Merced County Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program ISMND

The Merced County Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program involves two primary authorizations for work along Bear Creek in California. Under Minor Alteration No. WA2025151, the project focuses on stabilization and restoration across seven sites. Key activities include the installation of thousands of cubic yards of rock slope protection and compacted fill, erosion control measures, the removal of invasive vegetation, and the repair of bike paths. These efforts are designed to restore bank slopes to their original line and grade and return access areas to pre-project conditions, specifically addressing damage from the January 2023 flood events. Complementing these restoration efforts, Minor Alteration No. WA2026035 authorizes geotechnical investigations at four erosion repair sites. This scope of work includes the execution of twelve vertical exploratory borings, each 8 inches in diameter and 25 feet deep, along with eight Dynamic Cone Penetrometer tests to assess the soil and determine specific erosion repair needs. Both projects are conducted under the California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Article 3, Section 6, and have been approved by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board following the preparation of a Mitigated Negative Declaration to ensure no significant environmental effects.