Smith River Ranch LLC Water Diversion Project (Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement No. EPIMS-DEL-58535-R1C)

The Smith River Ranch LLC Water Diversion Project, identified by Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement No. EPIMS-DEL-58535-R1C, involves a single encroachment for the purpose of diverting water from Ritmer Creek for irrigation. Located in the Smith River watershed in Del Norte County, California, the project site is situated approximately 1.65 miles northwest of the town of Smith River. The scope of work includes the use and maintenance of existing water diversion infrastructure, specifically a boulder weir and a sliding gate culvert designed to divert water to an off-stream reservoir. To ensure environmental protection, instream work is strictly limited to the minor grading and relocation of stream gravels at the boulder weir. This activity is intended to maintain appropriate water surface elevation and depth to prevent the impingement of native fish species on the diversion screen. The project has been granted a categorical exemption by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife under Class 4, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15304, as it is classified as a minor alteration with no significant adverse environmental impact. A critical requirement for the project is that the diversion intake must remain compliant with CDFW Fish Screen Criteria. The project is overseen by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 1 - Northern, with Monty Larson serving as the primary Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist and David Manthorne serving as the Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor. Specific geographic identifiers for the point of diversion include Assessor's Parcel Number 102-010-031 and coordinates at latitude 41.9336 and longitude -124.1772.