Gaviota Creek Improvement Project
For information about the Tuesday, November 1, 2022 Virtual Public Meeting, please see below or click the following link:
Project Description
The project is divided into two components:
Tier 1 (Program-level analysis)— The project proposes to restore historical fish access at several locations along Gaviota Creek and U.S. 101 in Santa Barbara County. The project will address deficiencies of several existing grade control structures and culverts that present barriers to fish passage. Barriers would be removed and replaced with a roughened channel. Additional retaining structures or modifications to existing structures will be built to strengthen and stabilize the creek bank and highway shoulders. Foundation work could be required at some locations to strengthen the existing concrete retaining system.
Tier 2 (Project-level analysis)— Segment A and Segment C constitute the initial Tier 2 projects.
Segment A: Five grade control structures are located along Gaviota Creek on the west side of U.S. 101 from post miles 46.9 to 47.2, near the northbound Gaviota Rest Area and the entrance to the Gaviota Tunnel. The California Fish Passage Advisory Committee has identified the grade control structures located within Segment A as priority locations within Caltrans District 5 for improvement to accommodate fish passage. The Caltrans 2019 Fish Passage Annual Legislative Report estimates that approximately 28.37 cumulative miles of Steelhead habitat is found upstream of these barriers. The weirs would be removed and replaced with a roughened channel with jump heights not to exceed 6 inches. Additional retaining structures or modifications to existing structures will be constructed to stabilize the creek bank and highway shoulders.
- Grade Control Structure 1 post mile 46.92
- Grade Control Structure 2 post mile 46.95
- Grade Control Structure 3 post mile 47.12
- Grade Control Structure 4 post mile 47.15
- Grade Control Structure 5 post mile 47.19
Segment C: One existing concrete box culvert, also referred to as the Giorgi Culvert, located at post mile 49.6 will be removed and replaced with a single span bridge. The existing culvert system includes an 11-by-10-foot reinforced concrete box structure. This culvert has been identified as a fish passage barrier and this project proposes to replace the barrier with a single span bridge. The proposed bridge would be approximately 125 feet wide and 60 feet long. Two additional adjoining culverts would be impacted as result of this replacement. A 4-foot corrugated steel pipe and an 18-inch corrugated steel pipe that join the box culvert would be removed and/or relocated depending on the results of hydraulic studies and subsurface investigations. Additionally, an existing driveway located south of the culvert for access to private property east of U.S. 101 will require realignment due to the placement of the bridge structure.
A tiered approach is being used to reduce time and to improve efficiency by eliminating repetitive analyses of issues that were addressed in the Tier 1 program level evaluation. All components of the project will be analyzed under one document and implemented in phases as funding becomes available.
Project Benefits
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to address fish passage barriers in Gaviota Creek, improve and restore drainage conditions in and adjacent to Gaviota Creek, and stabilize the structures supporting the US 101 highway shoulder and embankment.
Need
This project is needed because scour has undermined several existing grade control structures, culverts, sack-concrete bank protection, and retaining walls in Gaviota Creek. A culvert system at post mile 49.6 has several deficiencies with the potential to undermine its structure, including substantial scour at the culvert’s outlet. These conditions create barriers for the endangered southern California steelhead population and threatens the stability of US 101 if left unaddressed.
Documents
Accessibility Assistance: Caltrans makes every attempt to ensure our documents are accessible. Due to variances between assistive technologies, there may be portions of this document which are not accessible. Where documents cannot be made accessible, we are committed to providing alternative access to the content. Should you need additional assistance, please contact us at (916) 654-2852 or visit https://dot.ca.gov/request-ada-compliant-documents.
If you have comments on the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report, environmental factors potentially affected, and project alternatives, please submit to Caltrans no later than 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 16, 2022. Written comments can be mailed to:
California Department of Transportation, District 5
Attention: Jason Wilkinson
50 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Or emailed to:
Jason.wilkinson@dot.ca.gov
Project Contact
Meg Henry, Project Manager
Phone: (805) 441-3792
Email: meg.henry@dot.ca.gov
Dianna Beck, Associate Environmental Planner
Phone: (805) 459-9106
Email: dianna.beck@dot.ca.gov
Public Information Office, Caltrans District 5
Phone: (805) 549-3318
Email: info-d5@dot.ca.gov
Virtual Public Meeting Information
A virtual public scoping meeting was held on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. To view the presentation, please visit: https://youtu.be/YAz2O2xRzrA
Title VI Information
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assures that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and Federal Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations).
Caltrans will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether they are federally funded or not, and that services and benefits are fairly distributed to all people, regardless of race, color, or national origin. In addition, Caltrans will facilitate meaningful participation in the transportation planning process in a nondiscriminatory manner.
- Title VI Brochure (English, PDF)
- Title VI Brochure (Spanish, PDF)
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Caltrans Information)