Abstract The Lake Havasu Field Office Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP/FEIS) describes and analyzes five alternatives for managing approximately 1.3 million acres of public land in Northwestern Arizona and Eastern California along the Colorado River and east to Alamo Lake and the Harcuvar Mountains. Information provided by the public, other agencies and organizations, and BLM personnel has been used to develop and analyze the alternatives is this PRMP/FEIS. Alternative 1 is the No Action Alternative and represents continuation of current management. Alternative 2 emphasizes preservation of undeveloped primitive landscapes and opportunities for non-motorized recreation. Alternative 3 emphasizes recreation and resource development. Alternative 4 makes land available for recreation and resource development with greater opportunities to experience natural settings than in Alternative 2. Alternative 5, the agency Proposed Plan, provides for a balance between authorized resource use and the protection and long- term sustainability of sensitive resources. Major issues addressed in the PRMP/FEIS are identification of lands that would be made available for disposal, management of recreation and public access, designation and management of Special Designations, management of wilderness characteristics, management of wild burros around Alamo Lake, and BLM’s role in the management of Lake Havasu. Front Cover Photo: Lake Havasu 2006 BLM Photo by Diane Williams BLM/AZ/PL-06/008 Contents Volume II Chapter 3 Affected Environment ..........................................................................3-1 Introduction .............................................................................................3-1 Air, Water, and Soil Resources...............................................................3-2 Geology ................................................................................................3-12 Biological Resources ............................................................................3-13 Fire Management..................................................................................3-39 Wild Burro Management .......................................................................3-40 Cultural Resource Management ...........................................................3-42 Paleontological Resources ...................................................................3-48 Special Designations ............................................................................3-50 Lake Havasu/Colorado River Regional Management Area ..................3-62 Visual Resource Management..............................................................3-62 Wilderness Characteristics ...................................................................3-63 Environmental Justice...........................................................................3-65 Hazardous Materials.............................................................................3-66 Socioeconomics....................................................................................3-67 Recreation Management ......................................................................3-79 Rangeland Management/Grazing.........................................................3-85 Mineral Resources................................................................................3-89 Lands and Realty..................................................................................3-92 Travel Management..............................................................................3-96 Chapter 4 Environmental Consequences ............................................................4-1 Introduction .............................................................................................4-1 Impacts on Air Resources.......................................................................4-7 Impacts on Water Resources ...............................................................4-12 Impacts on Soil Resources ...................................................................4-23 Impacts on Biological Resources..........................................................4-33 Impacts on Fire Management ...............................................................4-61 Impacts on Cultural Resources.............................................................4-66 Impacts on Paleontological Resources.................................................4-82 Impacts on Special Designations..........................................................4-84 Impacts on Visual Resources ...............................................................4-98 Impacts on Wilderness Characteristics...............................................4-105 Impacts on Wild Burros.......................................................................4-112 Impacts on Environmental Justice ......................................................4-114 Impacts on Socioeconomic Resources...............................................4-115 Impacts on Recreation Resources......................................................4-128 Impacts on Rangeland Management/Grazing ....................................4-138 Lake Havasu Field Office Planning Area September 2006 Proposed Resource Management Plan and TOC Vol II-1 Final Environmental Impact Statement Bureau of Land Management Contents Impacts on Mineral Resources ...........................................................4-141 Impacts on Lands and Realty Management .......................................4-153 Impacts on Travel Management .........................................................4-156 Chapter 5 Consultation and Coordination ...........................................................5-1 Outreach .................................................................................................5-1 Additional Collaboration – Related Plans ...............................................5-4 Collaborating Agencies and Organizations.............................................5-5 Comment Analysis Process....................................................................5-9 List of Preparers .................................................................................5-149 Tables Table 3-1. Lake Havasu Boating Capacities for Lakeside Facilities ........................3-7 Table 3-2. Riparian/Wetland Habitats and PFC Classification...............................3-16 Table 3 3. Federally Listed Threatened, Endangered, or Candidate Species .......3-31 Table 3-4. Species of Concern, BLM Sensitive, and State-Designated Species .................................................................................................3-32 Table 3-5. Cultural Site Age/Period .......................................................................3-44 Table 3-6. Fossiliferous Sediments Found in the Planning Area ...........................3-49 Table 3-7. Annual Flows below Alamo Dam ..........................................................3-61 Table 3-8. Affected Area Population for Counties and Other Selected Areas .......3-67 Table 3-9. Population of Selected American Indian Reservations.........................3-68 Table 3-10. Visitor Use of Concession Facilities Fiscal Year 2005..........................3-73 Table 3-11. Reported Mineral Material Production Fiscal Years 1999–2004 ..........3-78 Table 3-12. Mining – Employment and Income – 2000 ...........................................3-79 Table 3-13. Mining – Employment and Income – 1970 ...........................................3-79 Table 3-14. 10-Year Average Grazing Use (Based on Billed Use) by Allotment with Management Categories ...............................................3-87 Table 3-15. Livestock Grazing .................................................................................3-88 Table 3-16. Reported Mineral Production, Fiscal Years 2001–2004 .......................3-89 Table 3-17. Total Reported Production from the Mineral Districts ...........................3-90 Table 3 18. Existing Right-of-Way Corridors within the LHFO Planning Area .........3-93 Table 4-1. Specific Acreages for Each ACEC Alternative......................................4-32 Table 4-2. Threatened, Endangered, and Special Status Species Potentially Affected by Grazing Allotments...........................................4-35 Table 4-3. Disposal Acres Affecting Special Status Species and Riparian Areas ......................................................................................4-38 Lake Havasu Field Office Planning Area September 2006 Proposed Resource Management Plan and TOC Vol II-2 Final Environmental Impact Statement Bureau of Land Management Contents Table 4-4. Mineral Material Disposal Acres Affecting Special Status Species and Riparian Areas .................................................................4-40 Table 4-5. Miles of OHV Trails through WHAs, Riparian, and Desert Tortoise Habitat ....................................................................................4-49 Table 4-6. Estimated WHA Allocated To Be Managed To Meet VRM Class I and II Objectives .......................................................................4-53 Table 4-7. Private Lands within Special Designations ...........................................4-87 Table 4-8. Percentages of Special Designations That Potentially May Be Impacted from Land Use Authorizations .........................................4-88 Table 4-9. Percentage of ACEC Designation Affected by Utility Corridors ...............................................................................................4-89