FAHCE is the acronym for the Fish and Aquatic Habitat Collaborative Effort, a collaborative process to identify actions to balance fish and aquatic habitat needs with Valley Water’s water supply operations. The program seeks to improve aquatic spawning and rearing habitat and fish passage for migration to and from the watersheds of the Coyote and Stevens Creeks and Guadalupe River. These actions include:
- Modifications to reservoir operations to provide instream flows
- Restoration measures to improve habitat conditions and provide fish passage
- Monitoring and adaptive management
Environmental and community benefits includes providing flows to improve habitat conditions; resolving water rights concerns; and complying with regulatory requirements. The program is funded through Valley Water’s utility fund.
A video on FAHCE program can be viewed from https://youtu.be/ZaqCkI0Kwlc (uploaded on August 2, 2024).
History and Background
- History of FAHCE Program - (Updated 2021)
- FAHCE 101 Video - Overview of the FAHCE Program (As of January 2021)
- 2003 Settlement Agreement Regarding Water Rights of the Santa Clara Valley Water District on Coyote, Guadalupe, and Stevens Creeks
In 1996, the Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation District filed a complaint with the State Water Resources Control Board over the Valley Water’s use of water rights in the Stevens Creek, Coyote Creek and Guadalupe River watersheds. FAHCE was established to resolve this complaint.
In 2003, Valley Water initialed a Settlement Agreement (SA) regarding water rights with the Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation District, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service and a group of nongovernmental organizations, including Trout Unlimited, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, California Trout, Urban Creeks Council and the Northern California Council of Federation of Fly Fishers. The 2003 SA provides a roadmap for resolving water rights complaint and for improving habitat conditions for fish in the three watershed areas.
Work in Progress
- FAHCE Fish Monitoring Program
- FAHCE Adaptive Management Program
- Modify water rights licenses with the State Water Resources Control Board.
- Obtain California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Lake and Stream Alteration Agreements associated with water diversions
- Secure resource agency permits
Environmental Documents
Valley Water proposed a Fish Habitat Restoration Plan (FHRP) to carry out the actions listed above aimed to implement the Settlement Agreement Regarding Water Rights of the Santa Clara Valley Water District on Coyote, Guadalupe, and Stevens Creeks, initialed by the Initialing Parties in 2003 (See History and background below). On August 8, Valley Water Board of Directors certified a FAHCE Final Environmental Impact Review (EIR) for Phase 1 flow and non-flow measures under the FAHCE Settlement for the Stevens Creek and the Guadalupe River watersheds.
- Notice of Determination for Certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report -(Signed August 8, 2023)
- FAHCE Final Program Environmental Impact Report - (Released on June 30, 2023)
- FAHCE Draft Program Environmental Impact Report - (Released on June 30, 2021)
- Presentation Materials, June 19, 2017 Scoping Meeting
- Notice of Preparation, February 2015
The flow and non-flow measures identified in FAHCE Phase 1 for Coyote Creek will be analyzed as a part of the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project (ADSRP) EIR.
Water Rights Petitions for Change
- Application 7143: Stevens Creek Reservoir on Stevens Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 4918, License 2207)
- Application 5653: Alamitos Diversion on Guadalupe River in Santa Clara County (Permit 3009, License 6943)
- Application 7142: Guadalupe Reservoir on Guadalupe Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 4917, License 2206)
- Application 9455: Masson Diversion on Guadalupe Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 5428, License 2837)
- Application 7141: Almaden Reservoir on Alamitos Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 4916, License 2205)
- Application 8099: Almaden-Calero Canal on Alamitos Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 4920, License 2209)
- Application 8098: Calero Reservoir on Calero Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 4929, License 2208)
- Application 5654: Kirk Diversion on Los Gatos Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 3010, License 11791)
- Application 8387: Vasona Reservoir on Los Gatos Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 3010, License 6944)
- Application 11751: Lexington Reservoir on Los Gatos Creek in Santa Clara County (Permit 7689, License 5729)
Board and Committee Related Items
- Stream Planning and Operations Committee (SPOC) (formerly FAHCE Ad Hoc Committee)
- Board Agenda Items
- Other Board Committee Agenda Items
For More Information
- Ryan Heacock, Senior Water Resources Specialist, 408-630-3202
- Sarah Young, Senior Project Manager, 408-630-2468
- Tony Mercado, Public Information Rep, 408-630-2342
- Use “Access Valley Water” to submit questions, complains or compliments.