Catch Creative, Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration [Photograph]. https://esassoc.com/projects/lookout-slough-tidal-habitat-restoration-and-flood-improvement-project/

BACKGROUND

The Yolo Bypass/Cache Slough Region, located primarily in Solano and Yolo Counties, is dominated by agricultural but also features key water infrastructure serving local farms and municipalities. The area also supports flood protection and targeted for habitat restoration. As habitat restoration progresses and fish populations rebound, water intake operators are concerned about potential impacts to endangered species, which could affect their operations and water security. To address this concern, federal and California Incidental Take Permits (ITPs) and a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) are being developed. The Cache Slough HCP (HCP) is a planning document required for the ITP applications, which would provide ESA protections for local participating water intake owners and operators in the Cache Slough region (HCP area map).

The HCP is being developed in coordination with Federal, State, and Local agencies through the HCP Steering Committee and the Yolo Bypass/Cache Slough Partnership (Partnership)¹ .

What the HCP does:

• Provide Regulatory assurances for water intake diverters: The HCP will outline measures to minimize and mitigate the impacts of water diversions on listed fish species, providing legal protection for water users under the ESA.
• Address potential increased risk to listed fish from entrainment: Entrainment, the process of fish being drawn into water intakes, can harm or kill endangered species. The HCP will identify strategies to help reduce this risk, such as supporting willing intake owners on the installation of fish screens at intake structures.
• Ensure long-term security of water supplies: By addressing ESA concerns, the HCP will help ensure the continued availability of water for agriculture, municipal use, and other needs in the region.

Who is involved:

• Solano County: Solano County, in collaboration with the Department of Water Resources and the HCP Steering Committee, is leading the development of the HCP and ITPs on behalf of participating intake owners and operators.
• California Department of Water Resources (DWR): DWR is funding the development of the HCP, associated environmental documents, studies, and fish screens on two intakes.
• HCP Steering Committee: This committee includes representatives from local reclamation districts, water agencies, DWR, representatives of intake operators in Yolo County, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA).
• Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Partnership: Member representatives from this group, consisting of 16 federal, state, and local agencies, are coordinating the development of the HCP and ITPs.

HCP Plan Area: map  

• The HCP will cover existing water intakes located in the HCP Plan area map within eastern Solano County and a portion of Yolo County along the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel.

¹The Partnership is a 15-member consortium of federal, state, and local agencies established through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2015 to further multiple objectives in the Yolo Bypass/Cache Slough Region

LANDOWNER/INTAKE OPERATOR MEETINGS
District Meetings:

October 10, 2024, Thursday, 1 PM – Reclamation District 2068 Board, 7178 Yolano Rd. Dixon CA 95620

October 15, 2024, Tuesday, 2 PM - Maine Prairie Water District Board, 6595 Pitt School Rd, Dixon, CA 95620

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAQs
Landowner/Intake Operator Survey
HCP development schedule/timeline

HISTORIC MEETING MATERIALS
2020 – HCP Overview/Kickoff Workshop Presentation and
          Video Recording

2021 – HCP Process and Conservation Plan Presentation and 
          Cache Slough Landowner & Resource Agencies Presentation 

RESOURCES
-- CA Water and Resource Delta Projects
-- CA Fish and Wildlife
-- US Fish and Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Plans
-- National Marine Fisheries Service
-- Yolo Bypass Cache Slough Partnership

CONTACT US
[email protected]