Birds at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Credit: Linda Gast

April 10, 2018 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released final environmental documents for the installation of a well as a replacement water supply for the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

The well is part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program’s Eastside Bypass Improvements Project, aimed at improving levee stability, increasing channel capacity and improving fish passage in the Eastside Bypass. Other elements of the project include modifications to existing structures, including the removal of two weirs to facilitate fish passage for federally and state-listed salmonids and other native fish. Removal of the weirs has the potential to impact refuge operations. Therefore, the proposed action includes replacing an existing non-operational well with a new well to provide an alternate water supply for the refuge.

The documents are available at: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=30741. For additional information or to request a hard-copy, please contact Rebecca Victorine at 916-978-4624 or rvictorine@usbr.gov.

More information on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program is available at www.restoresjr.net.
Source: BOR