Draft Environmental Impact Report - California Off Highway Vehicle ...

3.8 Hydrology and Water Quality
3.8 Hydrology and Water Quality
This section presents details about the existing setting and the regulatory for hydrology and water
quality. It also presents an analysis of the hydrology and water quality impacts that would result
from implementing the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan, including constructing and operating the
headquarters facilities.
3.8.1 Existing Setting
This section includes additional setting information to supplement the hydrology and water
quality setting information provided in Section 2.3.1, “Physical Resources,” of the Clay Pit SVRA
General Plan. The General Plan describes the surface water resources near and on Clay Pit SVRA,
including a description of culverts and surface flows that drain into the SVRA, a drainage canal
that runs through the SVRA to an outlet at its eastern boundary, a series of ditches and gullies that
drain surface flows into the main drainage canal, and the outlet of all drainage into a remnant
oxbow of the Feather River. The General Plan also describes surface water management in the
area, groundwater resources and their management, water supply and demand, and surface water
quality. General Plan Section 2.3.2, “Biotic Resources,” and Section 3.5, “Biological Resources” in
this DEIR contain additional details regarding wetlands and vernal pools on the project site.
3.8.2 Regulatory Setting
Section 2.7, “Planning Influences,” of the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan summarizes the planning and
regulatory information related to hydrology and water quality at the SVRA. Specifically, Section
2.7.1, “Systemwide Planning,” includes a summary of the 2008 Soil Conservation Standard and
Guidelines (State Parks 2008) and the OHV BMP Manual (State Parks 2007). Section 2.7.3,
“Regulatory Influences,” includes a summary of Sections 401 and 404 of the CWA, California Fish
and Game Code 1602, and the Porter‐Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Porter‐Cologne Act).
Federal Plans, Policies, Regulations, and Laws
Federal Clean Water Act of 1972
In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (later referred to as the Clean Water Act [CWA])
was amended to require National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for the
discharge of pollutants to waters of the U.S. from any point source. In 1987, the CWA was
amended to require that EPA establish regulations for permitting of municipal and industrial
storm water discharges under the NPDES permit program. EPA published final regulations
regarding storm water discharges on November 16, 1990. At that time, NPDES regulation was
promulgated to the SWRCB. The regulations require that discharges to surface waters from
municipal separate storm [water] sewer system (MS4) be regulated by a NPDES permit.
Permitting occurred in two phases: Phase I covered operators of medium and large MS4s, that is,
those that generally serve populations of 100,000 or greater; the Phase II Final Rule, published in
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
Draft EIR 3.8-1 February 2012