Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Project Alternatives Development

The Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Project is one of the Phase 1 Projects identified in the Stipulation of Settlement (Settlement) in Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), et al. v. Kirk Rodgers, et al. which created the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. Paragraph 11(a)(1) of the Settlement stipulates the creation of a bypass channel around the Mendota Pool, a hub of water supply infrastructure in California, to ensure conveyance of at least 4,500 cfs from Reach 2B downstream. Paragraph 11(a)(2) of the Settlement stipulates increases in channel capacity, incorporating new floodplain habitat and related riparian habitat, to ensure conveyance of at least 4,500 cfs between an upstream flood control bypass and the new Mendota Pool Bypass. All alternatives include control structures, fish passage facilities, over twenty miles of new levees, acquisition of approximately 2,000 acres, and floodplain excavation, grading, and revegetation. This presentation will discuss how the San Joaquin River Restoration Program is balancing Chinook salmon life stage habitat and passage requirements, agricultural land use changes, and operational requirements.