TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer - Director of Public Works Public Works
REPORT BY: Sarah Geiss - Staff Services Analyst I
SUBJECT: Napa River Restoration Project Oakville to Oak Knoll: Group D Revegetation - Funding Agreement with Colgin Partners LLC
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Public Works requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign a revenue agreement with Colgin Partners LLC to provide funding to the County in the amount of $99,472.58 to support the Napa River Restoration Project, Oakville to Oak Knoll (OVOK) Group D revegetation effort.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Colgin Partners intends to develop an agricultural improvement project at 220 Long Ranch Road in Napa County, California, more commonly known as Assessor Parcel Number 032-560-036. Funds under the Agreement will be applied to the Napa River Restoration: Oakville to Oak Knoll Revegetation Project, Group D (Project). Group D revegetation is scheduled for implementation beginning in May of 2021 and will continue through December 2021.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Oakville to Oak Knoll Revegetation Group D- Fund 1000, Subdivision 1220500, Program 07002 |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The current phase of the OVOK revegetation project includes removal of invasive species and the planting, establishment, and maintenance of native plant species in the river's expanded riparian area. Acceptance of one-time funds from Colgin Partners will provide revenue to support the efforts. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Maintenance will be funded by an assessment district that was created by the Flood Control District. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If the agreement is not approved, some activities of the OVOK Group D revegetation effort may have to be delayed or eliminated from the project. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
N/A |
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Additional Information |
N/A |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared. According to the Mitigated Negative Declaration, the proposed project would have, if mitigation measures are not included, potentially significant environmental impacts. This project site is not on any of the lists of hazardous waste sites enumerated under Government code section 65962.5. As required by NEPA, project permit obtained from United States Army Corps of Engineers includes conditions from previously completed consultations with Federal wildlife agencies, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Napa River Restoration: Oakville to Oak Knoll Project has several design elements that are intended to restore physical and biological processes to the Napa River, including channel widening, floodplain and wetland restoration, biotechnical stabilization, instream habitat structures, and native vegetation enhancement. The overall objective of the Project is to implement the adopted Napa River Sediment TMDL by reducing fine sediment and polluted runoff within the Napa River watershed and to restore habitat and beneficial uses, including spawning and rearing habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The 9-mile Project reach has been divided into four Construction Groups A-D encompassing 23 restoration sites. Implementing the entire Project would restore up to 83 acres of transitional riparian and aquatic habitat and reduce fine sediment loading from channel erosion. The goals of this joint public-private project are to reduce property damage and sediment delivery associated with ongoing bank erosion processes, restore and enhance long-term river and floodplain functioning, and improve the quality and resilience of aquatic and terrestrial riparian habitat.
Construction of Groups A-C is complete and sites within those groups are all within the revegetation establishment phase. The final construction phase, Group D, is being implemented over two seasons 2021 and 2022. Revegetation of all Group D sites is anticipated to be complete in December 2021. Revegetation of the floodplain and riparian restoration sites utilizes a palette of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous species that provides streambank stability and increased plant diversity. The species are adapted to the Mediterranean climate of our watershed and can withstand seasonal drought conditions as well as periodic high winter flows. Current drought conditions are placing a strain on local water supplies and requiring the project to implement adaptive solutions to the planting effort. The revegetation project will be monitored and maintained for 3 years by the revegetation subcontractor. After that point, long term monitoring and maintenance will be overseen by the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District with funds from the Oakville to Oak Knoll Community Facilities District.
Colgin Partners LLC (Colgin) plans to develop an agricultural improvement project in Napa County which requires a Section 401 Certification (Certification) from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). As a condition of the Certification, RWQCB has required Colgin to mitigate for impacts from the development project to unnamed ephemeral drainages within the Napa River watershed. Colgin and the RWQCB have agreed that the Certification’s mitigation requirements can be satisfied by Colgin providing funds in the amount of $99,472.58 to the County for the purpose of supporting the Napa River Restoration: Oakville to Oak Knoll, Group D revegetation effort. The agreement which is the subject of this item allows the County to accept the funds from Colgin to support the Napa River Restoration: Oakville to Oak Knoll, Group D revegetation effort. These funds will offset the County’s use of Measure A funds on support of the Project.