Ventura River Ventura River Multi- -Species HCP Species HCP Multi Presentation to: Ventura River Watershed Council Presentation to: Ventura River Watershed Council Laura Riege Riege, , Entrix Entrix, Inc. , Inc. Laura March 13, 2007 March 13, 2007
What is an HCP? What is an HCP? � Legal agreement to permit activities under Section 10 of the ESA � Covers actions by non-federal parties � Asks: Will proposed action result in take of a listed species or its habitat? � Formal consultation in form of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
What is an HCP? What is an HCP? � Focuses on activities of Cooperating Agencies Focuses on activities of Cooperating Agencies � � Includes public involvement Includes public involvement � � Results in long Results in long- -term term � conservation & conservation & mitigation measures; mitigation measures; implementation agreements implementation agreements
What an HCP isn’ ’t t What an HCP isn � Comprehensive watershed analysis Comprehensive watershed analysis � � Water quality assessment Water quality assessment � � Land use analysis Land use analysis � � These are included in These are included in � environmental setting & environmental setting & resources resources
Ventura River MSHCP Ventura River MSHCP Regional Approach Regional Approach � Regional, multi Regional, multi- -agency, multi agency, multi- -species Habitat species Habitat � Conservation Plan Conservation Plan � Allow the Cooperating Agencies to provide vital Allow the Cooperating Agencies to provide vital � services to their customers and citizens of services to their customers and citizens of western Ventura County western Ventura County � Protect listed species and their habitat Protect listed species and their habitat � � overall net positive benefit to listed species overall net positive benefit to listed species �
Cooperating Agencies Cooperating Agencies � Casitas Municipal Water Casitas Municipal Water � Ventura County Parks Ventura County Parks � � District Department District Department � City of Ventura City of Ventura � Ventura County Ventura County � � Watershed Protection Watershed Protection � Golden State Water Golden State Water � District District Company Company � Ventura River County Ventura River County � Meiners Oaks County Meiners Oaks County � � Water District Water District Water District Water District � Ojai Valley Sanitary Ojai Valley Sanitary � District District
Covered Area Covered Area
Covered Species Covered Species Southern California Steelhead Southern California Steelhead
Covered Species Covered Species Tidewater Goby Tidewater Goby
Covered Species Covered Species California Red- -legged Frog legged Frog California Red
Covered Species Covered Species Least Bell’ ’s Vireo s Vireo Least Bell
Operations & Maintenance HCP Operations & Maintenance HCP � O&M of existing facilities O&M of existing facilities � � provide essential services to communities provide essential services to communities � within the Ventura River watershed within the Ventura River watershed � Actions are currently underway Actions are currently underway � � No new land development activities No new land development activities �
Covered Activities Covered Activities � Water Supply and Use Water Supply and Use � � water diversions water diversions � � groundwater pumping groundwater pumping � � water treatment plants water treatment plants � � water/wastewater water/wastewater � pipelines pipelines � tertiary treated wastewater tertiary treated wastewater � discharge discharge
Covered Activities Covered Activities � Flood Control Facilities Flood Control Facilities � � levees levees � � flood control channels bridges flood control channels bridges � and culverts and culverts � debris basins debris basins � � instream vegetation removal instream vegetation removal � � Parks Parks � � OVSD WWTP OVSD WWTP �
Covered Activities Covered Activities � Recreational Facilities Recreational Facilities � � Lake Casitas Lake Casitas � � Foster Park Foster Park � � Soule Park and Golf Course Soule Park and Golf Course � � Camp Comfort Camp Comfort �
Covered Activities Covered Activities � Future projects Future projects � � Upgrade Nye Well Field and water Upgrade Nye Well Field and water � diversion facilities at Foster Park diversion facilities at Foster Park � Repair Bridges in Soule Park Repair Bridges in Soule Park � � Upgrade Ojai Valley Trail Arizona Upgrade Ojai Valley Trail Arizona � Crossing Crossing � New & replacement wells and New & replacement wells and � pipelines pipelines � Flood Protection at WWTP Flood Protection at WWTP �
Quantifying Impacts to Species Quantifying Impacts to Species � Habitat Based HCP Habitat Based HCP � � Consistent with Matilija Dam Removal Consistent with Matilija Dam Removal � assessment approach assessment approach � Potential Effects Model Potential Effects Model � � Science Science- -based approach for assessing habitat based approach for assessing habitat � � Method to quantify professional judgment Method to quantify professional judgment � � Transparent approach Transparent approach �
Proposed Mitigation Measures Proposed Mitigation Measures � Range of opportunities for improving habitat Range of opportunities for improving habitat � and/or access to habitat and/or access to habitat � Focus on long Focus on long- -term solutions and projects term solutions and projects � � Based on recommendations in the species Based on recommendations in the species � Recovery Plans and the Ventura River Steelhead Recovery Plans and the Ventura River Steelhead Restoration and Recovery Plan Restoration and Recovery Plan � Goal to improve recovery potential for each of Goal to improve recovery potential for each of � the four Covered Species the four Covered Species
Next Steps Next Steps � Pre Pre- -application Review application Review � � NEPA Review NEPA Review � � Public Notification and meetings Public Notification and meetings � � Implementation Agreements Implementation Agreements � � Incidental Take Permits Incidental Take Permits �
Watershed Planning Resources Watershed Planning Resources � Technical appendices: hydrology & Technical appendices: hydrology & � groundwater, species distributions, habitat groundwater, species distributions, habitat assessments, migration passage barriers assessments, migration passage barriers � Extensive Bibliography of relevant studies Extensive Bibliography of relevant studies � � Coordinate opportunities Coordinate opportunities � � Public Participation Public Participation �
Questions? Questions?
Recommend
More recommend
