3.2 Biological Resources
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
3.2 Biological Resources 3.2.1 Introduction and Summary This section presents the environmental setting and potential impacts to biological resources associated with the Proposed Project and alternatives. It also presents mitigation measures for potential impacts to biological resources. Each discussion is arranged, according to four geographic subregions, and addresses biological resources associated with habitat types in each geographic subregion: LCR, IID water service area and AAC, Salton Sea, and SDCWA service area. Table 3.2-1 summarizes the impacts to biological resources that could result from implementation of the Proposed Project or alternatives. TABLE 3.2-1 Summary of Impacts to Biological Resources Proposed Project: Alternative 1: Alternative 2: Alternative 3: Alternative 4: 300 KAFY No Project 130 KAFY 230 KAFY 300 KAFY All Conservation On-farm Irrigation All Conservation Fallowing Only Measures System Measures Improvements Only Lower Colorado River BR–1: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–1: Reduced A3-BR–1: Reduced Same as BR-1. flow levels in the Baseline conditions. flow levels in the flow levels in the LCR could reduce LCR could reduce LCR could reduce the acreage of the acreage of the acreage of cottonwood-willow cottonwood-willow cottonwood-willow communities: Less communities: Less communities: Less than significant than significant than significant impact with impact with impact. implementation of implementation of biological biological conservation conservation measures. measures. BR–2: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–2: Reduced A3-BR–2: Reduced Same as BR-2. flow levels in the Baseline conditions. flow levels in the flow levels in the LCR could reduce LCR could reduce LCR could reduce the acreage of the acreage of the acreage of honey mesquite honey mesquite honey mesquite bosque bosque bosque communities: Less communities: Less communities: Less than significant than significant than significant impact. impact. impact. BR–3: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–3: Reduced A3-BR–3: Reduced Same as BR-3. flow levels in the Baseline conditions. flow levels in the flow levels in the LCR could reduce LCR could reduce LCR could reduce the acreage of the acreage of the acreage of screwbean screwbean screwbean mesquite bosque mesquite bosque mesquite bosque communities: Less communities: Less communities: Less than significant than significant than significant impact. impact. impact. IID WATER CONSERVATION AND TRANSFER PROJECT PAGE 3.2-1 DRAFT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN DRAFT EIR/EIS TABLE 3.2-1 Summary of Impacts to Biological Resources Proposed Project: Alternative 1: Alternative 2: Alternative 3: Alternative 4: 300 KAFY No Project 130 KAFY 230 KAFY 300 KAFY All Conservation On-farm Irrigation All Conservation Fallowing Only Measures System Measures Improvements Only BR–4: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–4: Reduced A3-BR–4: Reduced Same as BR-4. flow levels in the Baseline conditions. flow levels in the flow levels in the LCR could reduce LCR could reduce LCR could reduce the acreage of the acreage of the acreage of backwater habitat: backwater habitat: backwater habitat: Less than Less than Less than significant significant with significant with with implementation implementation of implementation of of biological biological biological conservation conservation conservation measures. measures. measures. BR–5: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–5: Reduced A3-BR–5: Reduced Same as BR-5. acreage of Baseline conditions. acreage of acreage of cottonwood-willow cottonwood-willow cottonwood-willow vegetation could vegetation could vegetation could affect special- affect special- affect special- status species: status species: status species: Less than Less than Less than significant with significant with significant with implementation of implementation of implementation of biological biological biological conservation conservation conservation measures. measures. measures. BR–6: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–6: Reduced A3-BR–6: Reduced Same as BR-6. acreage of open Baseline conditions. acreage of open acreage of open water in water in water in backwaters could backwaters could backwaters could affect special- affect special- affect special- status wildlife status wildlife status wildlife species: Less than species: Less than species: Less than significant with significant with significant with implementation of implementation of implementation of biological biological biological conservation conservation conservation measures. measures. measures. BR–7: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR–7: Reduced A3-BR–7: Reduced Same as BR-7 acreage of Baseline conditions. Acreage of Acreage of emergent Emergent Emergent vegetation in Vegetation in Vegetation in backwaters could Backwaters Could Backwaters Could affect special- Affect Special- Affect Special- status species: Status Species: Status Species: Less than Less than Less than significant with significant with significant with implementation of implementation of implementation of biological biological biological conservation conservation conservation measures. measures. measures. PAGE 3.2-2 IID WATER CONSERVATION AND TRANSFER PROJECT DRAFT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN DRAFT EIR/EIS TABLE 3.2-1 Summary of Impacts to Biological Resources Proposed Project: Alternative 1: Alternative 2: Alternative 3: Alternative 4: 300 KAFY No Project 130 KAFY 230 KAFY 300 KAFY All Conservation On-farm Irrigation All Conservation Fallowing Only Measures System Measures Improvements Only BR – 8: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR – 8: A3-BR – 8: Same as BR-8 Acreage of Baseline conditions. Reduced Acreage Reduced Acreage Aquatic Habitat of Aquatic Habitat of Aquatic Habitat Could Affect Could Affect Could Affect Special-Status Special-Status Special-Status Fish Species: Less Fish Species: Less Fish Species: Less than significant with than significant with than significant with implementation of implementation of implementation of biological biological biological conservation conservation conservation measures. measures. measures. Impact BR – 9: Continuation of Impact A2-BR – 9: Impact A3-BR – 9: Same as BR-9 Reduced Baseline conditions. Reduced Reduced Diversions from Diversions from Diversions from the LCR Could the LCR Could the LCR Could Affect Special- Affect Special- Affect Special- Status Fish Status Fish Status Fish Species. Beneficial Species. Less than Species. Less than impact. significant. significant. IID Water Service Area and AAC BR – 10: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR – 10: A3-BR – 10: A4-BR – 1: Flows in the Baseline conditions. Reduced Flows in Reduced Flows in Reduced Flows in Drains Could Alter the Drains Could the Drains Could the Drains Could Drain Vegetation Alter Drain Alter Drain Alter Drain and Affect Vegetation and Vegetation and Vegetation and Wildlife: Less than Affect Wildlife: Affect Wildlife: Affect Wildlife: significant. Less than Less than Less than significant. significant. significant. BR – 11: Increased Continuation of A2-BR – 11: A3-BR – 11: A4-BR – 2: No Salinity in the Baseline conditions. Increased Salinity Increased Salinity Change in Salinity Drains Could Alter in the Drains in the Drains in the Drains Drain Vegetation Could Alter Drain Could Alter Drain Would Occur: No and Affect Vegetation and Vegetation and impact. Wildlife: Less than Affect Wildlife: Affect Wildlife: significant with Less than Less than implementation of significant with significant with the HCP. implementation of implementation of the HCP. the HCP. BR – 12: Changes Continuation of A2-BR – 12: A3-BR – 12: A4-BR – 3: No in Water Quality in Baseline conditions. Changes in Water Changes in Water Adverse Effects to Drains Could Quality in Drains Quality in Drains Fish or Wildlife in Affect Wildlife: Could Affect Could Affect the Drains and Less than Wildlife: Less than Wildlife: Less than Rivers Would significant with significant with significant with Occur from Water implementation of implementation of implementation of Quality Changes: the HCP. the HCP. the HCP. No impact. IID WATER CONSERVATION AND TRANSFER PROJECT PAGE 3.2-3 DRAFT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN DRAFT EIR/EIS TABLE 3.2-1 Summary of Impacts to Biological Resources Proposed Project: Alternative 1: Alternative 2: Alternative 3: Alternative 4: 300 KAFY No Project 130 KAFY 230 KAFY 300 KAFY All Conservation On-farm Irrigation All Conservation Fallowing Only Measures System Measures Improvements Only BR – 13: Reduced Continuation of A2-BR – 13: A3-BR – 13: A4-BR – 4: Flows in the Baseline conditions. Reduced Flows in Reduced Flows in Reduced Flows in Rivers Could Alter the Rivers Could the Rivers Could the Rivers Could Vegetation and Alter Vegetation Alter Vegetation Alter Vegetation Affect Wildlife: and Affect and Affect and Affect Less than Wildlife: Less than Wildlife: Less than Wildlife: Less than significant. significant. significant. significant. BR – 14: Continuation of Not applicable. A3-BR – 14: Not applicable. Installation of Baseline conditions. Installation of Seepage Recovery Seepage Recovery Systems Could Systems Could Remove Tamarisk Remove Tamarisk Scrub and Affect Scrub and Affect Associated Associated Wildlife: Less than Wildlife: Less than significant. No significant. No impact if only on- impact if only on- farm or fallowing farm or fallowing methods are used. methods are used. BR – 15: Reservoir Continuation of Not applicable. A3-BR – 15: Not applicable. Construction Baseline conditions. Reservoir Could Remove Construction Tamarisk Scrub Could Remove and Affect Tamarisk Scrub Associated and Affect Wildlife: Less than Associated