Alternative Locations (click to enlarge)

Since 1992, SMWD has been reviewing possible emergency storage reservoir sites in the area. In all, nine potential locations for this project were initially identified. By 2004, this number had been reduced to just four potential sites, including the Upper Chiquita site in Chiquita Canyon (SMWD’s current proposal).

Because this location was identified early as potentially the most stable, most viable location, beginning in 1994 SMWD participated with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game in the creation of a Natural Community Conservation Plan for the area. This plan allowed for the future construction of the facility in ways that would proactively manage habitat and wildlife in the area.

In selecting a location, SMWD used the following criteria to evaluate the feasibility of a reservoir facility:

• Is it located within the SMWD service area?
• Is the elevation of the site compatible with system hydraulics?
• Is the site large enough to meet the project’s needs?
• Can the reservoir be covered (to protect water quality) in the selected location?
• Is the site safe, given the area’s geotechnical conditions?
• Will environmental regulations (endangered species, wetlands, etc.) allow for a reservoir to be built in the location?
• Is the site compatible with current and future land-use designations?

Other locations considered
Over the years, five potential sites were rejected because they did not meet these criteria. Three of the sites were further studied, but ultimately not chosen for the reasons listed below.

Plano Trabuco
Located northeast of Plano Trabuco Road, this site is outside SMWD’s service area. It was rejected because there were potential land-use conflicts with the proposed specific plan for the Northeast Future Planned Community. Additionally, the site would require significant grading operations, causing environmental challenges related to the substantial amount of dirt that would be required to be removed. It was also apparent that the site could have only been acquired by SMWD through condemnation – an uncertain and potentially very costly process.

Lower Chiquita
This site is located on the east side of Chiquita Canyon, approximately 1.5 miles east of Ladera and two miles north of Ortega Highway. A reservoir in this area would be compatible with the Rancho Mission Viejo Ranch Plan, and would not be visible to future residential developments in the vicinity due to intervening topographical conditions.

However, the site was ultimately not selected because of significant potential impacts to threatened and endangered species and their habitat, and because of known cultural resources on the Lower Chiquita site. Also, geologists found that the Lower Chiquita site alternative was slightly less favorable than the Upper Chiquita location because extensive buttressing would be required to stabilize the perimeter slopes. Finally, because the site is at a low elevation relative to much of the area it would serve, it could not feed automatically into the system if power were unavailable.

Upper Christianitos
The Upper Christianitos site is located south of Ortega Highway, about five miles east of Antonio Parkway. Extensive studies revealed that geotechnical considerations preclude a viable reservoir in this location, and its remote location would increase construction and operation costs.