Pilot Recharge Well Project

Notice of responses to comments on draft initial study/mitigated negative declaration for the Twin Lakes Church Pilot Recharge Well Project

Project Location

A pilot recharge well to be located at the Twin Lakes Church campus at 2701 Cabrillo College Drive in Aptos, California. Twin Lakes Church occupies an approximately 16-acre parcel (Assessor Parcel Number 037 251 19). The Twin Lakes Church site has church buildings, a children's center and school, and a gymnasium. The southeastern portion of the site where the Project would be located includes parking lots, an earthen and grass sports field, and urban wooded areas. The Project would be located in an undeveloped wooded area adjacent to a parking lot. The Twin Lakes Church site is accessed via Highway 1, Park Avenue, Soquel Drive, and Cabrillo College Drive.

Project Description

The District proposes to design and construct one groundwater recharge pilot well on property owned by Twin Lakes Church. The primary purpose of the Project would be to confirm the recharge and extraction rates for a groundwater replenishment well at the pilot well location, determine the recharge capacity of the well, and collect soil and groundwater samples for geochemical and hydrogeologic analysis of the aquifer.

The pilot well would drilled to a depth of approximately 1,000 feet and the pilot well area will be enclosed with temporary fencing. Recharge testing of the pilot well would be conducted in 3 tests, and the duration of each test would be 72 hours. The testing period would occur over an approximately 4-week period. After the testing is completed, the pilot well would be capped and the temporary fencing would be removed.

Schedule

Key milestones for project implementation are summarized as follows:

• Complete Environmental Review: Fall 2018
• Develop Bid Construction Documents: Fall 2018
• Begin Construction: Winter 2019
• Complete Construction: Spring 2019
• Pilot Well Testing: Summer 2019

Environmental Determination

Pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, an Initial Study was prepared for the Project. The Initial Study describes the environmental impacts of the proposed Project, and suggests mitigation measures where necessary to reduce to a less-than-significant level impacts related to biological resources and cultural and tribal cultural resources. Testing of the pilot recharge well during Project operation would not generate significant impacts. Proposed mitigations will be implemented into the Project to ensure that the Project will not generate a significant adverse impact on the environment during construction. Based on this assessment, a Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared.

Environmental Documents

The Draft Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration (PDF) is available electronically online

A Responses to Comments document (PDF) and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program document have been prepared and is available for review online: Responses to Comments and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program). These document, along with the Draft IS/MND, will be before the Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors as the Final IS/MND on November 6, 2018 for consideration of adoption and project approval.