ARCHIVED REPORTS_DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

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The population of the City of Manteca has increased from 40,773 residents in the year 1990 to 49,258 residents in the year 2000 which equates to a net change of approximately 21% (City of Manteca 2003b). Population growth in both the City of Manteca and San Joaquin County as a whole is expected to continue in the future,as shown in Table 5-4,putting continued pressure on agricultural lands for conversion. Table 5-4 Population Projections for the City of Manteca and San Joaquin County Year City of Manteca San Joaquin County 2000 49,500 566,600 2005 56,874 633,348 2010 64,248 700,095 2015 71,622 766,843 2020 77,699 821,851 2025 86,370 900,338 Source:City of Manteca 2003b With or without implementation of the proposed project,the trend of land conversion from agricultural uses to urban and other nonagricultural uses(including wildlife habitat enhancement) in the Central Valley would continue. In San Joaquin County,the acreage of remaining Important Farmland is expected to substantially decrease from approximately 630,000 in the year 2000 to 520,000 in the year 2040 and 270,000 in the year 2080 as a result of urbanization(San Joaquin County 2000). It is likely that other future projects would convert agricultural lands to nonagricultural uses. These agricultural lands may or may not be designated Important Farmland and/or be under Williamson Act contracts. Because the majority of these future projects are not yet in the environmental planning stage,the acreage of Important Farmland that could be converted by these projects is not known. However,it can be expected from various projections that the acreage of Important Farmland in San Joaquin County will decline. The project would contribute incrementally to this decline. The permanent conversion of 41 acres of Important Farmland in the project area to nonagricultural use is considered a cumulatively considerable(i.e., significant) impact when considered in connection with the significant cumulative losses that will occur as a result of the project,past farmland conversions, and planned future development in the City of Manteca, surrounding communities, and San Joaquin County as a whole. The City would contribute financial resources to assist in offsetting the conversion of Important Farmland. The city would use these agricultural mitigation resources to purchase conservation easements on agricultural lands and/or farmland deed restrictions thus providing greater protection to these farmlands in San Joaquin County. However, implementation of this measure would not fully mitigate the project's cumulatively considerable contribution to the loss of agricultural land in San Joaquin County; therefore, cumulative impacts would be significant and the project's incremental contribution would also be significant. 5.3.2 VISUAL RESOURCES Past and current development in the project area has increasingly changed the visual character along SR 120, Airport Way, and Woodward Avenue from agricultural and open space uses to urban uses,thus altering and limiting the views available to motorists on these roadways. This trend would continue as future projects are implemented in the region and the project would contribute to this cumulative change in views. As development proceeds in the Manteca region as a whole, substantial changes in visual conditions would continue as agricultural lands and open space are replaced by urban development. Increased urban development would also lead to EDAW Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR Cumulative Impacts 5-12 City of Manteca