Proposed Recommendation for the Reallocation of Non-Indian Agricultural Water within the Central Arizona Project System, in Accordance with the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation June 2016 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION FOR THE REALLOCATION OF NON-INDIAN AGRICULTURAL PRIORITY CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT WATER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ARIZONA WATER SETTLEMENTS ACT OF 2004 PREPARED FOR U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION PREPARED BY ERO RESOURCES CORPORATION DENVER, COLORADO www.eroresources.com JUNE 2016 Mission Statements The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Defined Terms ADWR Arizona Department of Water Resources AFA acre-feet annually AGFD Arizona Game and Fish Department AMA Active Management Area Apache Junction WUCFD Apache Junction Water Utilities Community Facilities District ASM Arizona State Museum ASU Arizona State University AWSA Arizona Water Settlements Act BA Biological Assessment BCPA Boulder Canyon Project Act BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management bls below land surface CAGRD Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District CAIDD Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District CAP Central Arizona Project CAWCD Central Arizona Water Conservation District CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CH Critical Habitat Code Groundwater Code Corps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CWA Clean Water Act Decree 1964 Arizona v. California decree DSI demand and supply imbalance EA Environmental Assessment EO Executive Order EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended ESRV East Salt River Valley FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact FR Federal Register FWCA Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service GSF groundwater savings facilities IDD Irrigation and Drainage District INA Irrigation Non-Expansion Area ITAs Indian Trust Assets Listed species federally listed species under the ESA, as amended LTSC long-term storage credits MAFA million acre-feet annually M&I municipal and industrial MDWID Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District MHI median household income i MCL maximum contaminant level MSIDD Maricopa Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NIA Non-Indian Agricultural NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPS National Park Service National Register National Register of Historic Places P.L. Public Law Proposed Action Secretary approval of Water Reallocation Recommendation Proposed Recipients municipal and industrial water users recommended by ADWR for water reallocations Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation ROD Record of Decision Secretary Secretary of the Interior SHPO State Historic Preservation Office SMCL secondary maximum contaminant level USC United States Code USF underground storage facility USFS U.S. Forest Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey WRDC Water Resources Development Commission WSRV West Salt River Valley ii CONTENTS Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Defined Terms ................................................................... i 1.0 Purpose and Need...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................1 1.2 Background Summary ......................................................................................1 1.2.1 History of Water Supply and Demand for Two Water Sources within Arizona ......................................................................................2 1.2.2 Central Arizona Project ........................................................................6 1.2.3 ADWR’s Reallocation Recommendation Process ................................7 1.3 Purpose and Need ...........................................................................................10 1.3.1 Purpose of the Project.........................................................................10 1.3.2 Need for the Project ............................................................................12 1.4 Public Involvement and Scoping ....................................................................12 2.0 Description of Alternatives ..................................................................................... 13 2.1 Project Area ....................................................................................................13 2.1.1 Active Management Areas (AMAs)...................................................13 2.2 Formulation and Evaluation of Alternatives ...................................................13 2.3 No Action (Rejection of the ADWR Recommendation) ................................13 2.4 Proposed Action (Approval of Proposed Reallocation Recommendation)...........................................................................................14 3.0 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ...................................... 16 3.1 Potential Connected Actions ...........................................................................16 3.2 Background for Cumulative Effects ...............................................................18 3.2.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ...............18 3.3 Land Use.........................................................................................................21 3.3.1 Analysis Area......................................................................................21 3.3.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................22 3.3.3 Environmental Consequences .............................................................25 3.3.4 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................25 3.4 Biological Resources ......................................................................................26 3.4.1 Analysis Area......................................................................................26 3.4.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................26 3.4.3 Environmental Consequences .............................................................33 3.4.4 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................34 3.5 Cultural Resources..........................................................................................35 3.5.1 Analysis Area......................................................................................35 3.5.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................35 3.5.3 Environmental Consequences .............................................................36 3.5.4 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................37 3.6 Water Resources .............................................................................................37 3.6.1 Analysis Area......................................................................................37 3.6.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................37 3.6.3 Environmental Consequences .............................................................47 iii 3.6.4 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................49 3.7 Socioeconomic Resources ..............................................................................50 3.7.1 Analysis Area......................................................................................50 3.7.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................51 3.7.3 Environmental Consequences .............................................................57 3.7.4 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................59 3.8 Resources Considered But Not Affected........................................................59 4.0 Environmental Laws and Directives Considered .................................................... 60 4.1 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (P.L. 91-190) .......60 4.2 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA) (P.L. 85-624)..........................60 4.3 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (P.L. 93-205) ..................................60 4.4 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-542)........................................60 4.5 Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577, as amended).......................................61 4.6 Clean Water Act (CWA) (P.L. 92-500, as amended) .....................................61 4.7 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (P.L. 89-665, as amended by P.L. 96-515) ...............................................................................................61 4.8 Farmland Protection Policy Act (P.L. 97-98).................................................62 4.9 Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management) ........................................62