05 - Newport Bay Water Wheel Project — Adoption of Mitigated Negative Declaration

Newport Bay Water Wheel Project —Adoption of Mitigated Negative Declaration September 25, 2018 Page 2 OPC staff have recommended approval/funding of the grant proposal. The OPC Council will consider approval of the grant application at its October 25, 2018 board meeting. An OPC condition of approval is to have CEQA for the project complete and adopted. DISCUSSION: Every year, large volumes of trash and debris enter Newport Bay from the Santa Ana - Delhi Channel (SAD) and San Diego Creek (SDC), and subsequently ends up on the inter -tidal areas around Upper Bay and deposits on beaches at the Newport Dunes and around the lower harbor. Some trash and debris exits the Harbor Jetty directly into the open ocean and potential deposits on the beaches along the Balboa Peninsula, and down coast to Big Corona Beach. In addition, a portion of the trash becomes embedded in the bay sediments. The Water Wheel (Attachment C) is a proposed water quality improvement project for Newport Bay. This project is also one of the goals/objectives for the City's Water Quality/Coastal Tidelands Committee. Councilmember Avery chairs the committee and at its September 6, 2018 meeting, the committee passed a motion to support the project. This facility is designed to capture floatable trash, from both dry -weather as well as storm flows, generated from the 120 square mile up -stream tributary area that passes through San Diego Creek into the bay. With implementation ofthe San Diego Creek Water Wheel, along with the recently completed Santa Ana -Delhi Regional Trash Capture Facility, combined with the City's extensive local storm drain system trash collection efforts, the Bay should immediately experience trash load reductions of 50 - 80%, an important step toward more fully protecting subtidal and intertidal habitats. The construction period is anticipated to take place within a six-month period and currently proposed to begin in the spring of 2020. At its meeting of February 13, 2018, the City Council authorized and supported through Resolution 2018-6 the application for Proposition 1 grant funds from the Ocean Protection Council for this project. The City grant application was successful and OPC staff is recommending full funding for the project. The OPC board will consider approval of the grant application at its October 25, 2018 board meeting in Santa Cruz. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: An MND has been prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, in accordance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and City Council Policy K-3. A copy of the MND is available on the City's website, at each Newport Beach Public Library, and at the Community Development Department at City Hall. In addition, 15 hardcopies and one electronic copy was mailed to the State Clearinghouse; one hard copy and one electronic copy was hand - delivered to the Orange County, County Clerk; and one hard copy and one electronic copy were mailed to six different local interested parties. 5-2