Consider approval of the Knights Landing Flood Management Project; adopt an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program as the appropriate level of environmental review for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act; and direct County staff to file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk-Recorder and the State Clearinghouse. (No general fund impact) (Lindbo/Sabatini)

Yolo County, under an agreement with the California Department of Water Resources (“DWR”) Small Community Flood Risk Reduction Program (“SCFRRP”), has prepared an Initial Study (“IS”) with Mitigated Negative Declaration (“MND”) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) to evaluate and address any potential consequences of the proposed Knights Landing Flood Management Project (the "Project" or "Proposed Project"). DWR is providing funding for this project and is a CEQA responsible agency for the IS/MND. Based on the environmental evaluation in the Draft IS/MND for the Project, with the implementation of prescribed mitigation and other measures to reduce environmental impacts, the Project was determined not to have a significant impact on the environment. Adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration will allow the Project to move forward through the environmental permitting and construction process.

Project History
The town of Knights Landing (the "Town") is an unincorporated community within Yolo County, California. In 2017, the County received a grant from the DWR' Small Community Flood Risk Reduction Program ("SCFRRP") to complete a feasibility study to evaluate structural and non-structural actions that could reduce flood risk to the Town. Subsequently, the County prepared the 2019 Knights Landing SCFRRP Feasibility Study (the "Feasibility Study"), which analyzed several alternatives, and ultimately identified a recommended alternative, for levee improvements along the Knights Landing Basin. DWR approved the Feasibility Study for further implementation and funding, and awarded additional grant funding to the County in 2020 as part of the SCFRRP Phase 2 Agreement.

The SCFRRP Phase 2 Agreement includes the following components: the design and permitting of levee improvements along the Sacramento River Right Bank, to include construction of the Mid-Valley Levee Reconstruction, Sites 9 and 10; the design and permitting of levee improvements along the Knights Landing Ridge Cut; completion of Phase 1 concepts for the Portuguese Bend and Grays Bend Habitat enhancement projects; the design, permitting, and construction of the drainage infrastructure improvements in the community of Knights Landing; and the design of a new cross levee. As a result of these aforementioned feasibility analyses and preliminary engineering efforts, the Project was carried forward and is focused on improvements along the Sacramento River Right Bank Levee and the Knights Landing Ridge Cut. The proposed improvements are needed along the Sacramento River Right Bank Levee to address under-seepage and through-seepage and along the landside levee of the Knights Landing Ridge Cut to improve stability.

Project Description
The County is proposing the Knights Landing Flood Management Project to reduce flood risks associated with flooding from the Sacramento River and the Knights Landing Ridge Cut in and around the community of Knights Landing. The proposed flood improvements would strengthen approximately 3.78 miles of the surrounding levees of the Knights Landing Basin and build resiliency into the Knights Landing Basin levees. The Proposed Project intends to attain a 100-year level of flood protection for the community of Knights Landing and to reduce the flood risk to the Knights Landing Basin while sustaining the agricultural economy, providing safe access to the river, and improving the riverine habitat viability. The proposed improvements along the Sacramento River Right Bank Levee include addressing under-seepage and through-seepage by constructing cutoff walls, drained stability berms, or combination stability-seepage berms, addressing slope stability by widening the levee crown and stabilizing/flattening the landside slopes and addressing freeboard deficiencies by widening and raising the levee. The proposed Knights Landing Ridge Cut improvements include approximately 1.2 miles of improvements to the existing landside levee to improve stability.  A "Project Location" map has been provided as Attachment B.

Environmental Review and Permitting
The County has principal responsibility for carrying out the Project and is, therefore, the CEQA lead agency for the IS/MND. The County has an agreement with DWR for Project funding; therefore, DWR is a responsible agency pursuant to CEQA. The County prepared the IS/MND to evaluate the expected environmental effects of the Project and has incorporated mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate any potentially significant project-related impacts. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan can be found in Appendix A to the IS/MND.

The IS/MND was submitted to the County Clerk-Recorder's Office and the State Clearinghouse and circulated for public review and comment from May 6, 2024, through June 5, 2024.  A total of three comments were received during the review period from the following commenters: (1) Glen, Brian, and Bruce Barton, (2) Debbie and Jerry Rose, and (3) the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (the "CVFPB"). Responses to those comments are included in the Final lS/MND, beginning on page 12 of the document.

Staff has determined from the prepared IS/MND that the Project would not have a significant effect on the environment for the following reasons:

The Project is in the process of obtaining coverage under the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan for potential impacts on covered species and land cover.  The County concluded Assembly Bill 52 consultation for the Project with interested tribes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE"), in coordination with the County, is in the process of preparing a Supplemental Environmental Assessment in support of Section 408 authorization from USACE for the Project. The Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA"), through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services ("Cal OES"), is in the process of preparing an Environmental Assessment for the Project, in coordination with the County.

Next steps for this project include finalizing design and engineering, obtaining state and federal permits/approvals, tribal coordination, and, finally, going out to bid for construction. Each construction component of the project will return to the Board for approval as part of the bid, award, and contracting process. 

The Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District, DWR, CVFPB, and Cal OES are responsible agencies under CEQA.

The County is also coordinating with the USACE - Sacramento District, FEMA, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and the Yolo Habitat Conservancy.