Final Environmental Impact Report Addendum

Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District (Rosedale), as lead agency, has prepared and adopted an Addendum No. 3 to the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), State Clearinghouse No. 2013091076, describing modifications to the Stockdale Integrated Banking Project (Project). The Final EIR (FEIR) for the Project evaluated potential impacts from construction and operation of the Stockdale East and Stockdale West banking areas as well as the Central Intake and, as appropriate, on a third project site to be identified at a later date. Addendum No. 3 describes a Modified Project that involves the construction and operation of facilities on a portion of the third project site that has been identified since the adoption of the FEIR. Modified Project Facilities include a groundwater recharge facility consisting of two recharge ponds, one recovery well, and five control structures on approximately 150 acres. The Modified Project would provide approximately 17,500 acre-feet per year (AFY) of recharge capacity and would connect to existing Rosedale groundwater recharge facilities located south of the project site. Construction activities would occur over approximately 22 months. The Modified Project would require a well permit from the Kern County Environmental Health Division. The proposed modifications to the original Project would not result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. Furthermore, new information associated with the proposed modifications does not indicate that: the Project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the adopted Final EIR; significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the adopted Final EIR; mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible; or mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the adopted Final EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the Project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measures or alternative. Accordingly, an addendum has been prepared as opposed to a supplemental or subsequent EIR. Additional site-specific biota and cultural studies were completed and considered in the Addendum. Findings and proposed mitigation measures are the same as those found in the FEIR and will be complied with by RRBWSD. The proposed modifications would not result in new or more severe significant impacts that would not be addressed by the existing Mitigation and Monitoring Plan. The Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District has adopted the Addendum in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines Section 15164.