The San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD) is considering adopting the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Butano Creek Channel Reconnection and Resilience Project. This project is a partnership between the RCD, California State Parks, San Mateo County, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Restoration Center. In addition, the project has been developed and designed with significant input from the local community and staff from multiple state and federal resource agencies. Please use the links below to access the Notice of Intent and Notice of Completion as well as the Initial Study and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15072.
Project Summary: The Project is primarily located within Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve between State Route 1 and Pescadero Creek Road, Pescadero State Beach, and private property to the south of Pescadero Creek Road in unincorporated San Mateo County, on property owned by California State Parks Department, County of San Mateo, and private property. The Project is intended to provide multiple benefits to the ecosystem and community through restoring fish passage from the marsh into Butano Creek, addressing the root causes of degraded water quality in the Butano Marsh, and reducing the frequency and duration of flooding on Butano Creek at Pescadero Creek Road. The primary purpose is to restore and enhance the ecological connectivity of Butano Creek through Butano Marsh to Pescadero Lagoon and re-establish fish passage for federally threatened Central California Coast Coho Salmon and federally threatened Central California Coast Steelhead. This would be achieved by conducting targeted sediment excavation and dredging that would create a longitudinal profile of the creek, marsh and lagoon system that supports flow continuity and fish passage in all seasons. To accomplish this, the Project involves excavating approximately 46,300 cubic yards of sediment from approximately 7,400 linear feet of Butano Creek. Excavation of the creek would extend from upstream of the Pescadero Creek Road bridge to approximately 300 feet downstream of the confluence with Butano Channel, near a pedestrian bridge in Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve. The project also includes beneficial reuse of the dredged/excavated sediment to fill a series of artificial or artificially enlarged drainage channels and borrow pits within the Lower and Middle Butano Marsh. These areas are known to be creating conditions that have been directly resulting in massive fish kills in the lagoon and marsh. Other Project elements that are essential for meeting the goals of the project include: augmenting an existing berm on private property upstream of Pescadero Creek Road to improved natural floodplain function and reduce flooding of the adjacent farm fields; enhancing the existing levee at two locations in Butano Marsh along the reconnected reaches of Butano Creek; and improving the existing marsh control structure to further improve water quality and wetland habitat conditions in the Lower Butano Marsh.
CEQA Documents
- Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) Chapters 1 & 2
- Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) Chapter 3
- Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) Chapters 4 & 5
- Appendix A part 1
- Appendix A part 2
- Appendices B – E
- Notice of Intent
- Notice of Completion & Environmental Document Transmittal
Public Review: The public review period for the IS/MND is from May 3, 2018 – June 1, 2018. Please send written comments via mail or email to: Attn: Naftali Moed, San Mateo Resource Conservation District, 625 Miramontes Street, Suite 103, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Email: naftali@sanmateorcd.org
Public Meeting: If you are interested to attend a public meeting to present written and/or verbal comments on the IS/MND, a public meeting was held at the following location and time: May 17, 2018, 4:00-6:00p.m. La Honda Pescadero Unified School District, 360 Butano Cut-Off Road, Pescadero, CA 94060. Here is a copy of the presentation.