JUNE 11, :00 4:00 PM MEETING NOTES

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1 LOWER AMERICAN RIVER TASK FORCE TSAKOPOULOS LIBRARY GALLERIA 828 I STREET SACRAMENTO, CA JUNE 11, :00 4:00 PM MEETING NOTES Agenda Item: Welcome, Introductions and Agenda Review See attached sign-in sheet and agenda: 22 attendees. Tom Gohring welcomed participants, Bennett Brooks reviewed the agenda. Agenda Item: Stakeholder Interview Assessment (Bennett Brooks, cbi) Bennett Brooks conducted a set of focused interviews with stakeholders, highlighting strengths, challenges, long-term focus, and structure of the LARTF. Key interview feedback included the following: o The Task Force is seen as an important venue both for information-sharing and updates related to the Lower American River and for supporting face-to-face dialogue, but it needs reinvigoration, as its core membership is aging out. o Some interviewees voiced interest in using the Task Force and creating work groups as necessary to enable deeper discussions and, as appropriate, consensus-building. o A handful of interviewees questioned the extent to which the Task Force should focus on non-flood-related topics. Discussion at the Task Force centered on focus and scope of the LARTF. Stakeholders generally supported focusing agenda items on those projects and issues with a nexus with the river and flooding, as well as habitat along the LAR Parkway, saying everything between the levees is important. Stakeholders discussed various ways to raise interest. Some suggestions included: o Balancing technical presentations with more general discussions that may prove of a greater interest to a wider audience. o Adding descriptions to agenda items, so potential attendees have a better grasp of a topic s focus, context and importance. o Soliciting participation from homeowner associations adjacent to the levees. Agenda Item: Camp Pollock and Urrutia Property (Aimee Rutledge) Regarding Camp Pollock o Camp Pollock is open to the public from dawn until dusk and entrance is free. Sacramento Valley Conservancy (SVC) has license agreements with many local youth

2 groups. SVC operates consistent with the Parkway Plan and has been coordinating events with County Parks; they have had no safety problems since opening. The lodge is not currently up to code; SVC is entering the design phase for remodeling. o Stakeholder questions centered on permitting and comment period for design of the lodge. Regarding the Urrutia property: o SVC is in discussion with property owners but there is no agreement; discussions are complicated by liabilities associated with its former use as a sand mine; there is also no agreement on price. o Participants sought to understand the extent to which the property needs to be cleaned upon sale; A. Rutledge said it is her understanding that the property would need to be cleaned upon sale (regardless of owner). o T. Washburn noted that the site is of interest to SAFCA for mitigation if/when it is sold. Agenda Item: SAFCA Updates and Progress Reports (Tim Washburn) River Mile 0.5 Restoration Project o Project focuses on improving shallow floodplain habitat near I-5 Bridge. o Offset for Natomas project drainage improvements. o Excavated soil is to be used as seepage berm in Natomas near Sand Cove. o Project scheduled to start with elderberry relocation in Winter 2013/14. Levee Vegetation Symposium o Will continue working with DWR to synthesize information in a work group; current focus centered on trying to better understand risk factors (burrowing animals, presence of trees, etc.) and then develop appropriate protocols. Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) o Passed U.S. Senate; appears to be bipartisan support in the House. o Authorizes Natomas project. o Directs Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to consider variation from national standard for levee vegetation; very important for current discussions with ACOE. Joint Federal Project Status o T. Washburn reviewed current progress; estimates that the spillway will be completed in 2017; once completed, the project will provide significant flood risk reduction. o This project is expected to be completed under budget according to SAFCA s estimates. o Dam height is expected to be raised once the spillway work is completed. Lower Sacramento/North Delta Regional Flood Planning o SAFCA is working with others to develop a regional conservation strategy; levee vegetation policy plays a large roll. o Stakeholder comments centered on understanding the local implementation of WRDA and current authorized projects. o The Natomas levee project is currently authorized but not appropriated.

3 Agenda Item: Automobile and RT Crossing (Sparky Harris) The city is nearing completion of its study; eight final alternatives have been chosen, three of those alternatives will be recommended to City Council on June 25th. The three recommended alternatives are not mutually exclusive. Many members of the LARTF are involved in the City s decision-making process. The Summary Report can be found at: Stakeholder comments centered on logistics and size of proposed bridges. Tim Washburn noted that one of the three options still under consideration Alternative 3 was put forward initially as a bike/rapid transit and now includes space for autos. He suggested such shifts in approach can appear disingenuous and undermine government agencies credibility. Agenda Item: 2013 California Extreme Precipitation Symposium (Gary Estes) G. Estes informed Task Force members that the 2013 symposium will be held June 25, 2013 at U.C. Davis. For details please visit Agenda Item: Water Forum Update (Tom Gohring) Cordova Creek Restoration Project o Multi-partner project. o Currently in design phase. o Plan to break ground in Flow Management Standard (FMS) o All caucuses voted unanimously to release a Notice of Preparation for the EIR on May 17th. o Public Draft of the EIR expected in December River Bend Park Gravel Augmentation o Multi-partner project in its sixth year. o Funded by a grant from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. o This year s work focused on rearing and spawning habitat will take place near River Bend Park upstream of Arden Rapids. o Plan to excavate the side channel to rearing-sustaining flow of 800 cfs, place some spawning gravel in the main channel, and possibly place large cobble at entrance to Arden Maze. o Will protect Arden Rapid and Arden Maze. o Extra public outreach this year because of the location. Agenda Item: Folsom Dam Water Control Manual Update (Dan Artho, USACE) Dan Artho with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided the Task Force with an update on the Corp s ongoing efforts to update the Water Control Manual. The purpose of the Update is to: o Revise operation rules for Folsom Dam to reduce flood risk. o Reflect operational capabilities created by improved weather forecasts. o Potentially reduce the volume of flood control reservation in Folsom Reservoir at any

4 particular time by comparison to the operations that have been in effect since o Final approval of the Manual Update is expected November Stakeholder comments and discussion centered on the following: o One stakeholder asked about the future dam raise. Dan commented that it will add an extra TAF in storage and is planned after the spillway is complete. The dam raise is important for meeting SB5 requirements. o One stakeholder asked how operations will be taken into account with a focus on the Natomas East Main Drain and levee maintenance. Dan commented that they are looking into this and it will be taken into account, as well as future erosion monitoring. o Stakeholders asked if weather forecasts are used anywhere else. Ron Stork replied that they are not formally in effect anywhere and it is up to operator discretion. o Stakeholders raised questions about modeling assumptions regarding the flow management standard (FMS). Dan commented that USACE is using the FMS in their existing condition. Tom commented that the Water Forum is not using the new operating rules in the FMS existing condition because they have not yet been defined. o There was agreement that improved water supply was a beneficial trade off for higher flows during a flood pool evacuation. One stakeholder also commented that historically large floods were easily predicted. Agenda Item: Meeting Wrap Up and Next Steps (Bennett Brooks, CBI) The next meeting will be September 10, Task Force members are to forward names of potentially interested Task Force participants to SAFCA and the Water Forum for addition to the mailing list. US ACE and Water Forum staff are to hold a follow-on conversation to identify commonalities and/or possible conflicts in their modeling approaches.

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