News Release Archive

Public Scoping Meetings Scheduled for Santa Margarita River Conjunctive Use Project EIS/EIR

Media Contact: Bill Steele, 951-695-5310, wsteele@lc.usbr.gov
Robert Walsh, 702-293-8421, rwalsh@lc.usbr.gov

For Release: January 06, 2005

The Bureau of Reclamation will conduct public meetings on January 12 and 13 in southern California to receive input on the scope of an environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) that will be developed for a proposed conjunctive use water resource development project on the Santa Margarita River in San Diego County, California.

The meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the following locations: Jan.12 -- Oceanside Civic Center Library and Community Rooms, 330 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA; and Jan. 13 -- Fallbrook Public Utility District, 990 East Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA.

The EIS/EIR, prepared in partnership with the Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton, and the Fallbrook Public Utility District, will evaluate the potential environmental effects of proposed improvements to an existing groundwater recharge and recovery system on Camp Pendleton. Studies suggest that this system, which currently produces an average of about 7,000 acre-feet of water per year, could produce as much as 16,200 acre-feet per year.

The proposed project would improve existing diversion and percolation facilities and install new wells, an advanced potable water treatment plant, pump stations, and pipeline to Fallbrook. Potential alternatives could involve in-stream water retention structures, reclaimed wastewater, off-stream storage, or recharge of other groundwater basins on MCB Camp Pendleton.

The project area will include the lower Santa Margarita River, MCB Camp Pendleton, the unincorporated community of Fallbrook, and the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station, Detachment Fallbrook.

The EIS/EIR is planned to satisfy the requirements of both the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act.

Interested persons or groups are invited to comment on the scope of the issues to be addressed in the EIS and to identify significant issues that should be evaluated. Written comments should be sent by Jan. 31, 2005, to Mr. Bill Rohwer, Southern California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, SCAO-7000, 27708 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 202, Temecula, California 92590.

Questions should be directed to Mr. Rohwer at the address above, or by telephone (951) 695-5310. To be placed on a mailing list for subsequent information, please write or telephone Mr. Rohwer, fax to (951) 695-5319, or e-mail at wrohwer@lc.usbr.gov.

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