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The proposed Tapia Ranch project is located on the US. Geological Survey’s 7.5 Minute
Newhall, California quadrangle, within Township 5N, Range 16W, and includes portions of
Sections 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32. The project site surrounds three existing single-family
residences; otherwise the site is directly surrounded by open space or undeveloped land. The
project site is zoned by the County of Los Angeles as A-2-2 (Heavy Agriculture, two acre
minimum lot size) and is largely undeveloped.

Tapia Canyon Road and other smaller dirt roads traverse the project site and provide access to
private properties. The project site has remnants of previous land uses, such as cattle grazing
and homesteading. Active oil production occurred on the project site during the 1950’s,
according to records of the California Department of Mines and Geology. Currently, a total of
fifteen abandoned oil wells and one active oil well exist on the project site. These 15 abandoned
oil wells were never producing and have been capped in compliance with applicable regulations.
Oil well extraction machinery and associated structures are located in the southern portion of
the project site. The portion of the project site that contains the active oil well is not proposed for
development; however, development activity is proposed around several abandoned oil wells.
The remainder of the proposed project site is presently undeveloped and has been utilized for
recreational hiking, biking and equestrian trail riding. The proposed development and land uses
surrounding the project site are presented on Figure 3.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (MWD) 150-foot wide underground
aqueduct traverses the site in a northwest to southeast direction. The aqueduct transports State
Water Project water from Castaic Lake to the Joseph Jensen Filtration Plant in Los Angeles
County. MWD has no surface rights to the earth above the aqueduct within the project site
footprint, and development is permissible directly above the pipeline.

The project site is located within and above Tapia Canyon. Hillsides, ridgelines, and drainage
course areas lie to the north and south of the proposed development area on the site and
represent the site’s most prominent natural features. Topography in the vicinity of the project
site is mountainous, with on-site elevations ranging between approximately 1,100 and
1,800 feet above mean sea level (msl); elevations in areas adjacent to the project site vary from
approximately 1,100 to 1,900 above msl.

The Tapia Canyon drainage course traverses the southern portion of the project site in a
northeast to southwest direction. This intermittent blue line drainage course with a varying width
runs the length of Tapia Canyon on the project site, and joins Castaic Creek offsite
approximately one mile to the west. Periodic water releases from Castaic Dam, located at the
southern end of Castaic Lagoon, flows into Castaic Creek.

Seven vegetation types were mapped on the project site in 2005, and other riparian vegetation
types are located in offsite areas that will be improved as part of the project. The site is largely
dominated by chaparral vegetation and includes holly-leaf cherry scrub, coastal sage scrub,
coastal live oak woodlands, Fremont cottonwood riparian woodlands, California annual
grasslands, and ruderal. The coastal sage scrub on the project site is dominated by California
sagebrush, purple sage, California buckwheat, and black sage. No threatened or endangered
plant species have been identified on the project site.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project proposes to develop 405 detached single-family residential homes within the
1,167-acre site, which would result in a gross project density of 0.35 dwelling units per acre.
Approximately 308.5 acres would be disturbed by grading and development of these homes and
infrastructure. Of this acreage, approximately 195.4 acres would ultimately be covered by

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