Taos Indian Water Rights Settlement Mutual-Benefit Projects Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment
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Taos Indian Water Rights Settlement Mutual-Benefit Projects Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment U.S. Department of the Interior March 2020 Contents Page Chapter 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1.1 Project Background................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Description of the Project Area and Area of Analysis .................................... 1-2 1.3 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action ............................................... 1-4 1.4 Related Requirements and Activities ................................................................. 1-4 Chapter 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives ................................................... 2-1 2.1 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2.1 Stream Gage ............................................................................................. 2-3 2.2.2 Mitigation Wells ....................................................................................... 2-3 2.2.3 Water Supply Wells ................................................................................. 2-4 2.2.4 Arroyo Seco Arriba Project ................................................................... 2-7 Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ............. 3-1 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Water Resources .................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................................... 3-1 3.2.2 Affected Environment ........................................................................... 3-3 3.2.3 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 3-6 3.3 Air Quality and Noise ........................................................................................ 3-15 3.3.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-15 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-16 3.4 Vegetation and Soils ........................................................................................... 3-16 3.4.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-17 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-17 3.5 Wetlands and Floodplains ................................................................................. 3-20 3.5.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-20 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-20 3.6 Fish, Wildlife, and Special Status Species ........................................................ 3-23 3.6.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-23 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-24 3.7 Cultural and Historic Resources ....................................................................... 3-25 3.7.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-26 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-26 3.8 Indian Trust Assets ............................................................................................. 3-27 3.8.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-28 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-28 Taos IWRS Mutual-Benefit Projects i March 2020 Draft Programmatic EA Contents 3.9 Socioeconomics ................................................................................................... 3-29 3.9.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-29 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-30 3.10 Environmental Justice ........................................................................................ 3-31 3.10.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-32 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-33 3.11 Transportation, Access, and Safety .................................................................. 3-34 3.11.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-34 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-34 3.12 Agriculture and Other Land Use ...................................................................... 3-35 3.12.1 Affected Environment ......................................................................... 3-35 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................. 3-36 3.13 Cumulative Effects ............................................................................................. 3-39 Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination ....................................................... 4-1 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Public Involvement............................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Public Review of the Draft Programmatic EA ................................................. 4-1 4.4 Consultation ........................................................................................................... 4-1 4.4.1 Native American Tribes ......................................................................... 4-1 4.4.2 State Historic Preservation Office ........................................................ 4-2 4.5 Additional Coordination ...................................................................................... 4-2 Chapter 5. List of Preparers ............................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Environmental Management and Planning Solutions, Inc. (EMPSi) ............ 5-1 5.2 SWCA ..................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.3 Bureau of Reclamation (as Reviewers) .............................................................. 5-1 Tables Page Table 2-1. Mutual-Benefit Projects Summary Table ......................................................... 2-2 Table 3-1. Approximate Acreage of Irrigated Land that Would Need to Be Retired Without Proposed Mitigation Wells ................................................... 3-7 Table 3-2. Minimum and Maximum Average Daily Flows and Estimated Groundwater Discharge to Streams ............................................................... 3-13 Table 3-3. Vegetation types within the Area of Analysis ............................................... 3-18 Table 3-4. Wetlands Potentially Affected in the Area of Analysis ................................ 3-21 Table 3-5. Floodplains Potentially Affected in the Area of Analysis ........................... 3-22 Table 3-6. Low-Income Populations, 2017 ...................................................................... 3-32 Table 3-7. Population Demographics, 2017 .................................................................... 3-33 Table 3-8. Quantitative Impacts on Agriculture and Other Land Use ........................ 3-37 Taos IWRS Mutual-Benefit Projects ii March 2020 Draft Programmatic EA Contents Figures Page Figure 1-1. Area of Analysis ................................................................................................. 1-3 Figure 1-2. Illustration of Mutual-Benefit Project Compliance Processes .................... 1-5 Figure 2-1. Schematic of Taos Valley Aquifer System ..................................................... 2-4 Figure 2-2. Midway Well Proposed Water Pipelines and Electrical Lines Route ......... 2-6 Figure 3-1. Cross Section of Model Layers, NMOSE Taos Groundwater Model T17.0, 2004............................................................................................. 3-4 Figure 3-2. Groundwater Pumping in Model for Settlement Scenario .......................... 3-9 Appendices Appendix A. Abeyta Water Rights Adjudication: Settlement Agreement Among the United States of America, Taos Pueblo, The State of New Mexico, The Taos Valley Acequia Association and Its 55 Member Acequias, The Town of Taos, El Prado Water and Sanitation District, and the 12 Taos Area Mutual Domestic Water Consumers’ Associations Appendix B. Hydrogeologic Testing Report, EPWSD Midway Well #5 Appendix C. References Taos IWRS Mutual-Benefit Projects iii March 2020 Draft Programmatic EA Acronyms and Abbreviations Full Phrase afy acre-feet per year ASR aquifer storage and recovery BISON-M 2020 Biota Information System of New Mexico BLM Bureau of