to avoid asignificant effect. Because implementation information, such as locations of specific facilities, isnot yet known, the table indicates a program-level maximum number of measures that couldpossibly be required to avoid significant impacts. Management actions would be reviewed at thetime they are proposed for implementation to determine the potential for project-specific impactsand to identify appropriate mitigation measures (see Section II.E.5.0, Mitigation Monitoring andReporting).NOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan III.D-32 ESA / 930385January 2001