Salton Sea Species Conservation Habitat

1. Salton Sea Species Conservation Habitat Workshop •June 10, 2010

2. Meeting Purpose • Provide Stakeholders the opportunity to guide the direction of the SCH Project

3. Agenda • Introductions • Goals and objectives • Critical screening criteria • Construction challenges

4. Introduction of Presentation Team • Rick Davis – Davis Group • Arturo Delgado – California Department of Fish and Game • Ramona Swenson – ENTRIX, Inc. • Rob Thomson – ENTRIX, Inc. • Vince Thompson – Ducks Unlimited

5. Species Conservation Habitat Project Goals and Objectives

6. Need for SCH Project • Declining surface water elevation will lead to loss of Salton Sea habitat • Increasing salinity will lead to fishery collapse • Fishery collapse will result in loss of forage base for fish-eating birds

7. SCH Project Purpose • SCH will provide conservation measures while the Legislature determines long-term action • Provides replacement for some near-term habitat losses as sea levels decline • Target: piscivorous bird species present in 2010 and dependent on the Sea for: • Foraging – fishery resources • Essential habitat components – foraging, nesting, roosting, loafing • Viability of a significant portion of their population

8. Goals and Objectives • Goal 1: Develop a range of aquatic habitats that will support fish and wildlife species dependent on the Salton Sea • Objectives • Provide adequate foraging habitat for piscivorous (fish-eating) bird species • Develop habitats required to support piscivorous bird species • Support a sustainable, productive aquatic community • Provide suitable water quality for fish • Minimize adverse effects to desert pupfish • Minimize risk of selenium • Minimize risk of disease/toxicity impacts

9. Goals and Objectives • Goal 2: Develop and refine information needed to successfully manage the SCH Project through an adaptive management process • Objectives • Identify uncertainties in achieving the objectives • Design science-based means to test alternatives and reduce uncertainty • Develop and implement a monitoring plan • Develop a decision-making framework • Provide proof-of-concept for future restoration efforts

10. Questions and Feedback Goal 1:Develop a range of aquatic habitats that will support fish and wildlife species dependent on the Salton Sea Goal 2:Develop and refine information needed to successfully manage the SCH Project through an adaptive management process • Do you agree with these goals and objectives? • Are we missing any others?

11. Species Conservation Habitat Project Critical Screening Criteria

12. Screening Criteria Two types of screening criteria • Exclusionary criteria • Factors essential to the successful completion of the SCH Project • Evaluative criteria • Factors considered in comparing Project components and alternatives • Not necessarily cause for elimination • Construction and operational costs • Environmental considerations • Other

13. Critical Screening Criteria • Exclusionary criteria used to begin refining the range of potential sites • Exclusionary criteria are • Adequate water supply (quantity, quality, and seasonal availability) • Available water rights • Available land • Three general locations being considered

14. Three Generalized Alternative Locations

15. Available Land – Whitewater River

16. Available Land – New River

17. Available Land – Alamo River

18. Questions and Feedback • Are these the right criteria? • Are there others we should consider?

19. Species Conservation Habitat Project Construction Challenges

20. Construction of SCH Ponds • Construction may occur in areas between -228 and -234 msl • Exposed playa with high groundwater • Shallow flooded areas • Water a few feet deep

21. Potential Site Conditions • Examples of conditions that may be encountered during berm construction • Exposed moist but relatively firm soils • Shallow flooded relatively firm soils • Shallow flooded soft mucky soils • Water a few feet deep with soft or firm soils • Examples of water control structure installation • Localized dewatering • Structure support in soft soils

22. Receding Sea Water Surface

23. Building Berms on Exposed Playa Example – Moist, relatively firm soils • Equipment • Low ground pressure tractors with carry-all scrapers • Method • Excavate, haul and place with the same piece of equipment • Haul distance • Short to Medium • Relative cost • Low

24. Low Ground Pressure Tractors

25. Building Berms in Shallow Water Example – Shallow water, relatively firm soils • Equipment • Excavators, low ground pressure dump trucks, bulldozers • Method • Excavate and load, haul with dump trucks, spread with dozers • Haul distance • Short to long • Relative Cost • High

26. Excavator, Load, and Haul

27. Dump and Spread

28. Building Berms in Shallow Water Example –Shallow water, soft mucky soils • Equipment • Amphibious excavators • Method • Excavate and drop • Haul distance • Adjacent • Relative Cost • High

29. Amphibious Excavators

30. Building Berms in Deeper Water Example – 2 feet of water, soft or firm soils • Equipment • Derrick barge with clamshell bucket • Method • Excavate and drop • Haul distance • Adjacent • Relative Cost • Medium

31. Derrick Barge Clamshell Bucket

32. Layer Height Depends on Strength

33. Hydraulic Dredge

34. Site Dewatering

35. Water Control Structure

36. Structure Site Dewatering

37. Structure Support in Soft Soils

38. Functional Wetland Management

39. Next Step – Design Considerations Preliminary Geotechnical Investigation • Sample and test soils at potential project sites • Previous investigations have not sampled locations around the river deltas • Assess construction feasibility at potential sites Preliminary Berm Stabilization Alternatives • Examples of design solutions to be considered • Source of embankment material • Dewatering • Base stabilization with geogrids • Berm stabilization with geotubes

40. Questions and Feedback • Are there other issues we should address?

41. Contact Information • DFG Contact: Kim Nicol, Environmental Program ManagerCalifornia Department of Fish and Game78078 Country Club Drive, Suite 109Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203(760) 200-9178 knicol@dfg.ca.gov • USACE Contact: Lanika Cervantes, Project ManagerSan Diego Section, Regulatory DivisionU.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Los Angeles District6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 105Carlsbad, CA 92011(760) 602-4838 Lanika.L.Cervantes@usace.army.mil

42. SCH Project Website www.water.ca.gov/saltonsea

43. USGS Ponds

44. USGS Pond Construction