Approve the Plans & Specifications for the Huff's Corner Levee Phase II Offsite Mitigation Project and determine that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. (No general fund impact) (Pistochini)

Huff's Corner is a County-owned and -maintained levee on Cache Creek, northwest of Woodland in the Cache Creek Area Plan (CCAP). Since 2017, the County has repaired the levee as part of the larger Huff's Corner Levee Raise and Channel Reconfiguration Project (Phase I), and as a close-out activity, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) requires that the County mitigate riparian habitat lost during the levee repair work. Due to the re-graded topography of the bolstered and repaired levee, mitigation must happen off-site, as more particularly described in Attachment A. According to the Riparian Planting Plan ("Plan") prepared by consultants ECorp and MBK and approved by CDFW, County staff propose planting four native riparian tree species on two other County-owned properties in the CCAP, one for the hydric riparian species Fremont cottonwood and various willows (Cache Creek Nature Preserve property) and another for valley oak and black walnut (Haller-Muller property). Construction will commence in fall of 2026 or spring of 2027, irrigation will occur for three years after planting, and monitoring will occur for five years after planting. County staff must prepare an annual report on the status of the planting, which is due to CDFW by January 31 every year for five years after planting. The contractor is required to maintain and monitor the plantings for a one-year warranty period after initial planting. Additionally, the County may choose to award an optional/add-alternate component for the remaining four years of maintenance and monitoring. This optional item allows flexibility for the County in choosing the optimal method for implementing the maintenance and monitoring. The 2026 updated Plan (version 2026) has been approved by CDFW, and requires no other approval from outside agencies.

MBK Engineers is the consulting project manager for both Phase I (design and construction) and Phase II (mitigation and monitoring), and the California Department of Water Resources is reimbursing the County for the costs of the levee repair, including mitigation planting. MBK estimates the cost of the mitigation planting, O&M, and monitoring, including the optional component, at $250,000-350,000. 

The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15333 (Small Habitat Restoration Projects). This project aims to restore and enhance riparian habitat along Lower Cache Creek through the planting of native species. The project area is less than five acres (~4.62 ac.). No hazardous materials exist at the Restoration Areas; therefore, none will be removed or disturbed by project activities. The project will not result in impacts that are significant when viewed in connection with the effects of past projects, the effects of other current projects, and the effects of probably future projects. The project is located adjacent to previously completed habitat restoration projects. Staff will file a Notice of Exemption.
 

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, MBK Engineers, ECorp Consulting Inc.