The City of Rio Dell constructed a water intake system that consists of an infiltration gallery and wet well located within the Eel River. The purpose of the project was to provide a permanent water supply that can reliably serve the present and future needs of the City of Rio Dell. The former water supply facility, located immediately upstream of the proposed project at the foot of the Eagle Prairie Bridge, was installed under emergency circumstances and was designed to be a temporary supply system only. Recurrent system failures led to domestic water shortages for the city’s residents. Interruption of the water supply can result in public health, safety, and welfare threats.

The project was reviewed pursuant to CEQA for consistency with state environmental law and compliance with City policies regarding land use, sensitive species, and biologically significant habitat types, or other resources for which protective policies are identified in the General Plan or other documents. SHN’s planners and biologists achieved consistency with recently adopted policies. The project was also subject to jurisdictional requirements of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, State Water Resources Control Board, North Coast RWQCB, California Department of Fish and Game, Department of Health Services, and North Coast Regional Air Quality Management Board.

SHN served as the City of Rio Dell’s engineer, for all phases of the project, and representative at agency and public meetings prior to approval and adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and other project design features.

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