Title
Consider approving submission to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service for the Re-Initiated Consultation on the "Biological Opinion for the Salinas Valley Water Project".
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Approve submittal of the following information as an updated Project Description for the Re-Initiated Consultation on the "Biological Opinion for the Salinas Valley Water Project":
A. Strike out version of proposed changes of the current Flow Prescription located at:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=73228
These documents will be included in the submission as reference material. They can be located on the Agency's website at:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/water-resources-agency/home/reinitiation-of-nmfs-biological-opinion
1. Biological Assessment for the Salinas Valley Water Project, Salinas River, California
dated May 30, 2002.
2. Supplement to the Biological Assessment for the Salinas Valley Water Project, Salinas
River, CA dated October 11, 2005.
3. Monitoring reports since 2010.
B. Commitment to develop an HCP for MCWRA operations on the Salinas River, estimated to cost $4.5M over a three-year period.
The above items B-D are documents that will be included with the submission as reference material. These documents are located on the Agency's website at:
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On August 5, 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers re-initiated consultation between the Monterey County Water Resources Agency and NMFS on the Biological Opinion (BO) for the Salinas Valley Water Project (SVWP). The BO provides "take" coverage for operations of the SVWP under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are designated as threatened under the ESA and the Salinas, Nacimiento and San Antonio Rivers are identified as critical habitat for the s...
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