4.3 Water Resources
WATER RESOURCES
4.3
Potential impacts to water resources (e.g., chemical properties and turbidity) would primarily occur at the
borrow sites as result of dredging, and in nearshore waters adjacent to the beach receiver sites as a result
of their construction. There is also the potential for impacts to occur due to accidental leaks from land-
based construction equipment, although these scenarios are more speculative. The complete technical
analysis is contained in Appendix D. This section summarizes the potential impacts in terms of receiver
sites, borrow sites, and other construction issues. The season of construction, late summer or spring, would
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not affect the conclusions in this analysis.
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4.3.1
Significance Criteria
Impacts to water resources are considered in terms of water quality and associated regulations. An impact
to water resources would be significant if it would:
adversely affect water quality in the long-term;
endanger public health by creating or worsening health hazards conditions;
threaten or damage unique biological characteristics, primarily due to turbidity; or
violate the water quality criteria in the California Ocean Plan.
Alternative 1
4.3.2
Impacts of Alternative 1a
Receiver Sites
None of the fill material would exceed the criteria established in the California Ocean Plan for bacteria,
dissolved oxygen, contaminants and sulfides, nutrients or pH and there would be no impacts associated with
placement of fill material at the receiver sites. The main issue of concern in the nearshore environment is
turbidity. The analysis of turbidity at receiver sites focuses on groups of sites that would receive material
from the same borrow site since turbidity would be a direct consequence of the material type to be placed
on the shore. Generally, fine grain silt/clay materials, of less than 63 m in size, would remain suspended
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
Page 4.3-1
99-69\SANDAG EIREA 4.1 to 4.13.wpd 7/17/00
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