ARCHIVED REPORTS_DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

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5.3.5 PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES Cumulative impacts to paleontological resources are based on analysis of past,present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions in the vicinity of the proposed project in combination with potential effects of implementing the project. Paleontological resources in project area and vicinity would be located within sediments of the Modesto Formation,which is a rock unit of high paleontological sensitivity under the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology guidelines. A vertebrate fossil site at Littlejohns Creek(UCMP V-5107)has been recorded in sediments of the Modesto Formation within two miles of the project area. This site yielded 7 specimens from Rancholabrean-age Columbian mammoth,horse, and an unidentified carnivore.Another vertebrate fossil specimen(Rancholabrean-age Columbian mammoth)was recovered from sediments of the Modesto Formation in the City of Lathrop, 3 miles west of the WQCF site. Previous development activities disturbed,destroyed,or compromised numerous paleontological resources. This would be a cumulatively significant impact. However,because no significant paleontological resources have been identified within the project area,the project's incremental contribution would not be considerable and this would be less-than- significant cumulative impact. 5.3.9 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY SURFACE WATER QUALITY The proposed project and other related projects would require use of a storm water pollution prevention plan to ensure compliance with future applicable storm water discharge permits. These and related actions (e.g., implementation of BMPs)that would be taken would ensure that future construction and operation of the WQCF facilities and control of stormwater runoff would result in less-than-significant cumulative stormwater quality impacts in adjacent water bodies. Numerous future projects, actions, and programs will be implemented over the next 20 years that will affect Delta water quality. Key factors that will affect further Delta water quality include,but are not necessarily limited to the following: ► Urban growth and other land use changes and associated runoff, ► Agricultural practices and regulations intended to control agricultural pollutant runoff, ► System-wide hydrology as affected by diversions and Central Valley Project/State Water Project operations, ► Mine drainage controls, and ► Point-source discharges. The collective effects on surface water quality within the project vicinity(i.e.,downstream of the outfall)is not possible to know at this point.While some water quality effects may be adverse, a number of regulatory programs (as discussed above)will improve water quality. Although there are numerous ongoing and fixture State programs that are intended to improve Delta water quality,planned and approved growth will continue to occur in the Sacramento metropolitan area and communities throughout the Sacramento River and Delta watersheds over the next two decades. The increase in size of the urban area will likely lead to increased discharges of treated wastewater to the San Joaquin River and Delta, increased urban runoff, and possibly greater volumes of storm water runoff due to increased amounts of impervious area within the watershed. Programs and regulations that affect water quality are becoming increasingly stringent,which may offset, in whole or in part,these changes. Also,project-specific urban runoff and storm water discharge mitigation measures will be required as planned growth occurs. It should be acknowledged that the regulatory system under the CWA is geared to prevent significant adverse changes in water quality. Further,TMDL programs are intended to result in net reductions in pollutant concentrations that exceed the"assimilative capacity"of the affected waterway. Thus, it could be argued that regulatory requirements will result in improved water quality in the future for listed parameters in listed water EDAW Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR Cumulative Impacts 5-16 City of Manteca