San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area

Resource Management Plan and General Plan Cooperative Planning Effort

The Bureau of Reclamation and California State Parks, in a cooperative effort, prepared a Resource Management Plan and General Plan (RMP/GP) for the San Luis Reservoir area in order to provide coordinated direction for recreation and resource management of San Luis Reservoir and surrounding lands for the next 25 years while continuing to serve the primary purpose of water storage and distribution.  To comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this document also includes a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) to determine the potential effects of implementing the RMP/GP.  The RMP/GP sets forth goals and guidelines for cohesive management of the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (SRA) and adjacent lands known as the Plan Area which consists of two geographically separate areas totaling over 27,000 acres in the vicinity of Los Banos, California.  The Plan Area includes the water surfaces of San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, Los Banos Creek Reservoir, as well as adjacent recreation lands.

San Luis Reservoir, O’Neill Forebay, and Los Banos Creek Reservoir are part of the system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants, and pumping stations operated under the California State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP).  Reclamation constructed the facilities and Department of Water Resources operates the water storage and delivery components.  The Department of Parks and Recreation was given the responsibility to plan, design, construct, maintain, and operate the recreation areas surrounding the reservoirs.

The San Luis Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay and adjacent lands lie north and south of State Route (SR) 152.   Los Banos Creek Reservoir and adjacent lands lie approximately 8 miles to the southeast.  San Luis Reservoir and SR 152 are in the latitudinal center of the State of California.  The western portion of SR 152 provides access to Interstate 5, which is approximately 1 mile east of the Plan Area.  SR 33 and the unincorporated community of Santa Nella are 2 miles northeast of San Luis Reservoir.  Other nearby cities are Los Banos, approximately 6 miles east of Plan Area, and Gilroy, 38 miles to the west.  The Plan Area is in the foothills of the Diablo Range and bordered on the west by the hilly terrain that separates the range from the San Joaquin Valley.

Construction on San Luis Reservoir began in 1963 and was completed in 1967, with planned joint use by the California State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP).  The Bureau of Reclamation constructed the reservoir and owns the land, and the Department of Water Resources operates the water storage and conveyance facilities.  San Luis Reservoir was built as part of the system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants, and pumping stations operated under SWP and CVP.  The reservoir has a capacity of two million acre-feet and is the largest off-stream reservoir in the United States.  Water stored in San Luis Reservoir is pumped through O’Neill Forebay from the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, which in turn is fed by the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota Canal.  The function of San Luis Reservoir is to store and regulate water pumped from the Delta for use in the San Joaquin Valley and southern California.

Los Banos Creek Reservoir was completed in 1965 to prevent storm runoff from flooding of the California Aqueduct and the Delta Mendota Canal.  The reservoir has a capacity of 34,600 acre-feet.

The objectives of the joint RMP/GP were to establish management objectives, guidelines, and actions implemented by Reclamation directly, or through its recreation contract with Department of Parks and Recreation, that protects the water supply and water quality functions of San Luis Reservoir; protects and enhances natural and cultural resources in the SRA, consistent with Federal law and Reclamation policies and provides recreational opportunities and facilities consistent with the Central Valley Project purposes and the policies of the Department of Parks and Recreation and Bureau of Reclamation.

PUBLIC MEETING: A public meeting to receive comments from individuals and organizations on the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area Draft RMP/GP and Draft EIS/Revised Draft EIR has been scheduled for August 23, 2012, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the California State Parks Four Rivers Sector Office, 31426 Gonzaga Road, Gustine, CA 95322. Representatives from California State Parks will be present at this meeting and will be available to discuss the project overview, its potential environmental effects, and proposed mitigation.

Resource Management Plan and General Plan (RMP/GP) Documents:
Cover to Chapter 2 (198 pages; 6 MB)
Chapter 3 to Document End (309 pages; 5.5 MB)
Complete Document (507 pages; 11.6 MB)

State Clearinghouse:
Notice of Availability - Public Comment Period Ends 10/5/12
Notice of Completion (NOC) - Public Comment Period Ends 10/5/12