Restoration Projects Statewide Order Draft Program Environmental Impact Report

The Carpenter Road Floodplain Restoration Project, identified by Permit No. 20092 and RMP-2026-0025-R4, is a 38.46-acre environmental initiative located within the Tuolumne River Regional Park in Modesto, Stanislaus County. The project is designed to establish nine acres of juvenile salmonid rearing habitat and enhance the riparian corridor through the planting of native vegetation. Key technical activities include breaching the right bank of the Tuolumne River to connect it to a local basin, which prevents fish stranding and creates aquatic microhabitats. Additionally, the project involves reshaping the existing basin for fish passage, installing Armorflex concrete mats for erosion protection at the bank breach and road crossing, and ensuring all excess excavated material is removed from the floodway. The project is managed by the City of Modesto as the lead agency and has received environmental clearance through Notices of Determination from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. It operates under the regulatory framework of California Code of Regulations Title 23, Article 3, Section 6, and is classified as a Qualifying Restoration Project under Fish and Game Code section 1671(d)(1). Compliance is tied to the State Water Resources Control Board Restoration Projects Statewide Order Program Environmental Impact Report, and the project includes a mandatory mitigation reporting and monitoring plan to ensure environmental standards are met.