FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
Laguna Creek Pipeline Access Road Repair Project
FEMA-1203-DR-CA, DSR #02174
The City of Santa Cruz (the City), through the California Office of Emergency Services, has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Public Assistance Program for funding to repair an access road that was damaged in three sections during the winter storms of 1998.  The road is used to access and maintain a 14-inch diameter water supply pipeline, which is located beneath the road right-of-way.  The road can no longer accommodate vehicular traffic, including maintenance vehicles, leaving the supply line exposed and vulnerable to failure.  The roadway is approximately 8 to 10 feet in width and is elevated approximately 20 to 50 feet above the Laguna Creek streambed.  The City is proposing to repair the roadway and install drainage improvements to prevent future damage to the access road.
The proposed project consists of four components: (1) construct three (two downhill and one uphill) soldier pile retaining walls; (2) repair the two sections of roadway that have already failed; (3) install temporary shoring of two bridges along the access road in order to bring equipment to the repair sites; and (4) provide overall drainage improvements at all three damaged locations.  The three repair sites are referred to as Sites C, B, and A, with Site C at the northern portion of the project area and Site A at the southern end.  Because Site A would be inaccessible until repairs are made at Sites B and C, the repairs for Site A would be conducted last. The SEA contains maps showing the project area and the location of the proposed action.
The proposed repair at Site C includes construction of a rock-lined V-ditch along the uphill side of the road along with some minor grading of the road to ensure proper drainage.  The V-ditch at this location would extend from Site C southward to approximately 80 feet past Site B.  The total length of the V-ditch to be constructed for both Sites B and C is approximately 290 feet.
Repairs proposed for Site B include the following:  (1) construction of two soldier pile retaining walls (one on the uphill side and one on the downhill side of the roadway); (2) installation of a rock-lined V-ditch on the uphill side of the road (described above under Site C); (3) installation of a slope drain (approximately 40 feet long and 18-inches in diameter) beneath and perpendicular to the roadway (downslope); (4) installation of a gabion mattress energy dissipater at the toe of the slope to prevent scour from the new slope drain discharge; (5) installation of a new inlet and discharge structure at the southern end of the V-ditch; and (6) backfilling of the road to provide a drivable, unpaved surface.
Repairs at Site A would consist of a similar soldier pile retaining wall as used for Site B.  Eight soldier piles/concrete piers with wood lagging would be constructed on the downhill side of the road for a distance of approximately 50 linear feet.  Approximately 120 feet of rock-lined V-ditch would be also be constructed at Site A, along the uphill side of the roadway.  Water from this collection system would discharge through an existing culvert onto a new energy dissipator.  The energy dissipator at Site A would be located outside of the 100-year floodplain, and would not require work within Laguna Creek.  Laguna Creek is approximately 25 feet below the roadway at Site A.
The Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) that was prepared for the Laguna Creek Pipeline Access Road Repair Project tiers from the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Typical Recurring Actions Resulting from Flood Disasters in California as Proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA-1203-DR-CA (PEA; April 16, 1998).  The PEA resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (April 16, 1998). Both the SEA for Laguna Creek Pipeline Access Road Repair Project and the PEA are available online at http://www.fema.gov/ep/assess.shtm and http://www.fema.gov/regions/ix/env/index.shtm respectively.
Based upon the conditions and the information contained in the PEA and the SEA for the Laguna Creek Pipeline Access Road Repair Project (August 6, 2002), and in accordance with FEMA’s regulations in 44 CFR Part 10 (Environmental Considerations) and Executive Orders 11988 (Floodplain Management), 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), 12699 (Seismic Safety), and 12898 (Environmental Justice), the following is concluded:
A Finding of No Significant Impact.  Therefore, an environmental impact statement will not be prepared, based on the fact that there will be no long-term adverse impacts to the natural environment resulting from this project.
This Finding of No Significant Impact is based upon the conditions contained in the Programmatic Environmental Assessment and the Supplemental Environmental Assessment, and serves as the final notice for Executive Order 11988 compliance.
For more information, contact Sandro Amaglio, Region IX Environmental Officer, at (510) 627-7027.  No action will be allowed to occur until 15 days after publication of this Finding of No Significant Impact.