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?ate of Ct►iifania The RNourets Agency Ike m or 0 hd u m 1. Projects Coordinator Dvi July 17 , 1990 Resources Agency 2 . Mr. Richard Larrouy San Joaquin County Planning Division 1810 East Hazelton Avenue Stockton, CA 95205 Frim i Department of Fish and Gum* ,dee : Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Proposed Claude C. Woods Quarry Excavation, San Joaquin County, (SCH 90020113) The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has reviewed the Draft EIR for the Claude C. Woods Excavation project. The project is located along the Mokelumne River near Clements, San Joaquin County. The project consists of an appli-::--,tion for a quarry excavation permit to remove 2 . 4 million tons of rock sand, and gravel from a 120-acre site. The project will also involve the relocation of a private bridge over the Mokelumne River. Wildlife habitat conditions consist primarily of agricultural lands orchards and row crops) in the area to be excavated. Significant wildlife habitats include remnant oak woodland savanna along the bluff area that forms the southern boundary of the project, and a well developed riparian wetland corridor along the Mokelumne River. Following are our comments: In eneralt the Draft ETR does a good job of discussing the pro ect's impacts upon fish and wildlife. However, the Draft EIR leaves several unresolved issues raised by the DFG in its response to the Notice of Preparation NOP) . In DFG' s response to the NOP, we noted the projectts potential for siltation, pollution, entrapment of fish, and changes in the course of the Mokelumne River brought on by high stream Bows. The Draft EIR acknowledges 1 that relocation of the private bridge, hauling raw materials across the bridge, levee failure during high water periods, and discharge of accumulated water in the excavation site all present serious threats of pollution and siltation of the Mokelumne River. However, the Draft EIR does not provide adequate assurances to protect the fish and wildlife from these sources of habitat degradation. 094 We recommend that the Draft EIR be revised to include measures that would avoid the threat of pollution or siltation of the Mokelumne River from these sources . In addition to the mitigation measures offered in the Biology Section (3 . 3) of the Draft EIR, we 2 recommend the adoption of the "no river crossing" alternative. This alternative represents the least environmentally damaging alternative and eliminates sources of pollution and siltation arising from relocating the bridge and hauling raw materials