Eastern Sierra and Inland Deserts Region Master Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement (Master Agreement)

Caltrans is seeking a Master Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife under Section 1600 et seq. of the California Department of Fish and Game Code. This agreement is designed to cover maintenance, repair, and new construction activities on Caltrans-managed facilities within CDFW Region 6, encompassing Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The project aims to establish a streamlined approval process for a period of 30 years, ensuring the consistent protection of fish and wildlife resources, establishing reasonable mitigation strategies, and strengthening interagency coordination. The project is currently in the environmental review phase, governed by the California Environmental Quality Act. Caltrans is preparing a Program Environmental Impact Report to assess potential environmental effects and propose mitigation measures. Administrative oversight is led by Hannah Beard of Caltrans District 8 in San Bernardino. The process includes public scoping and agency input to define the scope of the environmental impact report, with a focus on water quality and biological resources within the Eastern Sierra and Inland Deserts Region.