SMUD Approves WaterFix Environmental Document

The California WaterFix project, a potential $16 billion dollar public works plan to divert water from the state’s largest delta in order to improve water supplies, has moved a little closer to reality after a Feb. 15 vote by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s board.

On a 7-0 vote, the SMUD board approved findings within California Environmental Quality Act documents prepared by the state Department of Water Resources that address potential environmental impacts within SMUD’s area of jurisdiction related to providing electrical service to project.

The DWR analysis found that the project could have environmental impacts in several ways, including regional aesthetics, visual resources, water quality, paleontological resources and air quality. But the report also determines that mitigation measures can be taken to reduce the impacts to minor levels.

In addition to adopting the findings of the DWR’s environmental analysis, the utility district also approved a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, plus authorized its general manager to negotiate and execute any contracts necessary and appropriate for electrical service to be provided to the project.

SMUD is merely certifying the DWR’s environmental impact findings and does not need to conduct a study of its own, explained Emily Bacchini, muni environmental manager.

“DWR is required to analyze all of the project requirements and all of the impacts associated with the project,” she said.

The California WaterFix project, if completed, would serve three main functions: water supply reliability, ecosystem restoration and climate risk adaptation, according to its developer. The plan, which is part of the state’s overall water management portfolio, would provide 4.9 million acre-feet of water on average annually.

Depending upon the final configuration of the project when it’s built, it could use up to 421 GWh of power annually to operate, according to the DWR’s environmental analysis.

The project was originally designed to consist of two tunnels with an estimated $16 billion price tag. The first stage initially included a single tunnel and two intakes with a capacity of 6,000 cubic feet per second. The second phase would add another tunnel and a third intake, expanding the capacity to 9,000 cubic feet per second.

The project was modified earlier this month with a reduced version consisting of one $10.7 million tunnel.

The tunnel is planned to be operable by 2031. SMUD isn’t providing the electricity for the project, but would provide the transmission.

Also during the meeting, the board approved expanding SMUD’s current sponsorship package with the Powerhouse Science Center, under which the muni will have certain naming rights at the kid-friendly museum.

Under the revised agreement, SMUD is increasing its financial support from $2.25 million over a 15-year period to $9.25 million through December 2037.

“What the SMUD Powerhouse Science Center, or whatever we end up calling it will do, is start raising that next generation of consumers … to be cognizant of the impact on the environment flicking that (power) switch has, and how the energy gets from where it’s produced to where it’s used,” board Chair Gregg Fishman said. “We need people to have that understanding, and so this provides us to do that in an organic way that makes so much sense.” — Mark Edward Nero

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SMUD Approves WaterFix Environmental Document

William J. Kelly

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