SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTSB. LAND USEavailable for review at the Alameda County Community Development Agency PlanningDepartment.! Alameda County’s Findings, Statement of Overriding Consideration, and conditions ofapproval of SMP-32.! Alameda County’s Draft and Final EIR for SMP-32.! Alameda County’s conditions of approval for SMP-30.! Alameda County’s Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration for SMP-30.! Alameda County’s conditions of approval for SMP-24.! Alameda County’s Initial Study and Negative Declaration for SMP-24.Actions 2a and 2b address the mining area south of I-680. These areas are currently permitted bySMP-24 and SMP-30. However, both Actions sun2a and sun2b (Phase 1) would requireamendments to these existing permits.Action sun2a calls for increasing the permitted pit depths to 200 feet and for maximizing themining footprint within the leased area. This action would create 47,100 acre-feet (AF) of waterstorage in five pits south of I-680, meaning that at project completion (by 2021) the landbordered by I-680/Calaveras Road and Alameda Creek would be primarily water storagereservoirs (see Figure III.B-3). Action sun2b would not amend the existing permit footprint butwould increase the depth of mining to 200 feet, thus creating 38,800 AF of water storage in fourpits (by 2014). As both options would require amendments to SMP-24 and SMP-30,environmental review of the permit amendments would be required to determine potentialsignificant impacts from mining activities and to identify mitigation measures.North of I-680, the Management Plan (Action sun1) calls for completion of mining at the existingpermitted areas (SMP-32) by approximately 2035. Upon completion of mining, one waterstorage pit with approximately 16,100 AF of storage would remain in this area. Restoration andlandscaping of a quarter-mile buffer zone in the vicinity of the Sunol Water Temple would alsobe completed. Changes in the timing and sequence of mining and reclamation proposed by theManagement Plan may require amendments to SMP-32 by Alameda County.Figure III.B-3 includes, schematically, the facilities described under management Actions sun3through sun22, which address the reservoirs, recreation use, and SFPUC facilities under miningOption sun2a. Facilities included under mining Option 2b would be similar to those shown inFigure III.B-3, although that option would include only four water storage pits south of I-680.1.4 NURSERIESExisting nurseries in the Alameda Watershed are located in the Sunol Valley along AlamedaCreek. The Alameda County Water District (ACWD) receives State Water Project water usingNOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan III.B-7 ESA / 930385January 2001