Abandoned Waterline Removal Project

Remove and dispose of a series of surface-mounted abandoned stainless steel and cast-iron waterline pipes along the Gaviota Creek/Highway 101 corridor in Gaviota State Park. Located approximately 30-ft. above Gaviota Creek the waterlines are anchored to the hillside and weave in and around native trees, extending for approximately 1500 feet to the Southbound Highway 101 rest stop at Gaviota Pass in Gaviota State Park. Because of Gaviota Creek’s potential habitat for California red legged frog (CRLF) and steelhead, and the project site’s very constrained access, the pipelines will be secured to a crane boom by personnel stationed on a telescoping or articulated manlift. Once detached from their anchors, pipe sections will be cut and carefully removed by crane and subsequently loaded onto a flatbed trailer for removal and proper disposal. Entry into Gaviota Creek will be limited only to incidental retrieval of any existing debris and debris that may enter the stream as a result of the removal effort. The Project is not expected to require removal of any native trees, but tree trimming is likely, and some removal remains a possibility since many trees have grown in and around the pipeline over the decades since their installation. As there are no suitable locations within this area of the park for equipment and personnel to access the pipeline, equipment will be initially staged in the closed Caltrans rest stop, after which it will be moved into position along the shoulder of the highway. Therefore, Project implementation will necessitate the temporary closure of the Number 2 southbound lane, which necessitates a Caltrans Encroachment Permit as well as a Traffic Control Plan.