[House Document 105-152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-152
KAWEAH RIVER BASIN PROJECT, CALIFORNIA
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY (CIVIL WORKS), THE DEPARTMENT OF THE
ARMY
TRANSMITTING
A REPORT ON A FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION AND AGRICULTURAL WATER SUPPLY
PROJECT AT THE TERMINUS DAM, KAWEAH RIVER BASIN, CALIFORNIA, PURSUANT
TO PUB. L. 104-303, SEC. 101(b)(5)
October 21, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure and ordered to be printed
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Letter of Transmittal............................................ vii
Comments of the Office of Management and Budget.................. ix
Comments of the State of California.............................. x
Comments of the Department of the Interior....................... xi
Comments of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.............. xii
Comments of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission............. xiii
Comments of the Department of Transportation..................... xiv
Comments of the Environmental Protection Agency.................. xv
Letter to the Environmental Protection Agency.................... xvii
Report of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army......... 1
Addendum
Attachment 1. Sponsor Letters of Intent...................... 12
Appendix 1. Revised Detailed Cost Allocation--Ned Plan....... 14
Report of the District Engineer.................................. 18
Executive Summary............................................ 18
Chapter 1. Introduction...................................... 21
Purpose and Scope........................................ 22
Study Authority.......................................... 22
Study Partners and Coordination.......................... 22
Prior Studies and Reports................................ 24
Chapter 2. Study Area and Description........................ 28
Setting.................................................. 29
Terminus Dam and Kaweah River Basin.................. 29
Downstream Area...................................... 29
Tulare Lakebed....................................... 32
Existing Condition....................................... 35
Climate.............................................. 35
Geology and Soils.................................... 35
Seismicity and Faulting.............................. 36
Precipitation........................................ 38
Runoff............................................... 39
Mining............................................... 40
Population........................................... 40
Land Use............................................. 40
Socioeconomic Conditions............................. 40
Air Quality.......................................... 41
Noise................................................ 41
Water Supply......................................... 42
Water Quality........................................ 42
Vegetation and Wildlife.............................. 44
Fisheries............................................ 45
Potentially Affected Species......................... 46
Cultural Resources................................... 46
Recreation........................................... 47
Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Wastes (HTRW)...... 47
Existing Water Resource Projects......................... 48
Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah Basin................... 48
Southern California Edison Company Hydroelectric
Plants............................................. 51
Central Valley Project--Friant-Kern Canal............ 51
State Water Project--California Aqueduct............. 51
Mckays Point Weir.................................... 52
Channels............................................. 52
Spreading Basins..................................... 53
Levees............................................... 53
Tulare Lakebed....................................... 53
Future Condition Without--Project........................ 55
Land Use............................................. 55
Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah......................... 55
Chapter 3. Problems, Needs, and Opportunities................ 57
Flooding................................................. 58
General.............................................. 58
Flood Plains......................................... 58
Historic Flood Damages--Downstream Area.............. 60
Historic Flood Damages--Tulare Lakebed............... 61
Future Flooding...................................... 63
Lake Kaweah Sediment Storage............................. 64
Water Supply............................................. 65
Recreation............................................... 65
Hydropower............................................... 66
Chapter 4. Technical Studies................................. 68
Hydrology................................................ 68
Channel Capacities................................... 68
Unimpaired Rain Flow Frequency Curves--Kaweah River.. 68
Unimpaired Snowmelt Flow Frequency Curves............ 71
Unit Hydrograph, Loss Rates, and Base Flow........... 71
Standard Project Flood............................... 71
Regulated Peak Flow and Volume Flow Frequency Curves. 71
Flor to Tulare Lakebed from the Kings, Kaweah Tule,
Kern, and Local Streams............................ 75
Variation of Reservoir Storage....................... 75
Sedimentation........................................ 75
Reservioir Routings.................................. 75
Reservoir Operation.................................. 78
Wave Runup........................................... 78
Geotechnical Explorations................................ 79
Seismic Stability........................................ 79
Flood Plain Delineation.................................. 80
Alluvial Fan......................................... 80
Tulare Lakebed....................................... 80
Economics Analysis....................................... 86
Land Use in the Flood Plain.......................... 86
Damageable Structures................................ 88
Value of Property.................................... 88
Future Growth and Development........................ 88
Types of Damages..................................... 89
Depth-Damage Relationships........................... 89
Tulare Lakebed Damages............................... 89
Average Annual Damages............................... 91
Real Estate.............................................. 92
Environmental Studies.................................... 93
Enviornmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact
Report............................................. 93
Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste.............. 93
Chapter 5. Plan Formulation.................................. 94
Planning Objectives...................................... 95
Planning Criteria........................................ 95
Planning Constraints..................................... 96
Measures Considered...................................... 97
Measures................................................. 97
Nonstructural........................................ 97
Ground-Water Recharge/Increased Spreading Basins..... 99
Levee and Channel Construction....................... 100
Detention Basin Near Highway 99...................... 100
Detention Basin on Kaweah River Above Visalia........ 101
Pumping Into Friant-Kern Canal....................... 101
Storage Upstream from Terminus Dam................... 101
Removing Sediment from Lake Kaweah................... 101
Increased Storage at Lake Kaweah..................... 102
Flood Detention Dam on Dry Creek..................... 102
Dry Creek Reservoir.................................. 103
Limekiln Reservoir................................... 103
Limekiln Flood Detention Dam......................... 103
Preliminary Alternatives................................. 103
No Action............................................ 104
Increase Storage at Lake Kaweah (21-foot Spillway
Raise)............................................. 106
Flood Detention Dam on Dry Creek (27,000 acre-feet)
and Increase Storage at Lake Kaweah (42,600 acre-
feet).............................................. 107
Dry Creek Reservoir with (70,000 acre-feet Dry Creek
Dam) Increase Storage at Lake Kaweah and Tunnel
Connection to Lake Kaweah.......................... 108
Reformulation of Preliminary Alternatives................ 110
Completeness............................................. 110
Effectiveness............................................ 110
Efficiency............................................... 111
Spillway Options..................................... 111
NED Optimization-Benefits............................ 114
NED Optimization..................................... 124
Acceptability............................................ 128
Additional Alternative Formulation....................... 128
Raise Spillway at Terminus Dam by 21 Feet and Change
Precipitation Parameter (Locally Preferred Plan)... 128
Final Alternatives....................................... 128
Alternative 1--No Action............................. 128
Alternative 2--21-Foot NED Spillway Raise............ 129
Alternative 3--21-Foot LPP Spillway Raise............ 130
Comparison of Flood Damage Reduction Benefits........ 131
Comparison of Costs and Benefits..................... 131
Comparison of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation... 131
Chapter 6. The Selected Plan................................. 137
Plan Description......................................... 138
Flood Control Features............................... 138
Accomplishments...................................... 138
Hydrology............................................ 139
Flood Plain Effects.................................. 139
Flood Control Storage................................ 139
Reservoir Operation.................................. 142
Conservation Storage................................. 143
Recreation........................................... 143
Hydropower........................................... 144
Other Project Features............................... 146
Relocations.......................................... 146
Real Estate.......................................... 146
Environmental Impacts.................................... 147
HEP Analysis......................................... 147
Potentially Affected Species......................... 147
Cultural Resources................................... 149
Mitigation Costs..................................... 149
Project Cost............................................. 150
Economic Analysis........................................ 150
Bridge Replacement Benefits.......................... 152
Hydropower........................................... 152
Recreation........................................... 152
Employment Benefits.................................. 155
Benefit-To-Cost.......................................... 155
Risk and Uncertainty..................................... 156
Hydrology............................................ 156
Sedimentation Rate................................... 157
Seismic Stability.................................... 157
Environmental Mitigation............................. 157
Project Cost......................................... 158
Benefits............................................. 158
PED and Construction..................................... 158
Operation and Maintenance................................ 159
Selected Plan (NED Plan)................................. 159
Chapter 7. Plan Implementation............................... 160
Preliminary Cost Allocation.............................. 161
General.............................................. 161
Alternative Single-Purpose Project Costs............. 162
Separable Costs...................................... 163
Joint Use Costs...................................... 164
Allocated Costs--NED Plan................................ 164
Cost Apportionment--NED Plan............................. 166
General.............................................. 166
Allocated Costs--LPP..................................... 167
Cost Apportionment--LPP.................................. 169
Selected Plan Cost Allocation............................ 171
Federal Responsibilities................................. 172
Non-Federal Responsibilities............................. 172
Procedures for Implementation............................ 174
Non-Federal Financial Capabilities....................... 174
Views of Non-Federal Interests........................... 175
Chapter 8. Public Involvement................................ 176
Chapter 9. Conclusions....................................... 179
Chapter 10. Recommendations.................................. 181
RECOMMENDATION OF THE DIVISION ENGINEER.......................... 182
Plates
1. Spillway, Profile and Sections........................ 186
2. Lake Kaweah, Plan of Improvements Details and Curves.. 187
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT. 188
APPENDICES ACCOMPANYING THE REPORT OF THE DISTRICT ENGINEER
(Appendices Not Printed)
Appendices:
A. Basis of Design and Cost Estimates.
B. Hydrology.
C. Economics.
D. Water Supply.
E. Flood Plain Determination.
F. Real Estate Appraisal.
G. Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste.
H. Financial Capability.