DMEC Report Template

David Magney Environmental Consulting

MOJAVE RIVER WATERSHED MITIGATION BANK PROSPECTUS

Prepared for: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS and CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

On behalf of: RICHARD LYONS & LAURIE PRANGE LYONS

Mission Statement To provide quality environmental consulting services with integrity that protect and enhance the human and natural environment

April 2015, revised August 2016

www.magney.org

Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Prospectus

EA 35556 Project No. 08-000000-6211

Prepared for: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Regulatory Division 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 930 Los Angeles, California 90017-3401 Contact: Veronica Li Phone: 213/452-3292 AND California Department of Fish and Wildlife South Coast Region 3883 Ruffin Road San Diego, California 92123 Contact: David Lawhead Phone: 858/627-3997

On behalf of: Richard Lyons & Laurie Prange Lyons P.O. Box 808 Santa Paula, California 93061

Prepared by: David Magney Environmental Consulting 13086 Highland Drive Grass Valley, California 95945 Contact: David L. Magney Phone: 530/273-1799

13 April 2015, revised 29 August 2016

www.magney.org

This document should be cited as: David Magney Environmental Consulting. 2016. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus. 13 April 2015, revised 29 August 2016. (EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211; DMEC PN 12-0004.) Grass Valley, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Diego, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard Lyons & Laurie Prange Lyons, Santa Paula, California.

Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC

Table of Contents

PAGE SECTION I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 TYPE AND PURPOSE...... 1 PROPOSED SERVICE AREAS ...... 1 Proposed Service Areas and Bank Credits ...... 2 PROJECT LOCATION ...... 4 REGULATORY CONTEXT ...... 8 OWNERSHIP ...... 8 Identity of Owner ...... 8 Identity and Responsibilities of Sponsor ...... 9 Identity of Conservation Easement Holder ...... 9 Identity of Long-term Steward ...... 9 MARKET DEMAND...... 9 SECTION II. SITE DESCRIPTION ...... 12 MAPPED SOIL UNITS ...... 15 Rositas-Carrizo Association ...... 15 Playas...... 17 Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association ...... 17 HYDROLOGY ...... 18 FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES OF AQUATIC RESOURCES ...... 23 LIFT OF WETLAND FUNCTIONS ...... 25 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...... 29 Habitat Types ...... 29 Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub) ...... 33 Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque) ...... 33 Suaeda nigra Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub) ...... 34 Tamarix ramosissima Stand ...... 35 Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance ...... 36 Flora ...... 38 Fauna ...... 43 SPECIAL-STATUS RESOURCES ...... 46 Definitions ...... 46 Special-status Plants ...... 50 Special-status Wildlife ...... 51 Sensitive Habitats ...... 53 HABITAT CONNECTIVITY...... 54 Adjacent Land Use ...... 54 Connectivity Areas and Corridors ...... 59 RESTORATION PLAN ...... 61 SECTION III. REFERENCES CITED ...... 64 LITERATURE CITED ...... 64

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\Prospectus\ProspectusFINAL\MojaveRiverWatershedMitBank-Prospectus-20160829.docx Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC

PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS ...... 67 APPENDIX A. SERVICE AREA JUSTIFICATION ...... 1 APPENDIX B. ECOREGIONS AND HABITATS ...... 1

LIST OF TABLES PAGE Table 1. Pending Renewable Energy Project Applications in the Mojave Desert Region ...... 10 Table 2. Mitigation Bank Parcels...... 12 Table 3. Episodic Streams Wetland Attributes ...... 24 Table 4. Comparison of Baseline and Post-restoration FCI scores at the Bank Site ...... 26 Table 5. Plant Species Observed on the Bank Site ...... 39 Table 6. Plant Species Expected on the Bank Site...... 41 Table 7. Wildlife Species Observed and Expected on the Bank Site ...... 43 Table 8. Definitions of Special-status Species ...... 48 Table 9. California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Ranks (CNPS Lists) ...... 48 Table 10. California Native Plant Society Risk Threat Code Extensions...... 49 Table 11. California Natural Diversity Database Element Ranking System ...... 49 Table 12. Special-status Plants Potentially Occurring Onsite ...... 50 Table 13. Special-status Wildlife Potentially Occurring Onsite ...... 51 Table 14. Sensitive Habitats Potentially Occurring Onsite ...... 54 Table 15. Area of Wetland Habitats and Types of Proposed Mitigation of the Bank Site ...... 61

LIST OF FIGURES PAGE Figure 1. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Areas ...... 3 Figure 2. General Location of Mitigation Bank Site ...... 5 Figure 3. Mitigation Bank Site on 2010 Aerial Imagery ...... 6 Figure 4. Regional HUC8 Sub-basins and Mojave Hydrologic Basin ...... 7 Figure 5. Renewable Energy Projects and Potential in the Mojave Desert Region ...... 11 Figure 6. Bank Site with USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangles ...... 14 Figure 7. NRCS Mapped Soils on Mitigation Bank Site ...... 16 Figure 8. NWI Mapped Wetlands ...... 19 Figure 9. DMEC Jurisdictional Boundary Determination ...... 20 Figure 10. Historic Flooding of East Cronese Lake ...... 21 Figure 11. Mojave River Flow Recurrence Intervals...... 22 Figure 12. Mojave Desert Playa Lakes HGM Reference Sites ...... 28 Figure 13. Land Cover in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake ...... 31 Figure 14. Wetland Habitat Types of East Cronese Lake ...... 32 Figure 15. Land Ownership in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake ...... 56 Figure 16. Land Use and Land Cover in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin ...... 57 Figure 17. Special Designation Areas in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin ...... 58 Figure 18. Linkage Corridors and Critical Habitat in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin ...... 60 Figure 19. Absolute Coverage of Invasive Species Onsite ...... 62 Figure 20. Restoration Areas of the Bank Site ...... 63

SECTION I. INTRODUCTION

TYPE AND PURPOSE

Whereas, the purpose of this Banking Instrument is to establish guidelines and responsibilities for the establishment, use, operation, and maintenance of the Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank (Bank). The general use Bank will provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable adverse impacts to Waters of the United States and Waters of the State, including wetlands, which result from activities authorized under Sections 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act, provided that such activities have met all applicable requirements and are authorized by the appropriate authority. The proposed Bank contains a variety of continuous, intact Lacustrine, Palustrine, and Riverine habitats. Significant portions of these habitats have been impacted by the establishment of stands of the non- native invasive species Tamarix ramosissima (Saltcedar, Tamarisk). The actions proposed with the formation of the Mojave River Watershed Bank include restoration of these areas to natural functioning communities with continued maintenance and monitoring of these restoration activities. A wide variety of special-status species are known to occur in the vicinity of the proposed Bank. These species likely use habitats present on and adjacent to the proposed Bank. One special-status wildlife species was observed onsite: Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike). Uma scoparia (Mojave Fringe- toed Lizard) is known to occur on and surrounding the Bank Site, in the sand dune habitats. Other special-status species with high probability of using the site include, but are not limited to: Aquila chrysaetos (Golden Eagle), Falco mexicanus (Prairie Falcon), and Gopherus agassizii (Desert Tortoise). Although these species are likely to occur on the Bank Site, they have not been recently observed or recorded, and the sale of mitigation credits for these species is not being proposed.

PROPOSED SERVICE AREAS

The proposed Service Areas are the Mojave River Watershed (HUC8 sub-basin) plus similar or contiguous habitats in the Mojave Basin and Range and Sonoran Basin and Range Ecoregions (EPA Level III and Level IV). The Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion is defined by similar vegetation communities, faunal communities, climate, hydrology and landforms (Comer et. al 2013). Figure 1, Proposed Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Areas, illustrates the relative position of the Mojave River HUC8 sub-basin, the Mojave Basin and Range Level IV ecoregions, the Sonoran Basin and Range Level IV ecoregions, and the proposed Service Areas. As described below and illustrated on Figure 1, the proposed Service Areas range in size from approximately 2,955,725 acres (Mojave River HUC8) to approximately 11,968,170 acres (Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave HUC8 sub-basins combined), which is reduced from the originally proposed Mojave Basin and Range Level III Ecoregion (approximately 31,564,000 acres). Details regarding the HUC8 sub-basins and HUC10 watersheds that comprise the respective Service Areas are provided in Appendix A and Appendix B. The physiographic uniqueness of Mojave Desert playa lakes and adjacent habitats was considered in defining the proposed Service Areas. These wetland features are not always connected to larger watersheds, but are more indicative of the Mojave Basin and Range and similar habitats in the Sonoran Basin and Range Ecoregions as a whole. Aquatic resources such as playa lakes warrant an ecoregional approach to establishing a service area (Amato 2013).

The Bank proposes to generate enhancement, rehabilitation, and preservation Credits for a variety of habitats in the Bank Properties including ephemeral streams, wetland riparian habitat, non-wetland riparian habitat, open waters, seasonal wetland, wetland buffer, stream buffer, and habitats considered to be sensitive under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The credits were classified based on jurisdiction and include: Corps Section 404, Porter-Cologne Act, Section 1600 of the California Fish and Game Code, and the CEQA. Service Areas have been proposed based on jurisdiction, similar or contiguous habitat in the surrounding areas, and the distributional range of associated special-status animals or sensitive communities. The Service Areas are described in terms of how they relate to the respective Credit categories as described below; please refer to Appendix A (Service Area Justification) and Appendix B (Ecoregions and Habitats) for details regarding the configurations and characteristics of the respective service areas described below.

Section 404 Service Area

The 404 Service Area for credited features under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act within the Bank Properties is proposed as the HUC10 watersheds situated in the Mojave River HUC8 sub-basin. These credits include various credits for re-established ephemeral streams, open water, lacustrine wetland, seasonal wetland, wetland riparian, and riparian buffer. The Section 404 Service Area is contains a primary Service Area and a secondary Service Area; it encompasses approximately 2,955,725 acres (4,617 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

Lahontan RWQCB Service Area

The RWQCB Service Area for credited features under the Porter–Cologne Act within the Bank Properties is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, and Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes. These features are only State jurisdictional and regulated by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). These credits include various credits for ephemeral streams, open water, seasonal wetland, marsh, wetland riparian, and riparian buffer. The RWQCB Service Area contains a primary service area and a secondary service area; it encompasses approximately 6,293,400 acres (9,830 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

Section 1600 Service Area

The 1600 Service Area for credited features that are Jurisdictional under Section 1600 of the California Fish and Game Code within the Bank Properties is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave. These features are protected by CDFW and include ephemeral streams, open water, seasonal wetland, marsh, wetland riparian, and non-wetland riparian habitats. These 1600-credits will include restoration (reestablishment, rehabilitation), enhancement, and preservation of these jurisdictional features. The CDFW Service Area encompasses approximately 11,968,170 acres (18,697 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

Figure 1. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Areas

The CEQA Service Area for habitats that are considered to be sensitive under CEQA is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave. CEQA-protected habitats will only include Rehabilitation and Preservation Credits. These features are protected by the CDFW. The CEQA Service Area matches the CDFW Service Area and encompasses approximately 11,968,170 acres (18,697 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

PROJECT LOCATION

The proposed Bank Site is located in East Cronese Lake, Mojave Desert in the central northern portion of San Bernardino County, California, east of the City of Barstow and west of the community of Baker along Interstate Highway 15 (I-15), as shown on Figure 2, General Location of Mitigation Bank Site. There are two distinct playa surfaces, west and east of one another, in the Cronese Basin, which are referred to in various ways on different maps and reports. This report will refer to them respectively as West Cronese Lake and East Cronese Lake (East Cronese Lake being the location of the Bank Site). “Cronese” is also spelled “Cronise” on some maps and reports. The Bank Site is located within Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APN) 054-3-161-44 and 054-3-161-46 (southwestern parcels). The property is located in the Cronese Valley north of I-15 and east of the Cronese Mountains and is approximately 320 acres in size. Two additional parcels (APNs 054-3-201-34 and 054-3-171-54) located in the southeastern and eastern areas of East Cronese Lake are also included, measuring at approximately 20 and 40 acres, respectively. Two adjacent 40-acre parcels (APNs 054-3- 201-41 and 054-3-201-42) occur along the eastern edge of the lake bed (northern parcels). Hereafter, the six separate parcels will collectively be referred to as the “Bank Site”. The Bank Site exists within the Cave Mountain and West Cronese Lake, California USGS Quadrangles (7.5-minute topographic maps) at the approximate geographic coordinates of 35.111N latitude and 116.292W longitude, NAD83. These six parcels in the Cronese Valley are identified on Figure 3, Mitigation Bank Site on 2010 Aerial Imagery. The City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) owns a strip of land that transects two of the six parcels (southwestern) and is immediately adjacent to a third parcel (southeastern). This LADWP land is under separate ownership and is not an easement through the Bank Site. According to the preliminary title report, there was at one time a lease agreement with the T & T Oil Company; this lease has expired and is not an encumbrance. The Bank Site is at elevations of approximately 1,075 feet to approximately 1,090 feet above mean sea level, measured from north to south. Wetlands on the site range in elevation from 1,075 to 1,085 feet above mean sea level. East Cronese Lake functions as the terminus of the Mojave River. Thus, much of the Cronese Basin is comprised of the Mojave River Delta and landforms associated with the low-gradient river terminus. This situation appears to be a somewhat unique and unstudied interaction between a large Riverine system and an isolated Lacustrine system in the very arid environment of the Mojave Desert Region. Figure 4, Regional HUC8 Sub-basins and Mojave Hydrologic Basin, illustrates the Bank Site location relative to the locations of the Mojave Hydrologic Basin (Lahontan RWQCB) and regional HUC8 sub- basins (USGS/NHD).

Figure 2. General Location of Mitigation Bank Site

Figure 3. Mitigation Bank Site on 2010 Aerial Imagery

Figure 4. Regional HUC8 Sub-basins and Mojave Hydrologic Basin

The 2008 Mitigation Rule has five criteria that must be met before preservation can be used for Section 404 mitigation (40 CFR 230.93(h)). It does not appear that the site meets all five of these criteria therefore we do not believe that preservation credits should be given for this bank. Section 230.93(h) of the 2008 rule requires: 1. The resources to be preserved provide important physical, chemical, or biological functions for the watershed. This is demonstrated through both the HGM and CRAM assessments of the Bank Site. 2. The resources to be preserved contribute significantly to the ecological sustainability of the watershed. In determining the contribution of those resources to the ecological sustainability of the watershed, the district engineer must use appropriate quantitative assessment tools, where available. The preliminary draft HGM model for desert playas and the CRAM Episodic Streams models both demonstrate the contribution the habitats at the Bank Site would significantly contribute to the stability of the watershed. 3. Preservation is determined by the district engineer to be appropriate and practicable. Wetland habitats on the Bank Site are both unique and important and worthy of preservation. Protection of the Bank Site parcels from development is practicable. 4. The resources are under threat of destruction or adverse modifications. The Bank Site parcels have potential to be developed, in particular for generating renewable energy. 5. The preserved site will be permanently protected through an appropriate real estate or other legal instrument (e.g., easement, title transfer to state resource agency or land trust). The Bank Site parcels would be permanently protected by transfer to a state resource agency or land trust, and may have a conservation easement prior to transfer. See response to comments related to the BEI below. All five requirements of the 2008 Mitigation Rule for preservation credits will be satisfied.

OWNERSHIP

The six parcels (20, 40, 40, 40, and 320 [2 parcels] acres) are owned by Richard and Laurie Prange Lyons. The proposed Bank Site property has never been used as mitigation previously nor has it been designated for a passive park, open space, or other purposed uses that are inconsistent with habitat preservation. It has not been acquired by any public entity nor were funds from a public entity used to purchase the property. There are no known restrictions to the property that prohibit it being used as a mitigation bank.

Identity of Owner

Richard and Laurie Prange Lyons P.O. Box 808 Santa Paula, California 93061 Phone: 805/525-2508 Email: [email protected] Richard and Laurie Prange Lyons own surface, mineral, and water rights.

The Bank Sponsor and Owner are the same, Richard and Laurie Prange Lyons. The Owner/Sponsor is responsible for the interim management and long-term management of the Bank lands until all credits are sold. When this occurs, the long-term management will be transferred to the State of California or to a Conservancy. The Bank Sponsor will provide construction security, performance security, and interim management security, the details of which will be determined during the BEI stage of development.

Identity of Conservation Easement Holder

The Bank Sponsor has identified two authorized Conservation Easement holders that are CDFW- approved entities in the area, both of which are interested in holding the Conservation Easement. The Conservation Easement holder’s duties will be the compliance monitoring of the long-term management of the Bank.

Identity of Long-term Steward

The owner will be the long-term steward followed by the State of California.

MARKET DEMAND

Development activities are currently primarily occurring in the southwestern Mojave Desert in areas such as Lancaster, Victorville, and Barstow. There is limited agricultural development in the Mojave Desert due to the aridity of the region, although it does exist in areas that have surface and groundwater resources. Urban development is the dominant form of development in the region. In the Rapid Ecoregional Assessment of the Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion prepared for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by Comer et. al (2013), urban development is predicted to increase by 301,000 acres by the year 2025, which accounts for approximately 75% of total predicted development in the region. This includes urban development outside of California, such as Las Vegas. Within the proposed service area for the East Cronese Bank Site, demand for wetland mitigation credits is expected to primarily occur in the Antelope Valley and Mojave River Watershed regions of the southwestern Mojave Desert. The northern and eastern portions of the Mojave Desert region in California are primarily managed by federal agencies such as the BLM and National Park Service (NPS). These areas are expected to have little, if any, urban or agricultural development. However, it is likely that they will experience an increase in renewable energy development. Comer et. al (2013) predict that across the entire ecoregion, wind energy development will increase by 48,000 acres, and solar development will increase by 19,000 acres by 2025. Wind energy projects, solar energy projects, and transmission line construction projects have been approved on and adjacent to BLM land within the proposed service area (BLM 2015), and similar future developments are expected to be a source of demand for mitigation credits at the Bank Site. Table 1, Pending Renewable Energy Project Applications in the Mojave Desert Region, lists pending solar and wind projects within the proposed service area as of October 2015 (BLM 2015).

Figure 5, Renewable Energy Projects and Potential in the Mojave Desert Region, shows the locations of approved and pending renewable energy projects and also illustrates BLM land suitable for renewable energy project applications. Due to the increasing demand for renewable energy in California1, more projects are likely to be approved in the near future, and these projects are expected to be a source of wetland mitigation credit demand.

Table 1. Pending Renewable Energy Project Applications in the Mojave Desert Region

BLM Project Name Project Type Size Location Field (Acres) Office Barstow Soda Mountain Solar Solar 4,179 Adjacent to I-15, west of Soda Mountains (Photovoltaic) WSA, east of the Mojave National Preserve Needles ReNew Energy Type II Wind 37,219 Bristol Mountains, south of I-40

Needles Homer Renewables Wind 18,852 Homer Mountain; north of I-14, east of the Mojave National Preserve Needles Arrowhead Type II Wind 18,560 North of I-14, east of the Mojave National Preserve Barstow Silurian Valley Wind Wind 6,720 Silurian Valley, north of Baker and adjacent to Highway 127 Needles Bristol Lake Type II Wind 22,000 South of U.S. Route 66, east of Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base Needles Siberia Type II Wind 30,460 North of U.S. Route 66 and Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base

1 California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard requires all utilities in the State to reach a target of 33% of retail electricity sales being from renewable sources by 2020 (California Energy Commission, 2015).

Figure 5. Renewable Energy Projects and Potential in the Mojave Desert Region

SECTION II. SITE DESCRIPTION

The proposed Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank (Bank Site) is located in the Cronese Basin in the Mojave Desert in the central-northern portion of San Bernardino County, California, east of the City of Barstow and west of the community of Baker along Interstate 15 (I-15). (Cronese is also spelled Cronise on some maps.) The Bank Site is located north of the I-15 and east of the Cronese Mountains (see Figure 2). The Bank Site is situated within the Cave Mountain and West Cronese Lake California Quadrangles (7.5-minute USGS maps) at the approximate geographic coordinates of 35.111N latitude and 116.292W longitude, NAD83. The Bank Site is at an elevation of approximately 1,075 feet to approximately 1,090 feet above mean sea level, from north to south. Wetlands onsite range in elevation from 1,075 to 1,085 feet above mean sea level. The Bank Site is comprised of six (6) total parcels (Assessor’s Parcel Numbers [APN] 054-3-161-44 and 054-3-161-46, 054-3-171-54, 054-3-201-34, 054-3-201-41 and 054-3-201-42), which total 436.298 acres. The sizes and reference names used for the purpose of discussion are provided in Table 2, Mitigation Bank Parcels and are illustrated in Figure 3, Mojave River Watershed Bank Parcels with 2010 Aerial Imagery. The combined parcels and reference names are illustrated in Figure 6, Bank Site with USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangles.

Table 2. Mitigation Bank Parcels

Assessor’s Parcel Number Name Size (acres)2 054-3-161-44 (2 parts) Southwestern 237.161 054-3-161-46 (2 parts) Southwestern 59.6663 054-3-171-54 Southeastern 39.341 054-3-201-34 Eastern 20.051 054-3-201-41 Northern 40.087 054-3-201-42 Northern 39.993 Total Bank Site 436.298

BLM Road/Trail 4N03 generally follows the side of the playa lake. Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub), Tamarix ramosissima Stand, Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque), Suaeda nigra Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub), Larrea tridentata Shrubland Alliance (Creosote Bush Scrub) and Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance (Alkali Weed-Saltgrass Alliance) plant communities occur within and along the edges of the playa lake and form intact, continuous and contiguous habitat in all directions. A complete description of the biological resources of the Bank Site and surrounding areas are provided in Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Biological Resources, updated 30 September 2015 (DMEC 2015a). Outside the boundaries of the currently owned 426+-acre property, the land-cover includes lacustrine/palustrine habitats to the east and north, dune desert upland habitats (undeveloped) to the south, and steep rocky mountainous habitat to the west (Cronese Mountains). The Eastern parcel is

2 Parcel sizes according to measurements calculated from the San Bernardino County Parcel database using ArcView 3.3 and ArcMap 10.2. 3 59.666 acres is the adjusted acreage to be included in the proposed mitigation bank. 75.848 acres is the total size of the parcel. The PRM area is 16.182 acres (excluded from the proposed mitigation bank).

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC immediately surrounded by lacustrine/palustrine habitats on all sides, with dune desert upland habitats (undeveloped) slightly further to the east. The Southeastern parcel is bordered by lacustrine/palustrine habitats to the north and mixed desert wash habitats to the south, east and west. DMEC has thoroughly surveyed the Bank Site parcels, including species inventories, vegetation/habitat mapping and preliminary jurisdictional delineations. The Bank Site occurs entirely within the Mojave River/East Cronese Lake watershed, and wholly encompasses the historical and active floodplain, which is bounded on the north, west, and south by steep mountain slopes, Soda, Cronese, and Cave Mountains, respectively. A major Mojave River distributary channel enters the Bank Site property on the southeast and fills East Cronese Lake, referred to as the Mojave River Delta. However, the land to the east of the Southwestern parcel (and south of the Eastern and Southeastern parcels) is a mixed network of infrequently flooded washes and swales comprising the larger, dynamic, Mojave River Delta that fills East Cronese Lake. This network is clearly visible in aerial imagery (both recent and historic) and in the wetland delineation (DMEC 2015b). The wetlands onsite consist of Torrey’s Saltbush Scrub wetlands categorized as Lacustrine System (where ponded water occurs and vegetation is largely lacking) and Palustrine System (wetland habitat dominated by riparian vegetation), according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin et al. 1979). Numerous species of wildlife are known to occur within the vicinity of East Cronese Lake and its tributaries and frequent the Palustrine System habitats on a resident and seasonal basis. Local wildlife species regularly utilize the food, water, and cover resources provided by the playa and adjacent upland habitats. DMEC found that the Bank Site is in relatively good condition, with only remnants of past development associated with an access road trail and agriculture (prior to 1947), except for the dominance of the site by Tamarix ramosissima, an aggressive invasive exotic. DMEC bases this conclusion on the percent of native plant species (88%) compared to nonnative species (12%), the diversity of natural plant communities, and the significantly low level of disturbance by humans (past and present).

View of Bank property looking northward from about middle of property. Cronese Mountains to the west (left) and Soda Mountains in the background to the north and northeast (right).

Figure 6. Bank Site with USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangles

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has no available detailed data for the area of the Bank Site. The NRCS California Soil Survey Status map (NRCS 2013) lists the Mojave Desert Area, California (CA695) as a non-project area. Query of the fine-scale NRCS Web Soil Survey (NRCS 2014) maps the Bank Site as “NOTCOM” with no digital data available. However, the broad-scale NRCS General Soils Map of the United States (STATS2GO Database, also accessed through Web Soils Survey, NRCS 2014) maps the Bank Site as containing Rositas-Carrizo Association, Playas, and Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association. Figure 7, NRCS Mapped Soils on Mitigation Bank Site, illustrates the NRCS-defined soil boundaries in relation to the Lyons property. These associations are not included in the National List of Hydric Soils 2014 (NRCS 2014a). The NRCS General Soils Map is intended for use at the regional planning level and is not entirely accurate at finer-scale levels. Errors in soil boundaries are evident in Figure 7, particularly just west of the parcel boundary where “Playa” soils clearly extend onto rocky mountainside. However, the general classifications and associations for the East Cronese Lake area, as defined by NRCS, are still valid and useful regardless of the roughly defined boundaries.

Rositas-Carrizo Association

The Rositas-Carrizo Association is classified according to the description provided by Bowman, Soil Conservation Service (1973). This association occurs in the desert. It is comprised of soils that developed in alluvium derived from mica schist and acid igneous rock. It supports desert shrub, cactus, and annual herb vegetation communities. Rositas soils are somewhat excessively drained, light to brownish-grey loamy coarse sands to fine sand. Carrizo soils are excessively drained, very pale brown and very gravelly sands.

Figure 7. NRCS Mapped Soils on Mitigation Bank Site

Playas are geomorphic surfaces that occupy the lowest portion of an undrained depression or basin. “Playas” is not a distinct described soil association (NRCS 2014b) and this classification within the General Soils Map is apparently a rough-scale generalization of playa surfaces that have not been thoroughly examined. However, DMEC has observed that the soils of East Cronese Lake Playa surface typically have a thin cracked silty clay crust with unconsolidated sand to silty sand underneath, occasionally mixed with unconsolidated biotite, and/or exhibiting clay below 12 inches depth. In addition to surface crust cracks, East Cronese Lake exhibits extensive networks of deeper, gas-release created cracks, fissures, also referred to as gilgai morphology (Cooke and Warren 1973). Playa surfaces such as East Cronese Lake are typically moderately to extremely more saline than the surrounding soils.

Left: Soil core at a wetland delineation sample plot. Right: Cracked clay layer in lake bed, a clear indicator of wetland hydrology. Both on East Cronese Lake bed.

Left: gas (gilgai) bubble. Right: gas (gilgai) fissure. Both on East Cronese Lake bed.

Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association

The Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association is classified according to the Official Soil Series Descriptions (NRCS 2014b). Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association is a series of shallow, largely undeveloped soils confined to hillsides over and between solid rock outcrops. Tecopa series very gravelly sandy loam formed from weathered quartzite, schist and gneiss. Tecopa series is well drained, facilitating medium to rapid runoff and moderate permeability.

East Cronese Lake is a distributary and the terminus of the Mojave River. During higher flood years the Mojave River also flows into Soda and Silver Lakes, and East Cronese overflows into West Cronese Lake. The hydrologic connectivity of East Cronese Lake and the Mojave River is well documented in the literature. It is repeatedly stated in both recognized scientific and regulatory literature that the Mojave River flows into East Cronese Lake or the Cronese Basin (Courtois 1984, Izbicki 2007, Lines 1996, Wells et al. 2003). The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board classifies the Cronese Lakes (east and west) as wetlands, with a wide variety of beneficial uses including, but not limited to, Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality Enhancement. This board’s Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region also includes proposed updates to include language listing the Cronese Lakes as directly receiving water from the Mojave River (State of California 2014). East Cronese Lake is also mapped as playa wetlands and emergent wetlands in the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) (USFWS 2014) as illustrated in Figure 8, NWI Mapped Wetlands. However, clear errors exist in the mapped wetlands. The wetland delineation performed by DMEC suggests expanding the boundaries and connecting the mapped riverine system of the Mojave River, as illustrated in Figure 9, DMEC Jurisdictional Boundary Determination (DMEC 2015b). Historical flooding of East Cronese Lake is clearly visible on satellite imagery (Landsat) as illustrated in Figure 10, Historic Flooding of East Cronese Lake. Figure 10 shows USGS Landsat Imagery of East Cronese Lake in an inundated state in 1984, 1993, and 2005 (specifically on 26 August 1984, 24 February 1993, and 14 April 2005). These images all correlate directly with high stream flow measurements taken by USGS at Afton Creek just upstream of the overflow wash that drains into East Cronese Lake (USGS 2014). Previous to these floods, the Cronese Basin is documented to have flooded in 1916, 1922, 1938, 1969, and 1978 (California Department of Water Resources 1964, USDI Geologic Survey 1979 as cited in Courtois 1984). East Cronese Lake has been observed to be flooded about every five years since 1991 (Chavez pers. comm. 2014). These combined historic records indicate the Cronese Basin is flooded approximately once every 5 to 10 years. Flood recurrence interval data for water years 1931 through 1994 were determined for the Mojave River, measured above Victorville. These data are provided in Figure 10, Mojave River Flow Recurrence Intervals. The two flood events identified on Figure 11, Mojave River Flow Recurrence Intervals, for 1978 and 1983 were classified as 30- and 12-year flood recurrence events.

Figure 8. NWI Mapped Wetlands

Figure 9. DMEC Jurisdictional Boundary Determination

Figure 10. Historic Flooding of East Cronese Lake

Figure 11. Mojave River Flow Recurrence Intervals

There were no existing functional assessment models available for any wetland habitat types for desert riverine or depressional wetlands. The best method to measure wetland functions of desert wetlands is to follow the well-developed Hydrogeomorphic Assessment Method (HGM) developed by the Corps and expanded by EPA. For riverine wetlands, a new CRAM module for Episodic Streams was released in December 2016 (CWMW 2015) and used for the Mojave River Delta portion of the Bank Site (DMEC 2016a). An assessment of the wetland functions will be performed using a Draft Regional Guidebook for Functional Assessment of Playa Depressional Wetlands in the Mojave Desert (DMEC 2016b). This document applies the HGM approach, but is not being called a draft HGM guidebook because a formal federal assessment team (A team) has not been assembled. Two regional HGM models were used as templates for the Mojave Desert Playas Depressional HGM model: the Prairie Potholes Depressional HGM model (Gilbert et al. 2006) and the Southern California Vernal Pools HGM model (Bauder et al. 2009), with the former model most closely representing functions of the desert playa depressional wetlands. Six wetland functions have been identified for the Prairie Potholes wetlands: 1. Surface Water Storage 2. Groundwater Recharge 3. Sediment Retention 4. Biochemical Recycling 5. Plant Community Resilience and Carbon Cycling 6. Provide Faunal Habitat The Mojave Desert playa wetlands serve the same six basic functions. The Draft Regional Guidebook for Functional Assessment of Playa Depressional Wetlands in the Mojave Desert uses the six wetland functions listed above from the Prairie Potholes HGM model (Gilbert et al. 2006), using 14 variables to measure the functional capacity index (FCI) of each of the functions. Not all 14 variables are used for each of the six functions. Some variables are weighted. The 14 variables are listed below:

1. Buffer Condition (VBUFFCONT): continuity of natural buffer adjacent to the wetland 2. Buffer Width (VBUFFWIDTH): width of natural buffer perpendicular to the wetland 3. Vegetation Composition (VVEGCOMP): vegetation composition 4. Soil Recharge Potential (VRECHARGE)estimated groundwater infiltration potential 5. Sediment (VSED): sediment deposition in the wetland 6. Soil Quality Index (VSQI): soil quality index 7. Wetland Outlet (VOUT): wetland surface outlet 8. Subsurface Outlet (VSUBOUT): subsurface drainage 9. Wetland Source Area (VSOURCE): reduction or increase in catchment area 10. Wetland Edge Index (VEDGE): modified shoreline irregularity index 11. Wetland Ratio (VCATCHWET): ratio of catchment area to wetland area 12. Upland Land Use (VUPUSE): land use within the catchment 13. Wetland Proximity (VWETPROX): proximity to nearest wetlands 14. Landscape Habitat Fragmentation (VHABFRAG): sum of the length of roads and ditches in the landscape assessment area

The Desert Playas functional assessment regional model is based on 17 reference sites (equivalent to 17 playa wetlands) scattered about the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino and Inyo Counties (Figure 12, Mojave Desert Playa HGM Reference Sites), including:  Broadwell Lake,  Bristol Lake,  East Cronese Lake,  West Cronese Lake,  Dry Lake (Silurian Valley),  El Mirage Lake,  Harper Lake,  Ivanpah Lake,  Lucerne Lake,  Panamint Lake (north & south),  Rabbit Lake,  Searles Lake,  Silurian Lake,  Silver Lake,  Soda Lake,  Troy Lake, and  “Green Rock Mine” Lake (apparently unnamed playa approximately 1.7 mi NW of Afton Canyon Exit I-15). The reference sites include two basic playa subclasses: those considered soft and those considered hard, as defined by Motts et al. (1969). The hard playas subclass is generally associated with playas with a very shallow groundwater table and high salinity/high levels of carbonates. The soft playas have somewhat deeper groundwater levels and significantly lower levels of salinity and carbonates. For the riverine wetlands component, conditions are based on four (4) wetland attributes (functions), using 10 metrics (variables), which are summarized in Table 3, Episodic Streams Wetland Attributes. The metrics, attributes, and methods used for this assessment are described in greater detail in the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM), Episodic Riverine User’s Manual and Field Book, Version 1.0 (CWMW 2015). Post-restoration conditions represent an estimate of environmental conditions and cannot be accurately measured until after the project has been constructed and in place; therefore, the scores for these conditions should be considered preliminary. However, DMEC used best professional judgment for these scores. The results of the wetland functional assessment at the Bank Site are presented in Section IV, Wetland Functional Assessment Results.

Table 3. Episodic Streams Wetland Attributes

Attribute/Function Description 1 – Buffer and Landscape An understanding of the larger landscape in which a particular watershed is located, Context the position of the Assessment Area (AA) in context of its watershed and the qualities of the buffer surrounding the AA provide important insight on how geologic setting, basin type, valley context, and tributaries potentially influence the condition of an AA. Two metrics are used to measure this attribute.

Attribute/Function Description 2 – Hydrology Hydrology is the most important direct determinant of stream and wetland function. It includes the sources, quantities, and movements of water, plus the quantities, transport, and fates of water-borne materials, particularly sediment as bed load and suspended load. The physical structure of a stream is largely determined by the magnitude, duration, and intensity of water movement. (CWMP 2015.) Three metrics are used to measure this attribute: Water Source, Sediment Transport, and Hydrologic Connectivity. 3 – Physical Structure Physical structure is defined as the spatial organization of living and non-living surfaces that provide habitat for biota. For example, the distribution and abundance of organisms in riverine systems are largely controlled by physical processes and the resulting physical characteristics of habitats. Metrics of the Physical Structure attribute in CRAM therefore focus on physical conditions that are indicative of the capacity of a stream or wetland to support characteristic flora and fauna. Two metrics are used to measure this attribute: Structural Patch Richness and Topographic Complexity. 4 – Biotic Structure Biotic Structure assesses plant communities that contributes to a stream’s material structure and architecture. Living vegetation and coarse detritus are examples of biotic structure. CRAM assesses Biotic Structure based on three metrics: Plant Community Metric, Horizontal Dispersion, and Vertical Biotic Structure (CWMW 2015).

LIFT OF WETLAND FUNCTIONS

East Cronese Lake and the Bank Site serve the six basic wetland functions described above. However, the viability of these functions has been reduced significantly as a result of invasion and colonization of a large portion of the Bank Site by invasive exotic plants, primarily Tamarix ramosissima. T. ramosissima is a phreatophytic species, meaning that it is capable of putting down deep tap roots and utilizing groundwater; however it will utilize moisture wherever it occurs (Nippert et al. 2010). As verified by Sala et al (1996), T. ramosissima is capable of using large amounts of water under the extreme evaporative demands that characterize arid environments, and mature T. ramosissima stands can lose very high quantities of water due to the maintenance of high leaf area. The active restoration of the East Cronese Lake Bank Site will increase the amount of groundwater available4, decrease salinity and increase the diversity of plant and wildlife communities. The removal of T. ramosissima can halt further concentrations of salts in surface soils and groundwater. Elevated salt concentration is a commonly cited cause of ecosystem degradation associated with Tamarix invasion, and many native species have a hard time germinating in highly saline conditions (Busch and Smith 1995). Several studies on bird diversity in Tamarix stands have been conducted that make it clear that there are distinct differences from native dominated habitat. Several studies have measured lower bird diversity in Tamarix stands; in particular, raptors, cavity nesters, frugivores5 and nectarivores6 tend to avoid the species (Walker 2006). Additionally, Tamarix can increase wildfire frequency in riparian

4 Little data are available regarding the current ground water level at East Cronese Lake. Historic data from the California Water Data Library (http://www.water.ca.gov/waterdatalibrary/) indicates that groundwater levels measured from wells on the lake surface ranged from approximately 16-18 ft. below the ground in 1961, and fell to approximately 18-21 ft. by 1966. A well on the periphery of the lake measured the groundwater level at 33 ft. below ground in 1980. 5 Fruit eaters. 6 Animals that derive energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants.

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC areas (Busch and Smith 1995), which can lead to increased erosion, spread of non-native plants and loss of wildlife habitat. The BLM removed approximately 300 acres of Tamarix from the Mojave River floodplain at Afton Canyon during the 1990’s using controlled burning and herbicides. Monitoring of the areas where Tamarix cover had been reduced by 90-100 percent showed increases in mammal and bird presence and diversity, an increase in native plant species diversity, and an increase in surface water level (Lovich et al. 1994). The Restoration Plan section below (pages 61-64) and Figure 20, Restoration Areas of the Bank Site, provide details about which areas have T. ramosissima and are proposed to be restored. Using the functional assessment model, baseline and post-restoration conditions at East Cronese Lake and the Bank Site parcels can be compared, and the lift of wetland functions associated with restoration activities can be estimated. This assessment is described in detail in the Wetland Functional Assessment of East Cronese Lake (DMEC 2016a), and summarized below. The functional assessment model was applied to four areas: the entire East Cronese Lake playa wetland; the southwestern parcel (287 acres); the southeastern parcel (39.5 acres); and the northern and eastern parcels (100 acres). The results of this assessment are detailed in Table 4, Comparison of Baseline and Post-restoration FCI scores at the Bank Site. Generally, all six functions are lifted in the post-restoration scenario, because the removal of T. ramosissima increases groundwater availability and improves plant and animal habitat. Both the baseline FCI scores and post-restoration FCI scores vary depending on the amount of T. ramosissima removed. The functional lift is lower over the entire wetland because T. ramosissima will only be removed from the Bank Site parcels, and not the entire wetland. The functional lift is higher when applied to the parcels individually, because the removal of the T. ramosissima in these areas will be complete. The exception to this is the northern and eastern parcels, which have no projected functional lift, due to the fact that T. ramosissima cover is already very low in those areas. The baseline FCI scores in this part of the Bank Site are the same as the post-restoration FCI scores on the other parcels. This part of the Bank Site is therefore proposed for preservation rather than restoration. The riverine wetland functional assessment, using the CRAM Episodic Streams module, shows that the Biotic Structure attribute would improve by about 30 percent over existing conditions after the invasive exotics have been removed and the native plants have had a chance to dominate the restored areas of the Bank Site (DMEC 2016a).

Table 4. Comparison of Baseline and Post-restoration FCI scores at the Bank Site

Assessment Area Entire East Cronese Wetland Function Baseline Post-restoration Functional Lift 1 - Surface Water Retention 0.43 0.61 0.18 2 - Groundwater Recharge 0.41 0.58 0.17 3 - Retain Particulates 0.68 0.74 0.06 4 - Biogeochemical Processes 0.42 0.62 0.20 5 - Plant Community Resilience 0.41 0.61 0.20 6 - Provide Faunal Habitat 0.40 0.60 0.20

Southwestern Parcels Function Baseline Post-restoration Functional Lift 1 - Surface Water Retention 0.43 0.87 0.43 2 - Groundwater Recharge 0.41 0.82 0.41 3 - Retain Particulates 0.68 0.83 0.16 4 - Biogeochemical Processes 0.42 0.94 0.51 5 - Plant Community Resilience 0.41 0.92 0.51 6 - Provide Faunal Habitat 0.40 0.90 0.50 Southeastern Parcel Function Baseline Post-restoration Functional Lift 1 - Surface Water Retention 0.61 0.87 0.25 2 - Groundwater Recharge 0.58 0.82 0.24 3 - Retain Particulates 0.74 0.83 0.10 4 - Biogeochemical Processes 0.62 0.94 0.31 5 - Plant Community Resilience 0.61 0.92 0.31 6 - Provide Faunal Habitat 0.60 0.90 0.30 Northern and Eastern Parcels Function Baseline Post-restoration Functional Lift 1 - Surface Water Retention 0.87 0.87 0.00 2 - Groundwater Recharge 0.82 0.82 0.00 3 - Retain Particulates 0.83 0.83 0.00 4 - Biogeochemical Processes 0.94 0.94 0.00 5 - Plant Community Resilience 0.92 0.92 0.00 6 - Provide Faunal Habitat 0.90 0.90 0.00

Figure 12. Mojave Desert Playa Lakes HGM Reference Sites

Habitat Types

The Bank Site contains upland, riparian, and wetland habitats on steep slopes and in the floodplain of East Cronese Lake and contributing drainages. The Bank Site vegetation is comprised of three predominant habitat groups, including Sonoran- Coloradan Semi-desert Wash Scrub, Lower Bajada and Fan Mojavean-Sonoran Desert Scrub, and Southwestern North American Salt Basin and High Marsh. Specifically the Lyons property habitats are classified as the following by Sawyer et al. (2009) and as suggested by DMEC:  Sonoran-Coloradan Semi-desert Wash Scrub o Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque) . Prosopis glandulosa/Atriplex canescens Shrubland Association . Prosopis glandulosa/Pluchea sericea-Atriplex canescens Alkali Spring Association  Lower Bajada and Fan Mojavean-Sonoran Desert Scrub o Larrea tridentata Shrubland Alliance (Creosote Bush Scrub) . Larrea tridentata-Atriplex canescens Association . Larrea tridentata-Ambrosia salsola Association . Larrea tridentata/Eriogonum inflatum Association . Larrea tridentata/wash  Southwestern North American Salt Basin and High Marsh o Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub) o Suaeda nigra [moquinii] Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub) o Tamarix ramosissima Stand

The predominant wetland habitat type onsite is classified within the Palustrine system, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin et al. 1979). The Palustrine system includes all nontidal wetlands dominated by trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses or lichens, and all such wetlands that occur in tidal areas where salinity due to ocean- derived salts is below 0.5. The Palustrine system is bounded by upland or by any of the other four systems (including Riverine, Lacustrine, Marine, and Estuarine). Within the Palustrine system there are several classes present on the Bank Site. Substantial localized variation in total vegetative cover and dominant species is present within the Palustrine system on the Bank Site, which constitute several classes as defined by Cowardin et al. (1979). All wetland classes present are classified as Intermittently Flooded. Intermittently Flooded systems have substrate that is usually exposed yet surface water is present for variable periods and without detectable seasonal periodicity. It is possible for periods of weeks, months, and years of exposed substrate to pass between periods of present surface water. The classes present on the Bank Site are:  Scrub-Shrub Broad-leaved Evergreen Wetland is characterized by woody vegetation that is at less than six meters tall (true shrubs or young trees), in the case of the Bank Site , dominated by primarily by Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi (Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance), with additional areas dominated by Suaeda nigra (Suaeda nigra [moquinii] Shrubland Alliance).

 Scrub-Shrub Broad-leaved Deciduous Wetland is characterized by woody vegetation that is at less than six meters tall (true shrubs or young trees), in the case of the Bank Site, dominated by primarily by Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana (Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance).  Scrub-Shrub Needle-leaved Evergreen Wetland is characterized by woody vegetation that is at less than six meters tall (true shrubs or young trees), in the case of the Bank Site, dominated by Tamarix ramosissima.  Scrub-Shrub Dead Wetland is characterized by dead woody vegetation that is less than six meters tall (true shrubs or young trees) usually resulting from an impoundment of water.  Unconsolidated Bottom is characterized by at least 25% cover of particles smaller than stones, and vegetative cover less than 30%. Cowardin et al. (1979) restricts this class to subtidal, permanently flooded, intermittently exposed, and semi-permanently flooded water regimes. Considering the nature of the East Cronese Playa bottom, DMEC finds it appropriate to consider this class in regards to intermittently flooded water regime as well. The sediment of the playa surface in combination with certain sparse vegetation patches is characteristic of the unconsolidated bottom class.  Emergent Wetland is characterized by erect, rooted, herbaceous hydrophytes, excluding mosses and lichens. In areas of climactic fluctuation, large precipitation or flood events can cause emergent wetlands to revert to an open water phase periodically. Considering the nature of the East Cronese Playa bottom and its dominant vegetation (Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi and Tamarix ramosissima) DMEC finds it appropriate to consider this class despite the lack of true herbaceous hydrophytes. The clear division between the playa surface vegetation alliances and upland alliances is a function of the periodic flooding of the playa surface and is characteristic of the emergent wetland class. Emergent Wetland is also included in the USFWS National Wetland Inventory (NWI) map of the project area, illustrated above on Figure 8. The vegetated Palustrine and Riverine wetland habitats observed onsite are described below in more detail as:  Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub);  Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque)  Suaeda nigra Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub)  Tamarix ramosissima Stand  Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance (Alkali Weed and Saltgrass) Stutzia covillei-Lepidium nitidum-Cressa truxillensis Provisional Herbaceous Association (Alkali Weed-Saltgrass Playas and Sinks) These habitats are discussed in the following subsections as suggested by DMEC, following conventions of Sawyer et al. (2009), and described in detail in the Biological Resources Report (DMEC 2015a). The general habitat types present on the East Cronese Lake parcels are illustrated in Figure 13, Land Cover in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake. The wetland types are illustrated in Figure 14, Wetland Habitat Types of East Cronese Lake.

Figure 13. Land Cover in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake

Figure 14. Wetland Habitat Types of East Cronese Lake

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub)

Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub) is dominated by Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi (Torrey’s Saltbush), which is a broad-leaved, evergreen, generally rounded shrub with pale brown to grey bark, sharp angled striate twigs, and pale green to grey, ovate to deltate-shaped leaves. Torrey’s Saltbush is uncommon but widely distributed east of the Sierra Nevada, through the Mojave Desert and into southwestern Utah. A. torreyi occurs predominantly in dry lakes and washes with saline clayey soils, from 300 to 2,200 meters elevation (Zacharias 2013). A. torreyi has a Wetland Indicator Status (WIS) of FAC (Lichvar 2014); however, DMEC believes this status designation is incorrect as A. torreyi only occurs in clayey soils associated with desert playas and should be assigned to either OBL or FACW since it is very rarely found growing in upland habitats. Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance was observed inhabiting major areas of the East Cronese Lake playa bottom. The playa bottom is comprised of a network of patches and swales with varying degrees of absolute vegetation coverage, dominant species, and dead vegetation. Most undisturbed or uninvaded areas are dominated by A. torreyi var. torreyi, which is associated with a variety of herbaceous annuals, including but not limited to: Pectocarya recurvata (Arched-nut Combseed), Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata (Desert Fiddleneck), Cryptantha angustifolia (Narrow-leaved Forget-me-not), and Schismus spp. (Arabian and Mediterranean Grass). Scattered individuals of Tamarix ramosissima (Saltcedar) are also commonly found in A. torreyi var. torreyi dominated areas. The playa surface on the northern portion of the Lyons property is primarily Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance, T. ramosissima individuals become increasingly common moving south, eventually becoming dominant.

Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque)

Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque, Mesquite Thicket) is dominated by Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana (Honey Mesquite), which is a woody tree or shrub, primarily functioning as a shrub on the Bank property. It has feathery green leaves, and is winter deciduous. The small yellow flowers occur in dense dangling spikes, resembling catkins. P. glandulosa var. torreyana is a phreatophyte. It is dependent upon a permanent supply of groundwater, sending roots up to 15 meters deep to tap into water sources. It is found in deserts, commonly along the fringes of playa lakes, stream banks, floodplains, and margins of arroyos and washes below 1100 meters elevation. P.

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC glandulosa var. torreyana is assigned WIS of UPL (Lichvar 2014). However, DMEC disagrees with this assignment. P. glandulosa var. torreyana is very strongly associated with the fringes various wetlands and is a reliable indicator of the presence of a relatively shallow groundwater table or access to permanent water. Due to its typical habitat of areas similar to playa fringes and stream banks, DMEC believes that P. glandulosa var. torreyana should be assigned a WIS of at least FAC if not FACW. Sawyer et al. (2009) classifies Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance as “Sonoran-Coloradan Semi- desert Wash Scrub,” and cites several populations as “riparian.” Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana was observed inhabiting areas along the fringes of the East Cronese Lake playa bottom. A distinct band of P. glandulosa var. torreyana around the edges of the playa surface serves as a clear indicator of the edge of the wetland zone. However, dense P. glandulosa var. torreyana woodlands are also found in infrequently flooded areas within the network of swales and washes that form the Mojave River delta, which feeds floodwaters into the Cronese Basin (much of the Southeastern parcel). Scattered annual herbs are found among Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana woodlands, sometimes forming dese clusters in openings, these herbaceous species primarily include: Pectocarya recurvata (Arched-nut Combseed), Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata (Desert Fiddleneck), and Schismus spp. Scattered individuals of Larrea tridentata and Tamarix ramosissima occur in the playa fringe communities.

Suaeda nigra Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub)

Suaeda [moquinii] nigra Shrubland Alliance is dominated by Suaeda nigra [formerly called S. moquinii] (Bush Seepweed), which is a shrub or subshrub typically less than 1.5 meters tall. It has small linear to narrowly lanceolate leaves, 1 to 3 centimeters long, that can range from yellowish green to red to dark purple, appearing black. The flowers occur in clusters of 1 to 12 along the stems. It is found in desert and semi-desert habitats, often in saline or alkaline soils, on flat to gently sloping valley bottoms, playas, and toe slopes adjacent to alluvial fans, and bajadas below 1300 meters elevation. S. nigra is assigned WIS of FAC (Lichvar 2014); however, DMEC believes this status designation is incorrect as S. nigra only occurs in clayey soils associated with desert playas, bottomlands, and saline/alkaline marshes and should be assigned to either OBL or FACW since it is very rarely found growing in upland habitats. Suaeda nigra was observed inhabiting areas along the eastern fringes of the East Cronese Lake playa bottom, occupying the majority of the Eastern parcel. Its distribution is quite restricted to one distinct stand on the eastern fringe of East Cronese Lake; however, it is somewhat more widespread around the fringes of West Cronese Lake. The densest stands occur on the eastern fringes of both east and west

Cronese Lakes. This distribution is presumed to be a function of the prevailing winds from the west which, in states of inundation, push the standing surface water to the east thereby concentrating evaporates and creating soil conditions favorable to S. nigra. Scattered annual herbs are found among S. nigra shrublands, sometimes forming dese clusters in openings, these herbaceous species primarily include: Pectocarya recurvata (Arched-nut Combseed), Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata (Desert Fiddleneck), and Schismus spp. Suaeda nigra Shrubland is also associated with scattered individuals and patches of Stutzia covillei, Lepidium nitidum, and Cressa truxilensis.

Tamarix ramosissima Stand

Tamarix ramosissima Stand is dominated by Tamarix ramosissima (Saltcedar), which is a woody tree or shrub, primarily functioning as a shrub on the Bank Site. It has scale-like green leaves, turning brown and deciduous during times of drought. The flowers are fluffy white to pink racemes. Native to Asia, it has naturalized in and aggressively invaded wetland and riparian habitats of the southwestern United States. While common and highly invasive in southern California and northern Mexico, it is also found as widespread as Washington and Louisiana. It occurs in washes and along streambanks below 200 meters elevation (Gaskin 2012). Tamarix ramosissima lacks a Wetland Indicator Status [WIS] (Lichvar 2014); however, based on similar species of Tamarix and the ecological conditions it is typically found in, DMEC recommends a WIS of FACW. Tamarix ramosissima was observed inhabiting major areas of the East Cronese Lake playa bottom. The playa bottom is comprised of a network of patches and swales with varying degrees of absolute vegetation coverage, dominant species, and dead vegetation. Tamarix ramosissima becomes increasingly dominant moving southward on the East Cronese Playa bottom, particularly along the south-western portion, the east-central side of the Southwestern parcel. Tamarix ramosissima forms dense thickets with individuals occasionally reaching over three meters high. Scattered annual herbs are found among Tamarix ramosissima stands, sometimes forming dese clusters in openings, these herbaceous species primarily include: Pectocarya recurvata (Arched-nut Combseed), Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata (Desert Fiddleneck), and Schismus spp. Scattered individuals are common among Atriplex torreyi Alliance, and some areas dominated by Tamarix ramosissima contain scattered individuals of Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi.

Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance

Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance (Alkali Weed-Saltgrass Marsh) is a low- growing herbaceous plant community occurring on saline and alkaline sinks and playas (Sawyer et al. 2009). This alliance is represented in the Cronese Basin in East Cronese Lake by a previously undescribed plant association so far unique to East Cronese Lake: Stutzia covillei-Lepidium nitidum- Cressa truxillensis Provisional Herbaceous Association. It is dominated by Stutzia covillei (Coville’s Saltbush) and Lepidium nitidum (Shiny Peppergrass), with a minor representation by Cressa truxillensis (Alkali Weed) as a subdominant. Stutzia covillei and Lepidium nitidum are both broad-leaved, spring- flowering annuals that are either typically or often found in saline wetland sites.

Left: Cressa truxillensis habit and habitat. Right: Close-up of Cressa truxillensis flowers and leaves. Stutzia covillei (Standl.) E.H. Zacharias [Atriplex covillei (Standl.) J.F. Macbr., Atriplex phyllostegia (Torr. ex S. Watson) S. Watson; Endolepis covillei Standl.] is uncommon but widely distributed in the San Joaquin Valley and east of the Sierra Nevada through the Mojave Desert and into southern Nevada (many occurrences in the San Joaquin Valley have been extirpated). Stutzia covillei occurs

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC predominantly in dry lakes and flats with saline clayey soils, from below 2,100 meters elevation (Zacharias 2013b). Stutzia covillei (as Atriplex phyllostegia) has a WIS of FACW (Lichvar et al. 2014). Lepidium nitidum Nutt. [Lepidium nitidum var. howellii C.L. Hitchc.; Lepidium nitidum var. oreganum (Greene) C.L. Hitchc.] is a puberulent (very small hairs) erect to decumbent annual herb in the Mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is an early blooming species that is typically in fruit by February and March. Lepidium nitidum occurs in alkaline soils, meadows, pastures, vernal pools, fields, and beaches <1,000 m. It ranges from Washington to Baja California, Mexico. Lepidium nitidum has been assigned a FAC WIS (Lichvar et al. 2014). Stutzia covillei-Lepidium nitidum-Cressa truxillensis Provisional Herbaceous Association was observed inhabiting large areas of the East Cronese Lake playa bottom, primarily along the eastern side. The playa bottom is comprised of a network of patches and swales with varying degrees of absolute vegetation coverage, dominant species, and dead vegetation. Associated species observed with the dominants include: Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata, Chaenactis stevioides (Esteve Pincushion), Cryptantha angustifolia, Dieteria canescens var. canescens (Hoary Aster), Malacothrix glabrata (Desert Dandelion), Salsola tragus (Russian Thistle), Sisymbrium irio (London Rocket), and Schismus spp. Suaeda nigra and Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi occur nearby.

Stutzia covillei-Lepidium nitidum-Cressa truxillensis Provisional Herbaceous Association occurring in the bottom of the playa lake in the vicinity of the Eastern parcel of the Bank Site.

Left: Stutzia covillei. Right: Lepidium nitidum with Cressa truxillensis.

Flora

The flora of the project consists of vascular and nonvascular plants growing naturally or planted onsite. Vascular plants consist of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and graminoids (monocot species not in the grass family), and ferns and fern allies. Nonvascular plants consist of fungi, lichens, and bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts). DMEC recorded direct observations of all plant taxa encountered during site visits. DMEC conducted review of the Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH) database for all recorded voucher specimens collected and tagged as containing the words “Cronese” or “Cronise”. Research and observations yielded a total of approximately 142 vascular plant taxa, of which about 92 occur on the 320-acre parcel, the remaining on land around the Bank Site. Of the 92 vascular plant taxa, 80 (88%) are native species and 12 (12%) are introduced naturalized species. Of the total observed taxa DMEC collected voucher specimens for 54 taxa. No nonvascular plants (bryophytes or lichens) were observed onsite but almost certainly occur in the Cronese Mountains immediately to the west. Table 5, Plant Species Observed on the Bank Site, lists all the vascular plants observed by DMEC onsite. Table 6, Plant Species Expected on the Bank Site, lists all species expected to occur at the Bank Site based on Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH) records.

Table 5. Plant Species Observed on the Bank Site

Scientific Name7 Common Name Family WIS8 Evidence Abronia villosa var. villosa Hairy Sand-verbena Nyctaginaceae . collected Ambrosia dumosa White Bur-sage Asteraceae . collected Ambrosia salsola var. salsola Cheesebush Asteraceae . collected Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata Desert Fiddleneck Boraginaceae (FACU) collected Argemone corymbosa Leafy Prickly Poppy Papaveraceae . photographed Arida arizonica [Machaeranthera arida] Silver Lake Daisy Asteraceae FACU photographed Atriplex canescens var. canescens Fourwing Saltbush Chenopodiaceae (FAC) observed Atriplex canescens var. laciniata Caleb Saltbush Chenopodiaceae (FAC) collected Atriplex torreyi var. torreyi Torrey Saltbush Chenopodiaceae FAC collected Bebbia juncea var. aspera Rough Sweatbush Asteraceae collected Brassica tournefortii * Sahara Mustard Brassicaceae . collected Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens * Red Brome Poaceae UPL collected Caulanthus lasiophyllus [Guillenia lasiophylla] California Mustard Brassicaceae . collected Chaenactis stevioides Esteve Pincushion Asteraceae . collected Chilopsis linearis Desert Willow Bignoniaceae (FACW) collected Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu Brittle Spineflower Polygonaceae . collected Chorizanthe rigida Polygonaceae . collected Chylismia claviformis ssp. claviformis Clavate-fruited Primrose Onagraceae . collected Cleomella obtusifolia Mojave Stinkweed Cleomaceae . collected Cressa truxillensis Alkali Weed Convolvulaceae FACW collected Cryptantha angustifolia Narrow-leaved Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . collected Cucurbita palmata Coyote Melon Cucurbitaceae . collected Dieteria canescens var. canescens Hoary-aster Asteraceae . collected Dithyrea californica Spectacle Pod Brassicaceae . collected Encelia farinosa Brittlebush Asteraceae . collected Ephedra Mormon Tea Ephedraceae . collected Eremalche exilis White Mallow Malvaceae . collected Eremalche rotundifolia Desert Fivespot Malvaceae . collected Eremothera [Camissonia] boothii Booth Desert Primrose Onagraceae . collected Eriogonum inflatum var. inflatum Desert Trumpet Polygonaceae . collected Eschscholzia glyptosperma Desert Golden Poppy Papaveraceae . collected Eschscholzia minutiflora Small-flowered Poppy Papaveraceae . collected Geraea canescens Hairy Desert Sunflower Asteraceae . collected Gilia sinuata Rosy Gilia Polemoniaceae . collected Heliotropium curassavicum var. oculatum Alkali Heliotrope Boraginaceae FACU collected Hesperocaulis undulata Desert Lily Agavaceae . collected

7 * = Introduced/naturalized plant species. Bold = Special-status species (CNPS 2006, 2014). Scientific and common names follow Jepson Flora Project (2014) and Flora of North America Editorial Committee (1993-2010). 8 WIS = Wetland Indicator Status. The following code definitions are according to Lichvar (2013): OBL = obligate wetland species, occurs almost always in wetlands (>99% probability). FACW = facultative wetland species, usually found in wetlands (67-99% probability). FAC = facultative species, equally likely to occur in wetlands or nonwetlands (34-66% probability). FACU = facultative upland species, usually found in nonwetlands (67-99% probability). + or - symbols are modifiers that indicate greater or lesser affinity for wetland habitats. NI = no indicator has been assigned due to a lack of information to determine indicator status. * = a tentative assignment to that indicator status by Lichvar (2013). Parentheses indicate a wetland status as suggested by David L. Magney based on extensive field observations over 30 years, and evidence discussed in the Methods – Problematic Indicators section.

Scientific Name7 Common Name Family WIS8 Evidence Hilaria rigida Big Galleta Poaceae . collected Langloisia setosissima var. setosissima Bristly Langloisia Polemoniaceae . collected Larrea tridentata Creosote Bush Zygophyllaceae . observed Lepidium flavum Yellow Peppergrass Brassicaceae UPL collected Lepidium lasiocarpum ssp. lasiocarpum Shaggyfruit Peppergrass Brassicaceae . collected Lepidium nitidum Shinny Peppergrass Brassicaceae FAC collected Loeseliastrum schottii Scott Gilia Polemoniaceae . collected Lupinus shockleyi Shockley Lupine Fabaceae . collected Malacothrix coulteri Snake Heads Asteraceae . collected Monoptilon bellioides Desert Star Asteraceae . Observed Nama demissum var. demissum Purple Mat Boraginaceae . collected Nama densa cf. var. parviflora Purple Mat Boraginaceae . collected Nemacladus rubescens Desert Threadplant Campanulaceae . collected Nicotiana obtusifolia Desert Coyoto Tobacco Solanaceae FACU collected Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides Desert Lantern Onagraceae . collected Orobanche cooperi Cooper Broom-rape Orobanchaceae collected Palafoxia arida var. arida Desert Needle Asteraceae . collected Pectocarya platycarpa Wide-toothed Comb Bur Boraginaceae . collected Pectocarya recurvata Arched-nut Comb Bur Boraginaceae . collected Perityle emoryi Emory's Rock Daisy Asteraceae . collected Peucephyllum schottii Desert Pinebush Asteraceae . collected Phacelia crenulata var. crenulata Heliotrope Phacelia Boraginaceae . collected Phoradendron californicum California Mistletoe Viscaceae . collected Physalis crassifolia Thick-leaved Ground Cherry Solanaceae . collected Plantago ovata var. fastigiata Desert Plantain Plantaginaceae FACU collected Pluchea sericea Arrow Weed Asteraceae FACW collected Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana Honey Mesquite Fabaceae UPL collected Rafinesquia neomexicana Desert Chicory Asteraceae . collected Salsola tragus * Russian Thistle Chenopodiaceae (FAC) collected Schismus barbatus * Abu Mashi Poaceae (FAC) collected Sisymbrium irio * London Rocket Brassicaceae . collected Stephanomeria exigua var. exigua White-plume Wirelettuce Asteraceae . collected Stutzia covillei [Atriplex phyllostegia] Coville's Orach Chenopodiaceae FACW collected Suaeda nigra [S. moquinii] Bush Seepweed Chenopodiaceae OBL observed Tamarix aphylla * Athel Tamaricaceae FAC collected Tamarix ramosissima * Saltcedar Tamaricaceae (FAC) collected Tiquilia plicata Fan-leaved Tiquilia Boraginaceae . collected

Table 6. Plant Species Expected on the Bank Site

Scientific Name9 Common Name Family WIS10 Evidence11 Achyronychia cooperi Frost Mat Caryophyllaceae . CCH Aliciella micromeria [Gilia m.] Dainty Gilia Polemoniaceae . CCH Aliciella monoensis Mono Lake Aliciella Polemoniaceae . CCH Amaranthus albus * Tumbleweed Amaranthaceae FACU CCH Small-flowered Androstephium breviflorum Androstephium Themidaceae . CCH Astragalus didymocarpus var. Prostrate Two-seeded dispermus Milkvetch Fabaceae . CCH Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus Borrego Milkvetch Fabaceae UPL CCH Astragalus lentiginosus var. variabilis Varied Milkvetch Fabaceae UPL CCH Atriplex polycarpa Allscale Saltbush Chenopodiaceae FACU CCH Baileya pauciradiata Lax Flower Asteraceae . CCH Brickellia incana Woolly Brickellbush Asteraceae . CCH Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia Pebble Pincushion Asteraceae . CCH Chaenactis xantiana Fleshy Pincushion Asteraceae . CCH Chamaesyce micromera Desert Spurge Euphorbiaceae . CCH Chamaesyce ocellata ssp. ocellata Valley Spurge Euphorbiaceae . CCH Chenopodium incanum var. occidentale Pigweed Chenopodiaceae . CCH Chenopodium strictum var. White-leaved glaucophyllum * Goosefoot Chenopodiaceae . CCH Chylismia brevipes ssp. brevipes Yellow Cups Onagraceae . CCH Chylismia claviformis ssp. Pinnate-leaved aurantiaca Primrose Onagraceae . CCH Croton californicus California Croton Euphorbiaceae . CCH Cryptantha barbigera var. barbigera Bearded Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . CCH Cryptantha circumscissa Cushion Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . CCH Cryptantha costata Ashen Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . CCH Guadalupe Island Cryptantha maritima Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . CCH Cryptantha micrantha var. Red-root Forget-Me- micrantha Not Boraginaceae CCH Cryptantha nevadensis Nevada Forget-Me-Not Boraginaceae . CCH Cryptantha pterocarya var. Winged-nut Forget-Me- Boraginaceae . CCH

9 * = Introduced/naturalized plant species. Bold = Special-status species (CNPS 2006, 2014). Scientific and common names follow Jepson Flora Project (2014) and Flora of North America Editorial Committee (1993-2010). 10 WIS = Wetland Indicator Status. The following code definitions are according to Lichvar (2013): OBL = obligate wetland species, occurs almost always in wetlands (>99% probability). FACW = facultative wetland species, usually found in wetlands (67-99% probability). FAC = facultative species, equally likely to occur in wetlands or nonwetlands (34-66% probability). FACU = facultative upland species, usually found in nonwetlands (67-99% probability). + or - symbols are modifiers that indicate greater or lesser affinity for wetland habitats. NI = no indicator has been assigned due to a lack of information to determine indicator status. * = a tentative assignment to that indicator status by Lichvar (2013). Parentheses indicate a wetland status as suggested by David L. Magney based on extensive field observations over 30 years, and evidence discussed in the Methods – Problematic Indicators section. 11 CCH = species collected within a 2-mile radius of the bank site and deposited in an herbarium participating in the Consortium of California Herbaria (2014); or search results from CalFlora.org (2014) within a 2-mile radius; Collected, Observed, or Photographed = species encountered DMEC and the respective documentation.

Scientific Name9 Common Name Family WIS10 Evidence11 pterocarya Not Dalea mollissima Downy Dalea Fabaceae . CCH Dicoria canescens Desert Dicoria Asteraceae . CCH Distichlis spicata Saltgrass Poaceae FAC CCH Kidney-leaf Wild Eriogonum reniforme Buckwheat Polygonaceae . CCH Small-flowered Eucrypta micrantha Eucrypta Boraginaceae . CCH Funastrum hirtellum [Sarcostemma h.] Trailing Townula Apocynaceae . CCH Gilia stellata Star Gilia Polemoniaceae . CCH Gilia tenuiflora ssp. amphifaucalis Trumpet-throated Gilia Polemoniaceae . CCH White-margined Glyptopleura marginata Waxplant Asteraceae CCH Heliotropium convolvulaceum var. Morning-glory californicum Heliotrope Boraginaceae . CCH Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia Alkali Goldenbush Asteraceae FACU CCH Langloisia setosissima var. punctata Lilac Sunbonnet Polemoniaceae . CCH Linanthus arenicola Sand Linanthus Polemoniaceae . CCH Loeseliastrum mathewsii Desert Calico Polemoniaceae . CCH Logfia depressa Hierba Limpia Asteraceae . CCH Malacothrix glabrata Desert Dandelion Asteraceae . CCH Malvella leprosa Alkali Mallow Malvaceae FACU CCH Mentzelia albicaulis Whitestem Stickleaf Loasaceae . CCH Mentzelia desertorum Desert Stickleaf Loasaceae . CCH Mentzelia obscura Pacific Blazing Star Loasaceae . CCH Monolepis nuttalliana Nuttall's Poverty Weed Chenopodiaceae FAC CCH Nama hispidum Bristly Nama Boraginaceae . CCH Oligomeris linifolia Desert Cambess Resedaceae . CCH Panicum urvilleanum Silky Panic Grass Poaceae . CCH Pectis papposa var. papposa Chinch Weed Asteraceae . CCH Thurber's Sandpaper Petalonyx thurberi ssp. thurberi Plant Loasaceae (FAC) CCH Purplestem Phacelia crenulata var. ambigua Scorpionweed Boraginaceae . CCH Phacelia ivesiana var. pediculoides Ives' Phacelia Boraginaceae . CCH Plagiobothrys jonesii Jones' Popcornflower Boraginaceae . CCH Plantago ovata var. ovata Desert Plantain Plantaginaceae FACU CCH Pleurocoronis pluriseta Arrowleaf Asteraceae . CCH Psorothamnus spinosus Smoke Tree Fabaceae (FACW) CCH Barbwire Russian Salsola gobicola * Thistle Chenopodiaceae . CCH Paulsen's Russian Salsola paulsenii * Thistle Chenopodiaceae . CCH Schismus arabicus * Arabian schismus Poaceae . CalFlora Sesuvium verrucosum Western Sea-purslane Aizoaceae FACW CCH Spergularia marina Saltmarsh Sand-spurrey Caryophyllaceae OBL CCH Few-flowered Stephanomeria pauciflora Wirelettuce Asteraceae . CCH Stillingia spinulosa Broad-leaved Stillingia Euphorbiaceae . CCH Long-beaked Streptanthella longirostris Twistflower Brassicaceae . CCH Tamarix chinensis * Fivestamen Tamarisk Tamaricaceae FAC CCH Tidestromia suffruticosa var. oblongifolia Honeysweet Amaranthaceae . CCH Verbena bracteata Large-bracted Verbena Verbenaceae FAC CCH

A diverse array of wildlife is known to occur in the Mojave Desert and the Cronese Basin area. DMEC recorded direct observations of wildlife and wildlife sign during all Bank Site visits. DMEC also conducted a review available literature and of museum collections within a 10-mile radius of the property using the online database Vertnet.org (2014). Table 7, Wildlife Species Observed and Expected on the Bank Site, contains a list of animal species observed on the Bank Site. DMEC also conducted a review of the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB, CDFW 2014) for special- status species occurring within a 10-mile radius. The CNDDB results are included in Table 10, Special- status Plants Potentially Occurring Onsite, and Table 11, Special-status Wildlife Potentially Occurring Onsite. Observation and research yielded a total of 128 taxa, including eight (8) fish, three (3) amphibians, nineteen (19) reptiles, 47 birds, 23 mammals, and 22 invertebrates. A total of fifty (50) taxa were directly observed or detected on the Bank Site by DMEC during surveys. They included three (3) reptiles, 21 birds, five (5) mammals, and 21 invertebrates. Colaptes auratus collaris (Northern Flicker) was detected by feathers, Asphondylia floccosa (Woolly Stem Gall Midge) was detected by galls, Neotoma lepida ledida (Desert Woodrat) was detected by nests and scat, Lynx rufus (Bobcat) was detected by scat, and Dipodomys sp. (Kangaroo Rat) was detected by burrows and tracks. DMEC expects that many more species frequent the Cronese Basin during periods of inundation. Anthony Chavez with BLM reported that East Cronese Lake contains Fairy Shrimp (Order Anostraca) which in turn, during periods of inundation, attract a wide variety of birds. Louis Courtois (1984) reports several species of fish present in East Cronese Lake following a flood event in April 1981. Courtois (1984) also reports the presence of Pelicanus occidentalis (Brown Pelican), a coastal bird, indicating that many undocumented waterfowl and shorebirds likely frequent the lake during periods of inundation. The fish, waterfowl, and aquatic insects listed in Table 7 below would only be likely to occur during periods of inundation.

Table 7. Wildlife Species Observed and Expected on the Bank Site

Scientific Name12 Common Name Evidence FISH Ameiurus(Ictalurus) melas* Black Bullhead Catfish Courtois 1984 Gambusia affinis* Mosquitofish Vertnet, Courtois 1984 Gila orcutti Arroyo Chub Vertnet, Courtois 1984 Gila X Lavinia Chub X Hitch Vertnet Lavinia exilicauda Hitch Vertnet Lepomis cyanellus* Green Sunfish Vertnet, Courtois 1984 Pimephales promelas* Fathead Minnow Vertnet, Courtois 1984 Siphateles bicolor mohavensis Mohave Tui Chub CNDDB AMPHIBIANS Anaxyrus (Bufo) boreas Western Toad Vertnet Pseudacris (Hyla) regilla Pacific Tree Frog Vertnet,, Courtois 1984 Rana catesbeiana* American Bullfrog Vertnet, Courtois 1984 REPTILES Aspidoscelis tigris Western Whiptail Observed Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus Zebra-tailed Lizard Observed

12 An asterisk “*” after the scientific name indicates non-native species.

Scientific Name12 Common Name Evidence Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake Vertnet Coleonyx variegatus Western Banded Gecko Vertnet Crotaphytus bicinctores Great Basin Collard Lizard Vertnet Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana Vertnet Emys marmorata Western Pond Turtle Vertnet/CNDDB Gambelia wislizenii Leopard Lizard Vertnet Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise CNDDB Leptotyphlops humilis Western Slender Blind Snake Vertnet Phrynosoma platyrhinos Desert Horned Lizard Vertnet Phyllorhynchus decurtatus Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Vertnet Rhinocheilus lecontei Long-nosed Snake Vertnet Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla Vertnet Sceloporus magister Desert Spiny Lizard Vertnet Uma scoparia Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard Vertnet/CNDDB Urosaurus graciosus graciosus Western Long-tailed Brush Lizard Vertnet Uta stansburiana Side-blotched Lizard Observed Xantusia vigilis Desert Night Lizard Vertnet BIRDS Accipiter striatus Sharp-shinned Hawk Observed Aeronautes saxatalis saxatalis White-throated Swift Vertnet Agelaius phoeniceus nevadensis Red-winged Blackbird Vertnet Amphispiza belli Sage Sparrow Observed Aphelocoma californica nevadae Western Scrub Jay Vertnet Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle CNDDB Auriparus flaviceps acaciarum Verdin Vertnet Buteo jamecensis Red Tailed Hawk Observed Callipepla gambelii gambelii Gambel's Quail Vertnet Calypte anna Anna’s Hummingbird Observed Calypte costae Costa’s Hummingbird Observed Cathartes aura Turkey Vulture Observed Charadrius vociferus vociferus Killdeer Vertnet Chordeiles acutipennis texensis Lesser Nighthawk Vertnet Cistothorus palustris plesius Marsh Wren Vertnet Colaptes auratus collaris Northern Flicker Detected (feathers) Corvus brachyrhynchos Common Crow Courtois 1984 Corvus corax Common Raven Observed Dendroica coronata Yellow-rumped Warbler Observed Eremophila alpestris Horned Lark Observed Falco mexicanus Prairie Falcon CNDDB Falco sparverius American Kestrel Observed Gallinago delicata Wilson's Snipe Vertnet Geococcyx californianus Greater Roadrunner Observed Geothlypis trichas occidentalis Common Yellowthroat Vertnet Icterus bullockii parvus Bullock's Oriole Vertnet Junco hyemalis caniceps Grey-headed Junco CNDDB Lanius ludovicianus Loggerhead Shrike Observed Melospiza melodia montana Song Sparrow Vertnet

Scientific Name12 Common Name Evidence Oreoscoptes montanus Sage Thrasher Observed Passerculus sandwichensis nevadensis Savannah Sparrow Vertnet Pelicanus occidentalis Brown Pelican Courtois 1984 Phainopepla nitens lepida Phainopepla Observed Piranga rubra Summer Tanager CNDDB Polioptila caerulea amoenissima Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Vertnet Pyrocephalus rubinus flammeus Vermillion Flycatcher Vertnet/CNDDB Regulus calendula cineraceus Ruby-crowned Kinglet Observed Salpinctes obsoletus Rock Wren Observed Sialia mexicana Western Bluebird Courtois 1984 Sayornis nigricans semiatra Black Phoebe Vertnet Sayornis saya saya Say's Phoebe Observed Sphyrapicus nuchalis Red-naped Sapsucker Observed Thryomanes bewickii eremophilus Bewick's Wren Observed Turdus migratorius American Robin Courtois 1984 Tyrannus sp. Kingbird Observed Tyrannus verticalis Western Kingbird Vertnet Zonotrichia leucophrys White-crowned Sparrow Observed MAMMALS Antrozous pallidus Pallid Bat CNDDB Ammospermophilus leucurus leucurus White-tailed Antelope Squirrel Vertnet Canis latrans Coyote Observed Chaetodipus formosus mohavensis Long-tailed Mojave Pocket Mouse Vertnet Chaetodipus penicillatus angustirostris Desert Pocket Mouse Vertnet Chaetodipus penicillatus mohavensis Desert Pocket Mouse Vertnet Chaetodipus penicillatus stephensi Desert Pocket Mouse Vertnet Dipodomys sp. Kangaroo Rat Detected (tracks/burrows) Dipodomys deserti deserti Desert Kangaroo Rat Vertnet Dipodomys merriami merriami Merriam's Kangaroo Rat Vertnet Lynx rufus Bobcat Detected (scat) Lepus californicus Black-tailed Jackrabbit Observed Mus musculus House Mouse Vertnet Myotis thysanodes Fringed Myotis CNDDB Neotoma lepida lepida Desert Woodrat Detected (nest/scat) Onychomys torridus pulcher Ramona Grasshopper Mouse Vertnet Ovis Canadensis nelsoni Desert Bighorn Sheep CNDDB Peromyscus crinitus stephensi Canyon Mouse Vertnet Peromyscus eremicus eremicus Baja Deermouse Vertnet Thomomys bottae melanotis Botta's Pocket Gopher Vertnet Thomomys bottae perpallidus Botta's Pocket Gopher Vertnet Vulpes macrotis arsipus Desert Kit Fox Vertnet Xerospermophilus mohavensis Mohave Ground Squirrel CNDDB INVERTEBRATES Class Aracnida (Spiders) Family Homalonychidae: Homalonychus sp. Desert Spider Observed Family Thomisidae Crab Spider Observed Family Ctenizidae Trapdoor Spider Observed

Scientific Name12 Common Name Evidence Order Scorpiones Scorpion Observed Order Coleoptera (Beetles) Family Tenebrionidae: Asbolus verrucosus Desert Ironclad Beetle Observed Family Tenebrionidae: Eleodes sp. Desert Stink Beetle Observed Family Meloidae: Cysteodemus armatus Inflated Beetle Observed Family Meloidae: Lytta magister Master Blister Beetle Observed Family Curculionidae: Orphryastes sp. Striped White Weevil Observed Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies, Moths) Family Sphingidae: Hyles lineata White Sphinx Moth (caterpillar) Observed Family Nymphalidae; Vanessa cardui Painted Lady Butterfly Observed Order Diptera (Flies) Family: Bombyliidae Bee Fly Observed Family Asilidae Robber Fly Observed Family Cecidomyiidae: Asphondylia floccosa Woolly Stem Gall Midge Detected (gall) Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets) Gray Bird Grasshopper Observed Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Wasps, Bees) Family Formicidae Tiny Red Ant Observed Family Formicidae Red Harvester Ant Observed Family Formicidae Black Harvester Ant Observed Order Hymenoptera Black Wasp Observed Order Hymenoptera: Apis mellifera European Honey Bee Observed Order Anostraca (Fairy Shrimp) Unknown Fairy shrimp (not to species) Chavez, pers. comm. 2014 Class Gastropoda (Snails and Slugs) Unknown Turban-like Snail Observed Eremarionta immaculate White Desert Snail Observed

SPECIAL-STATUS RESOURCES Definitions

Special-status habitats are vegetation types, associations, or sub-associations that support concentrations of special-status plant or wildlife species, are of relatively limited distribution, or are of particular value to wildlife. Special-status species are plants and animals that are at least one of the following: Listed as Endangered or Threatened under Federal or California Endangered Species Acts; Listed as Rare under the California Native Plant Protection Act; or Considered rare (but not formally listed) by resource agencies, professional organizations (e.g. Audubon Society, California Native Plant Society [CNPS], The Wildlife Society), and the scientific community. Listed species are those taxa that are formally listed as Endangered or Threatened by the Federal government (e.g. USFWS), pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) or as Endangered, Threatened, or Tare (for plants only) by the State of California (i.e. California Fish and Game Commission), pursuant to the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) or the California Native Plant

Protection Act, or those formally adopted by a local (e.g. county or city government) agency as of local concern or rare, or similar status. Special-status species are defined in Table 8, Definitions of Special- Status Species. The CNPS’ Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California (CNPS 2001, 2007) categorizes rare California plants into one of five lists (1A, 1B, 2, 3, and 4) representing five levels of species status, one of which is assigned to a sensitive species to indicate its status of rarity or endangerment and distribution. Most taxa also receive a threat code extension following the List (e.g. 1B.1, 2.3), which replaces the R-E-D Code previously used by CNPS. Table 9, California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Ranks, provides a definition for each List code number, and Table 10, California Native Plant Society Risk Threat Code Extensions, defines the CNPS Risk Threat Code Extensions that indicate the level of endangerment within California. The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) Element Ranking system provides a numeric global and state-ranking system for all special-status species tracked by the CNDDB. The global rank (G-rank) is a reflection of the overall condition of an element (species or natural community) throughout its global range. The state rank (S-rank) is assigned much the same way as the global rank, except state ranks in California often also contain a threat designation attached to the S-rank. This Element Ranking system is defined in Table 11, California Natural Diversity Database Element Ranking System.

Table 8. Definitions of Special-status Species

o Plants and animals legally protected under the California and Federal Endangered Species Acts or under other regulations. o Plants and animals considered sufficiently rare by the scientific community to qualify for such listing; or o Plants and animals considered to be sensitive because they are unique, declining regionally or locally, or are at the extent of their natural range. Special-Status Plant Species Special-Status Animal Species o Plants listed or proposed for listing as threatened or o Animals listed/proposed for listing as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act (50 threatened/endangered under the Federal CFR 17.12 for listed plants and various notices in Federal Endangered Species Act (50 CFR 17.11 for Register for proposed species). listed animals and various notices in o Plants that are Category 1 or 2 candidates for possible Federal Register for proposed species). future listing as threatened or endangered under the Federal o Animals that are Category 1 or 2 candidates Endangered Species Act (55 CFR 6184, February 21, for possible future listing as threatened or 1990). endangered under Federal Endangered o Plants that meet the definitions of rare or endangered Species Act (54 CFR 554). species under the CEQA (State CEQA Guidelines, Section o Animals that meet the definitions of rare or 15380). endangered species under the CEQA (State o Plants considered by CNPS to be "rare, threatened, or CEQA Guidelines, Section 15380). endangered" in California (Lists 1B and 2 in CNPS 2001). o Animals listed or proposed for listing by the o Plants listed by CNPS as plants needing more information State of California as threatened and and plants of limited distribution (Lists 3 & 4 in CNPS endangered under the California 2001). Endangered Species Act (14 CCR 670.5). o Plants listed by CNPS as locally rare (Lake 2004, Magney o Animal species of special concern (SSC) to 2007a, Wilken 2003). the CDFG. o Plants listed or proposed for listing by the State of o Animal species that are fully protected in California as threatened or endangered under the California California (California Fish & Game Code, Endangered Species Act (14 CCR 670.5). Sections 3511 [birds], 4700 [mammals], o Plants listed under the California Native Plant Protection 5050 [reptiles, amphibians]). Act (California Fish and Game Code 1900 et seq.). o Animals considered rare or sensitive locally o Plants considered sensitive by other federal agencies (i.e. by a local agency or scientific community U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management) or state (State CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G) and local agencies or jurisdictions. o Plants considered sensitive or unique by the scientific community; occurs at natural range limits (State CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G).

Table 9. California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Ranks (CNPS Lists)

CNPS Rank Definition 1A Presumed Extinct in California 1B Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and elsewhere 2 Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, but more common elsewhere 3 Need more information (a Review List) 4 Plants of Limited Distribution (a Watch List)

Table 10. California Native Plant Society Risk Threat Code Extensions

Threat Code Extension Definition Seriously endangered in California (over 80% of occurrences threatened / x.1 high degree and immediacy of threat) x.2 Fairly endangered in California (20-80% occurrences threatened) x.3 Not very endangered in California (<20% of occurrences threatened)

Table 11. California Natural Diversity Database Element Ranking System

Global Ranking (G) Less than 6 viable element occurrences (pops for species), OR less than 1,000 individuals, OR <809.4 G1 hectares (ha) (2,000 acres [ac]). G2 6 to 20 element occurrences OR 809.4 to 4,047 ha (2,000 to 10,000 ac). 21 to 100 element occurrences OR 3,000 to 10,000 individuals OR 4,047 to 20,235 ha (10,000 to 50,000 G3 ac). Apparently secure; rank lower than G3, factors exist to cause some concern (i.e. there is some threat, or G4 somewhat narrow habitat). G5 Population, or stand, demonstrably secure to ineradicable due to being commonly found in the world. GH All sites are historic; the element has not been seen for at least 20 years, but suitable habitat still exists. GX All sites are extirpated; this element is extinct in the wild. GXC Extinct in the wild; exists in cultivation. G1Q The element is very rare, but there is a taxonomic question associated with it. Subspecies Level: Subspecies receive a T-rank attached to the G-rank. With the subspecies, the G-rank reflects the condition of the entire species, whereas the T-rank reflects the global situation of just the subspecies or variety. For example: Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii is ranked G2T1. The G-rank refers to the whole species range (Chorizanthe robusta), whereas the T-rank refers only to the global condition of the variety (var. hartwegii). State Ranking (S) Less than 6 element occurrences OR less than 1,000 individuals OR less than 809.4 ha (2,000 ac). S1.1 = very threatened S1 S1.2 = threatened S1.3 = no current threats known 6 to 20 element occurrences OR 3,000 individuals OR 809.4 to 4,047 ha (2,000 to 10,000 ac). S2.1 = very threatened S2 S2.2 = threatened S2.3 = no current threats known.. 21 to 100 element occurrences OR 3,000 to 10,000 individuals OR 4,047 to 20,235 ha (10,000 to 50,000 ac). S3 S3.1 = very threatened S3.2 = threatened S3.3 = no current threats known Apparently secure within California; this rank is clearly lower than S3 but factors exist to cause some S4 concern (i.e. there is some threat, or somewhat narrow habitat). NO THREAT RANK. S5 Demonstrably secure to ineradicable in California. NO THREAT RANK. All California sites are historic; the element has not been seen for at least 20 years, but suitable habitat still SH exists. SX All California sites are extirpated; this element is extinct in the wild.

Notes 1. Other considerations used when ranking a species or natural community include the pattern of distribution of the element on the landscape, fragmentation of the population/stands, and historical extent as compared to its modern range. It is important to take an aerial view when ranking sensitive elements rather than simply counting element occurrences. 2. Uncertainty about the rank of an element is expressed in two major ways: by expressing the rank as a range of values (e.g. S2S3 means the rank is somewhere between S2 and S3), and by adding a ? to the rank (e.g. S2?). This represents more certainty than S2S3, but less than S2.

Special-status Plants

A total of eight (8) special-status plant species tracked by CNDDB are known or reported in the vicinity of the Bank Site and have the potential to occur onsite. Table 12, Special-status Plants Potentially Occurring Onsite, summarizes the CNDDB reports for the eight special-status plant species tracked for the surrounding quads, and provides scientific and common names, status, habitat requirements, and likelihood of occurrence for each species. Although many of these species are likely to occur on the Bank Site, they have not been recently observed or recorded, and the sale of mitigation credits for these species is not being proposed.

Table 12. Special-status Plants Potentially Occurring Onsite

13 Species Status Likelihood 14 Scientific Name Common Name G- S- Federal State CNPS Habitat Requirements of 15 Rank16 Rank17 Listing18 Listing List19 Occurrence Androstephium Small-flowered Open desert scrub, sandy to G5 S2S3 - - 2B.2 Likely breviflorum Androstephium rocky soil; 100–1,600 m. Astragalus lentiginosus Borrego G5T4T S3.3 - - 4.3 Sand; -67–1,200 m. Desert. Likely var. borreganus Milkvetch 5 Dry, open, sandy to rocky Bouteloua eriopoda Black Grama G5 S3.2 - - 4.2 slopes, flats, drainages, scrub, Likely woodland; 900–1,900 m.

13 For detailed special-status species definitions, refer to Tables 3 through 6 in the Special Status Resources section. 14 Required habitat according to CDFG (2014) and Jepson Flora Project (2014). 15 Likelihood of occurrence based on species’ habitat requirements and the presence of required habitat in the bank site. Known = Required habitat exists at the bank site and has been reported onsite; Likely = Required habitat exists at the bank site and/or has been reported nearby; Possible = Marginal required habitat exists onsite, and/or required habitat exists in surrounding areas; or Unlikely = Required habitat does not exist at the bank site nor does it exist nearby. 16 Ranking in parentheses are suggested ranking when NatureServe has not yet established a ranking. G1 or S1 = Critically Imperiled Globally or Subnationally (state). G2 or S2 = Imperiled Globally or Subnationally (state). G3 or S3 = Vulnerable to extirpation or extinction Globally or Subnationally (state). G4 or S4 = Apparently secure; factors exist to cause some concern. Not a threat rank. G5 0r S5 = Demonstrably secure to ineradicable due to being commonly found Globally or Subnationally (state). Not a threat rank. 17 SNR= State rarity ranking; same as for G ranking 18 E = Endangered; T = Threatened; R = Rare; C = Candidate. 19 CNPS (California Native Plant Society) Rarity Rank Lists: 1B = plants rare and endangered; 2B = plants rare and endangered in California but may be more common elsewhere; 4 = plants of limited distribution but not endangered at this time.

13 Species Status Likelihood 14 Scientific Name Common Name G- S- Federal State CNPS Habitat Requirements of 15 Rank16 Rank17 Listing18 Listing List19 Occurrence Dry, gravelly washes, slopes, Emory's plains; ± 650 m. Common Castela emoryi Crucifixion- G4 S2S3 - - 2B.2 Likely name used for 2 other desert Thorn plants. Sandy or rocky alluvium, Coryphantha alversonii Foxtail Cactus G3 S3.2 - - 4.3 creosote-bush scrub; 75–600 Likely m. Threatened by collecting. Fine sand deposits (coarser Ribbed Cryptantha costata G4G5 S3.3 - - 4.3 soils), creosote-bush scrub; < Likely Cryptantha 600(1,000) Harwood's Sand dunes in creosote-bush Eriastrum harwoodii G2 S2 - - 1B.2 Likely Eriastrum scrub; < 1,000 m. Utah Vine Open, dry, sandy or gravelly Funastrum utahense G4 S3.2 - - 4.2 Likely Milkweed areas; < 1,000 m.

Special-status Wildlife

A total of fifteen (15) special-status wildlife species tracked by CNDDB are known or reported in the vicinity of the Bank Site and have the potential to occur onsite. Table 13, Special-status Wildlife Potentially Occurring Onsite, summarizes the CNDDB reports for the 15 special-status wildlife species tracked in a 10 mile radius of the Bank Site, and provides scientific and common names, status, habitat requirements, and likelihood of occurrence for each species. Although many of these species are likely to occur on the Bank Site, they have not been recently observed or recorded, and the sale of mitigation credits for these species is not being proposed. In addition to the species listed in Table 13, it should be noted that all raptors, raptor nests (active or inactive), and other active bird nests are protected under Fish and Game Code Section 3503.

Table 13. Special-status Wildlife Potentially Occurring Onsite

Species Status20 Common Habitat Likelihood of Scientific Name Federal State 21 Name G-Rank S-Rank CDFW23 Requirements Occurrence Listing22 Listing Deserts, grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and forests. Most Antrozous pallidus Pallid Bat G5 S3 - - SSC common in open, dry habitats Possible w/rocky areas for roosting. Roosts must protect bats from

20 For special-status species definitions, refer to Tables 1 through 3 in the Methods Section. 21 Likelihood of occurrence based on species’ habitat requirements and the presence of required habitat in the project site. Observed = Species has been observed onsite; Known = Required habitat exists at the bank site and has been reported onsite; Likely = Required habitat exists at the project site and/or has been reported onsite or nearby; Possible = Marginal required habitat exists onsite, and/or required habitat exists in surrounding areas; or Unlikely = Required habitat does not exist at the project site nor does it exist nearby. 22 E = Endangered; T = Threatened; C = Candidate. 23 SSC = A California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) “Species of Special Concern”. FP = CDFW Fully Protected Species, WL = CDFW Watch List

Species Status20 Common Habitat Likelihood of Scientific Name Federal State 21 Name G-Rank S-Rank CDFW23 Requirements Occurrence Listing22 Listing high temperatures. Very sensitive to disturbance of roosting sites. (Nesting & wintering) rolling foothills mountain areas, sage- juniper flats, desert. Cliff- walled canyons provide nesting habitat in most parts of range; Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle G5 S3 - - FP Likely also, large trees in open areas. Documented nests occur on nearby Cave Mountain (Panorama Environmental Inc. 2013). Inhabits permanent or nearly permanent bodies of water in many habitat types; below 6,000 Western Pond ft elev. Require basking sites Emys marmorata G3G4 S3 - - SSC Unlikely Turtle such as partially submerged logs, vegetation mats, or open mud banks. Need suitable nesting sites. (Nesting & wintering) foothills and mountains with cliffs and escarpments that provide a sheltered ledge with loose debris Falco mexicanus Prairie Falcon G5 S3 - - WL Likely or gravel for a nest. Prefer sites overlooking foraging habitat, such as treeless or open country with low vegetation. Occupy a variety of vegetative communities; populations are most dense in creosote bush scrub. Prefer flats, valleys, Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise G3 S2 T T - Likely bajadas, and rolling hills typically from 2000 to 3300 feet. Friable soils are important for burrows. (Wintering) prefers to forage on seeds and fruits along the Junco hyemalis Grey-headed G5T5 S1 - - WL ground and in open shrubland Possible caniceps Junco habitats. Seeks shelter of low tree branches or shrubs. Prefers open habitats with scattered shrubs, trees, posts, fences, or other perches. High densities in a variety of Loggerhead Lanius ludovicianus G4 S4 - - SSC vegetation alliances including Observed Shrike desert riparian alliances. Nests well concealed in trees or shrubs, nearly always lower than 4.5 m (15 ft). Widely distributed in a variety of habitats including woodlands, grasslands, and deserts. Roosts in rock crevices, caves, mines, Myotis thysanodes Fringed Myotis G4 S4 - - - Possible large snags, under exfoliating bark, and in buildings. Disturbance can cause abandonment of roost site.

Species Status20 Common Habitat Likelihood of Scientific Name Federal State 21 Name G-Rank S-Rank CDFW23 Requirements Occurrence Listing22 Listing Open, steep, rocky habitats such as mountainous terrain above the desert floor. Known to Ovis Canadensis Desert Bighorn G4T4 S3 - - FP infrequently traverse the desert Possible nelson Sheep floor between mountain ranges. Largest populations found associated with surface water. Widely distributed in a variety Summer of habitats including deserts. Piranga rubra G5 S2 - - SSC Possible Tanager Prefers woodlands but also found in open scrublands. Prefer open areas with scattered shrubs, or agricultural areas. Vermillion Pyrocephalus rubinus G5 S2S3 - - SSC Occasionally found in riparian Possible Flycatcher woodlands. Often found near water. Historically occurred in the Mojave River Basin associated with deep pools and sloughs. Siphateles bicolor Mohave Tui G4T1 S1 E E FP Current known populations are Unlikely mohavensis Chub restricted to 5 locations in isolated man-man ponds and channels. Require fine aeolian sands including sand dunes, margins of dry lakebeds and washes and Mojave Fringe- isolated pockets against Uma scoparia G3G4 S3S4 - - SSC Known toed Lizard hillsides. Found in these sandy locations often within creosote scrub desert between 300 and 3,000 ft. Found in all major scrub habitats of the western Mojave Desert. Prefers flat to moderate Mohave Xerospermophilus terrain, generally not found in Ground G2G3 S2S3 - T - Likely mohavensis steep territory. Most often Squirrel found in sandy and alluvial soils, but occasionally found in gravelly or rocky soils.

Sensitive Habitats Table 14 Sensitive Habitats Potentially Occurring Onsite, summarizes the CNDDB search results for sensitive habitat types reported for a 10 mile-radius around Bank Site. Table 13 provides the habitat’s name, status, and whether it was observed onsite. There were no sensitive habitats observed on the Bank Site. However, the naturally occurring Atriplex torreyi Provisional Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub) appears to be a relatively rare habitat restricted to playa lake bottoms and shorelines. DMEC has submitted habitat relevé surveys to CNPS for evaluation and consideration of A. torreyi as a new and potentially rare plant alliance or association.

Table 14. Sensitive Habitats Potentially Occurring Onsite

CNDDB Sensitive Habitats G Rank24 S Rank Fed CA Presence Onsite25 (Holland 1986, CDFW 2014) Crucifixion Thorn Woodland G3 S1.2 - - Not Observed Mojave Riparian Forest G1 S1.1 - - Not Observed

HABITAT CONNECTIVITY Adjacent Land Use

All land immediately adjacent to the Bank Site is undeveloped. Outside the boundaries of the parcels currently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, the land cover includes Lacustrine/Palustrine habitats to the east and north, dune desert upland habitats (undeveloped) to the south, and steep rocky mountainous habitat to the west (Cronese Mountains), as shown on Figure 16, Land Use and Land Cover in the vicinity of Cronese Basin. Remnants of a water well and an old out-building exist on the private property immediately to the east. The Southeastern parcel is immediately surrounded by Lacustrine habitats on all sides, with Dune Desert upland habitats (undeveloped) slightly farther to the east. The Eastern parcel is bordered by Lacustrine habitats to the north and mixed desert wash habitats to the south, east and west (all undeveloped). Two sets of electric transmission lines run along a property corridor owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power which bisects the southern section of the Southwestern parcel, and are located to the south of the other parcels. The surrounding land ownership patterns are illustrated in Figure 15, Land Ownership in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake. The majority of the surrounding land is held by the United States Government and managed by the BLM’s Barstow Field Office. Several specially-designated conservation areas overlap, or exist in the vicinity of the Bank Site. The Bank Site is within the Cronese Basin Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), approximately 3.7 miles northeast of the Afton Canyon ACEC, and approximately 5.8 miles northwest of Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard/Mesquite Hills/Crucero ACEC. The Bank Site is approximately 1.4 miles east of the Superior/Cronese ACEC, which is also USFWS designated Desert Tortoise Critical Habitat and a designated Desert Wildlife Management Area. Recreational use surrounding the Bank Site is limited. One developed BLM campsite, Afton Canyon, is approximately 7.5 miles SW of the Bank Site. The Rasor OHV area is on the Rasor Dunes, approximately 7 miles east-southeast of the Bank Site. Land use in these areas is isolated and is unlikely to impact the proposed Bank Site. It is possible that dispersed camping occurs on BLM land surrounding the Bank Site, or on the project parcels. However, there are no signs of heavy OHV or camping use on or around the Bank Site, and it is unlikely that these activities will impact the habitats in the immediate area in any significant way. Any detrimental activities on the ACEC and WSA lands surrounding the Bank Site would be regulated by the BLM. The Bank Site is more or less contiguous with the southern boundary of the Soda Mountains Wilderness Study Area (the Southwestern parcel shares a boundary and the Southeastern and Eastern and two Northern parcels are separated by only one private parcel, a distance of approximately 1,300 feet). The

24 See Tables 6 through 9 above for descriptions of rank and status categories. Federal (Fed or F) and State (CA or S) status listings: E = Endangered; T = Threatened; R = Rare; C = Candidate; SC = Species of Concern. 25Observed [P] = Habitat present onsite [Present]; Not Observed = Habitat not present onsite though some constituents of the habitat may be present as noted; [CH] = Project footprint is within a Critical Habitat unit.

Bank Site is also approximately 5.4 miles north of the Cady Mountains Wilderness Study Area and approximately 8.1 miles from the western boundary of the Mojave National Preserve. The surrounding designated conservation areas are illustrated in Figure 17, Special Designation Areas in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin. BLM is managing all the land it administers as sensitive habitat either formally as ACEC or for wilderness consideration. The Cronese Basin is not being considered by BLM for energy production, and it is unlikely the surrounding lands designated as ACEC and WSA would have any renewable energy production in the future. All the privately owned parcels are currently undeveloped and there are no known plans for any type of development. Groundwater is unsuitable for irrigation or human consumption and is a major limiting factor in any type of development. Solar energy development is a possibility; however, the configuration and sizes of the remaining private parcels, along with the bisection of some parcels by the LADWP transmission lines, restricts the size of any such development, as well as constraints represented by the presence of sensitive biological resources. The likelihood of incompatible development occurring on the adjacent parcels is therefore very low in the foreseeable future.

Figure 15. Land Ownership in the Vicinity of East Cronese Lake

Figure 16. Land Use and Land Cover in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin

Figure 17. Special Designation Areas in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin

The Bank Site is within the general path of Priority 1 Desert Tortoise connectivity areas as designated by USFWS. USFWS used suitable habitat in conjunction with low-cost available property to identify areas with priority for acquisition that lie between large intact Desert Tortoise Conservation Areas. The mapped priority areas do not comprise a contiguous corridor, which is likely due to expensive private inholdings. However, the general path of the corridor is visible and the Bank Site represents a significant parcel within this path. The Bank Site is also within a connectivity corridor identified by CalTrans and CDFW’s California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project (Spencer et al. 2010). The mapped connectivity corridors and special habitat designations in the vicinity of the Bank Site are illustrated in Figure 18, Linkage Corridors and Critical Habitat. The Bank Site is within several different mapped connectivity corridors. The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) Condition of Connectivity Corridors Model assigns the Bank Site and surrounding area a relatively low score. Bank Site scores range from -0.47 to 0.05 on a scale of -1 to 1, poor to good respectively (Conservation Biology Institute, 2014). These low scores are likely due to the Bank Site’s proximity to I-15, as evident by consistently low scores following the I-15 corridor and the obvious impacts the highway presents to wildlife movements. However, DMEC considers the project area condition scores to be underrepresented due to the presence of the “Mojave River Overflow” I-15 bridges (bridge numbers 54 0642L & 54 0642R). These bridges create a significant movement corridor for wildlife to safely cross underneath the barrier created by I-15. This corridor allows for unimpeded and unmolested movement and dispersal of animals between the varied functioning habitats that exist to the north and south of the I-15. The BLM Cronese Lake Grazing Allotment was canceled in 2005 (Chavez pers. comm. 2014). No grazing in the allotment has occurred since then. While not all Bank Site parcels are contiguous, most are adjacent to BLM lands that are managed for resources, such as through ACEC designation or under study for wilderness designation. Private parcels adjacent to the Bank Site parcels are undeveloped. While there is a possibility that one or more of the private parcels could be developed, major constraints to development for residential or agricultural purposes exist that would either preclude or seriously hamper the owner’s ability to do so. Constraints include lack of potable water, saline soils, and periodic flooding, none of which are easily mitigated.

Figure 18. Linkage Corridors and Critical Habitat in the Vicinity of Cronese Basin

Wetland functions at the Bank Site will be restored to near reference-standard conditions through the removal of dominant invasive exotic plants, primarily Tamarix ramosissima. The areas containing T. ramosissima will be treated to remove the shrubs and seedlings in phases until the entire Bank Site has been treated, with removal of T. ramosissima from the entire Bank Site, or a much of it as possible, during the first phase of habitat rehabilitation (restoration). Other invasive exotics to be eradicated include Brassica tournefortii and Salsola tragus. Figure 19, Absolute Cover of Invasive Species Onsite and Figure 20, Restoration Areas of the Bank Site, illustrate the cover and gradients of invasive species that will be restored to native habitat. The two Northern and the Eastern parcels are primarily composed of native vegetation and have little area that can be restored. The proposed Bank Site will be maintained basically free of Tamarix ramosissima through annual and periodic treatments, particularly after flooding events. Since T. ramosissima seed are very short lived (no more than 120 days under favorable conditions), recolonization of the sites where T. ramosissima was eradicated will only occur as a result of flooding when viable seeds can be washed onto the Bank Site from adjacent BLM or private property or from upstream. The proposed Bank contains approximately 419.7 acres of jurisdictional waters of the U.S., including wetlands. The wetland habitats within the six parcels that make up the Bank Site contain Palustrine, Lacustrine, and Riverine habitats, as classified by Cowardin et al. (1979). The proposed bank includes both restoration (rehabilitation) and preservation credits. Restoration credits are proposed for areas with high cover of invasive plants, primarily Tamarix ramosissima, as shown in Figure 20, Restoration Areas of the Bank Site. Preservation credits are proposed for areas with low cover of invasive plants; these areas will be protected from disturbances and preserved as intact wetlands. Table 15, Area of Wetland Habitats and Types of Proposed Mitigation of the Bank Site (below) identifies the total number of acres for each proposed mitigation type, listed by Cowardin System wetland habitat type.

Table 15. Area of Wetland Habitats and Types of Proposed Mitigation of the Bank Site

Restoration Preservation Cowardin System Wetland Type Total (Rehabilitation) Area Area Riverine (Streambed) 11.36 8.2 19.56 Palustrine (Scrub-shrub wetland) 172.21 140.02 312.23 Palustrine (Emergent wetland) 23.58 43.61 67.19 Lacustrine (Unconsolidated Bottom) 0 19.42 19.42 Total 206.72 211.73 418.426

As illustrated on Figure 14, Wetland Habitat Types, and as summarized above in Table 15, the majority of wetland habitat onsite is Palustrine Scrub-Shrub Wetland, dominated by Tamarix ramosissima, Atriplex torreyi, and/or Suaeda nigra. A detailed habitat restoration plan has also been prepared: Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan for Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank at East Cronese Lake (DMEC 2016c).

26 The total area of wetland habitats varies slightly from the amount that is considered jurisdictional waters/wetlands since not all habitats that are classified as wetlands according to the Cowardin et al. (1979) system are jurisdictional in some circumstances.

Figure 19. Absolute Coverage of Invasive Species Onsite

Figure 20. Restoration Areas of the Bank Site

SECTION III. REFERENCES CITED

LITERATURE CITED

Amato, P. 2013. Lessons Learned on Setting Service Areas. National Wetlands Newsletter. March – April 2013, pp. 10-11. Bowman, Roy H. 1973. Soil Survey, San Diego Area. United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. Brostoff, W., R. Lichvar, and S. Sprecher. 2001. Delineating Playas in the Arid Southwest: A Literature Review. April. (Technical Report ERDC TR-01-4.) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, New Hampshire. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), California. 2015. Pending Renewable Energy Applications. Available at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/pendingapps.html. Accessed 13 October 2015. Busch, D.E., and Smith, S.D. 1995. Mechanisms Associated with Decline of Woody Species in Riparian Ecosystems of the Southwestern U.S. Ecological Monographs, 65 (3):347-370. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2014. California Natural Diversity Database search of RareFind4. The Resource Agency, State of California, Sacramento, California. California Energy Commission. 2015. Renewable Energy – Overview. Last updated 3 September 2015. California Wetlands Monitoring Workgroup (CWMW). 2015. California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM), Episodic Riverine User’s Manual and Field Book, Version 1.0. December 2015. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, California. Comer, P., P. Crist, M. Reid, J. Hak, H. Hamilton, D. Braun, G. Kittel, I. Varley, B. Unnasch, S. Auer, M. Creutzburg, D. Theobald, and L. Kutner. 2013. Mojave Basin and Range Rapid Ecoregional Assessment Report. Prepared for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Cooke, R.U., and A. Warren. 1973. Geomorphology in Deserts. University of California Press. Courtois, Louis A. 1984. Temporal Desert Riparian Systems – The Mojave River as an Example. California Riparian Systems: Ecology, Conservation, and Productive Management (eds. Warner, R. E., & Hendrix, K. M.). University of California Press. Pages 688-693. Conservation Biology Institute. 2014. Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Gateway. Data provided by Conservation Biology Institute, DRECP, SC Wildlands, USFWS, and collaborators. http://drecp.databasin.org/. Accessed 1 May 2014. Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH). 2014. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Available online: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/. Accessed: 30 March 2014. Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. (FWS/OBS-79/31.) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington DC.

Courtois, Louis A. 1984. Temporal Desert Riparian Systems – The Mojave River as an Example. California Riparian Systems: Ecology. Conservation and Productive Management. pp. 688- 693. David Magney Environmental Consulting (DMEC). 2015a. Biological Resources of the Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank. 21 August 2014, updated 30 September 2015. (PN 12-0004.) Ojai, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Diego, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard Lyons and Laurie Prange Lyons, Santa Paula, California. David Magney Environmental Consulting (DMEC). 2015b. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank at East Cronese Lake: Delineation of Jurisdictional Wetlands. 18 August 2014, revised 30 September 2015. (PN 12-0004.) Ojai, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch, Los Angeles, California, on behalf of Richard Lyons and Laurie Prange Lyons, Santa Paula, California. David Magney Environmental Consulting. 2016a. Wetland Functional Assessment of East Cronese Lake. 23 November 2015, revised 15 August 2016. (PN 12-0004.) Grass Valley, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard and Laurie Lyons, Santa Paula, California. David Magney Environmental Consulting. 2016b. Draft Regional Guidebook for Functional Assessment of Playa Depressional Wetlands in the Mojave Desert. 20 November 2015. (PN 12- 0004) Grass Valley, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard Lyons and Laurie Prange Lyons., Santa Paula, California. David Magney Environmental Consulting (DMEC). 2016c. Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan for Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank at East Cronese Lake (Corps File No. 08-000000- 6211). 22 February 2015, updated 15 August 2016. (PN 12-0004.) Grass Valley, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Bernardino, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard Lyons and Laurie Prange Lyons, Santa Paula, California. Environmental Laboratory. 1987. Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. (Technical Report Y-87-1.) U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. Vicksburg, Mississippi. Gaskin, John F. 2012. Tamarix, in Jepson Flora Project (eds. B. Baldwin, D. Keil, S. Markos, B. Mishler, R. Patterson, T. Rosatti, D. Wilken) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=71461, accessed on Mar 28 2014 Izbicki, John A. 2007. Physical and Temporal Isolation of Mountain Headwater Streams in the Western Mojave Desert, Southern California. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 43(1):26-40. Jepson Flora Project. (eds. Baldwin, Bruce, D. Keil, S. Markos, B. Mishler, R. Patterson, T. Rosatti, D. Wilken). 2014. Jepson eFlora. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html, accessed on 28 March 2014. Lichvar, Robert W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List. (ERDC/CRREL TR-12-11.) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, New Hampshire. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC.

Lines, Gregory C. 1996. Ground-Water and Surface-Water Relations along the Mojave River, Southern California. (Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-45189.) United States Geological Survey. Lollock, D. 1987. The Status of Wetland Habitat and its Protection, Enhancement, and Expansion. Presented before the Fish and Game Commission on March 9, 1987 by Glenn Rollins. California Department of Fish and Game. Sacramento, California. Lovich, J.E., T.B. Egan, R.C. de Gouvinain. 1994. Tamarisk Control on Public Lands in the Desert of Southern California: Two Case Studies. 46th annual weed conference, California Weed Science Academy. pp. 166-177. Motts, W.S., D. Carpenter, C. Groat, D. Matz, R.F. Walker. 1969. Geology and Hydrology of Selected Playas in Western United States. University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prepared for Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, Hanscom Field, Bedford, Massachusetts Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). 2007. 2007 National Hydric Soils List by State. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Available at: http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/. ______2013. California Soil Survey Status. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_063838.pdf. Accessed: 30 March 2014 ______2014. Web Soil Survey. Soil Survey Staff, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Available at: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx. Accessed: 30 March 2014. ______2014a. National List of Hydric Soils 2014. Soil Survey Staff, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Available at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/use/hydric/. Accessed: 30 March 2014 ______2014b. Official Soil Series Descriptions. 2014. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. Available at: https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/osdname.asp Accessed: 30 March 2014 Nippert, J.B., J.J. Butler Jr, G.J. Kluitenberg, D.O. Whittenmore, D. Arnold, E. Spals, and J.K. Ward. 2010. Patterns of Tamarix Water Use During a Record Drought. Oecologia 62(2):283-292 Panorama Environmental Inc. 2013. Biological Resources Technical Report – Soda Mountains Solar. San Bernardino County, CA. (BLM Case Number CACA 49584.) http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/renewableenergy/soda_mountain.html. Accessed 1 May 2014 Sala, A., S.D. Smith, and D.A. DeVitt. 1996. Water Use by Tamarix ramosissima and Associated Phreatophytes in a Mojave Desert Floodplain. Ecological Applications 6(3):888-889. Sawyer, J.O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J.M. Evens. 2009. A Manual of California Vegetation. Second Edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California. Soil Conservation Service (SCS). 1987. Hydric Soils of the United States. United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. In cooperation with the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils.

Spencer, W.D., P. Beier, K. Penrod, K. Winters, C. Paulman, H. Rustigian-Romsos, J. Strittholt, M. Parisi, and A. Pettler. 2010. California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project: A Strategy for Conserving a Connected California. Prepared for California Department of Transportation, California Department of Fish and Game, and Federal Highways Administration. State of California. 2014. Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region. Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/lahontan/water_issues/programs/basin_plan/. Accessed 3 February 2014. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). 2008. Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Arid West Region. (Version 2.0.) September 2008. Environmental Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program, Vicksburg, Mississippi. United States Geological Survey [USGS]. 2014. Peak Streamflow for the Nation: Hydrologic Unit Code 18090208, Site Number 1026300. http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/peak. Accessed 3 February 2014. Vertnet.org. 2014. Data provided by contributing collaborators from a variety of universities, museums, and online databases. http://portal.vertnet.org/search. Accessed 27 March 2014. Walker, H.A. (ed). 2006. Southwestern Avian Community Organization in Exotic Tamarix: Current Patterns and Future Needs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. Wells, Stephen G., W.J. Brown, Y. Enzel, R.Y. Anderson, and L.D. McFadden. 2003. Late Quaternary Geology and Paleohydrology of Pluvial Lake Mojave, Southern California. (Special Paper 368.) Geological Society of America, pp. 79-114. Zacharias, Elizabeth H. 2013. Atriplex, Revision 1, in Jepson Flora Project (eds. B. Baldwin, D. Keil, S. Markos, B. Mishler, R. Patterson, T. Rosatti, D. Wilken) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=71461, accessed on 28 March 2014.

PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS

Chavez, Anthony, Resource Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Barstow, California. Telephone conversation on 29 April 2014 with Richard Lyons regarding conditions of East Cronese Lake and the Lyons property.

APPENDIX A. SERVICE AREA JUSTIFICATION PROPOSED SERVICE AREAS

EPA comment February 2016: The service area (SA) justification in the Prospectus is inadequate. The sponsor needs to clarify how the proposed SA within the Ecoregion was chosen. Some of the boundaries appear to be based on county or other municipal boundaries. The sponsor should provide site specific information on how the aquatic habitats on and around the bank are connected to the watershed and Ecoregion. Simply stating that wetlands within the Mojave Desert are not always connected to a larger watershed is not sufficient to justify a SA larger than a HUC8. EPA also requests that Figure 1 (Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Area) include all the HUC8 watershed boundaries within the Ecoregion.

PROPOSED SERVICE AREAS AND BANK CREDITS

The Bank proposes to generate enhancement, rehabilitation, and preservation Credits for a variety of habitats in the Bank Properties including ephemeral streams, wetland riparian habitat, non-wetland riparian habitat, open waters, seasonal wetland, wetland buffer, stream buffer, and habitats considered to be sensitive under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The credits were classified based on jurisdiction and include: Corps Section 404, Porter-Cologne Act, Section 1600 of the California Fish and Game Code, and the CEQA. Service Areas have been proposed based on jurisdiction, similar or contiguous habitat in the surrounding areas, and the distributional range of associated special-status animals or sensitive communities. The four Service Areas are described in terms of how they relate to the respective Credit categories as described below.

Section 404 Service Area The 404 Service Area for credited features under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act within the Bank Properties is proposed as the HUC10 watersheds situated in the Mojave River HUC8 sub-basin. These credits include various credits for re-established ephemeral streams, open water, lacustrine wetland, seasonal wetland, wetland riparian, and riparian buffer. The Section 404 Service Area is contains a primary Service Area and a secondary Service Area; it encompasses approximately 2,955,725 acres (4,617 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1, Bank Service Areas and EPA Ecoregions.

Lahontan RWQCB Service Area The RWQCB Service Area for credited features under the Porter–Cologne Act within the Bank Properties is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, and Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes. These features are only State jurisdictional and regulated by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). These credits include various credits for ephemeral streams, open water, seasonal wetland, marsh, wetland riparian, and riparian buffer. The RWQCB Service Area contains a primary service area and a secondary service area; it encompasses approximately 6,293,400 acres (9,830 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC Section 1600 Service Area The 1600 Service Area for credited features that are Jurisdictional under Section 1600 of the California Fish and Game Code within the Bank Properties is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave. These features are protected by CDFW and include ephemeral streams, open water, seasonal wetland, marsh, wetland riparian, and non-wetland riparian habitats. These 1600-credits will include restoration (reestablishment, rehabilitation), enhancement, and preservation of these jurisdictional features. The CDFW Service Area encompasses approximately 11,968,150 acres (18,699 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

CEQA Service Area The CEQA Service Area for habitats that are considered to be sensitive under CEQA is proposed as all of the HUC10 watersheds located in the following HUC8 sub-basins: Mojave River, Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave. CEQA-protected habitats will only include Rehabilitation and Preservation Credits. These features are protected by the CDFW. The CEQA Service Area matches the CDFW Service Area and encompasses approximately 11,968,150 acres (18,699 square miles) as illustrated on Figure 1.

METHODOLOGY FOR DEFINING THE SERVICE AREAS

1. Calculate the areas of the respective EPA level IV ecoregions in the Mojave River HUC8 sub- basin (summarized below in Table 1); 2. Calculate the areas of the EPA level IV ecoregions in the three HUC8 sub-basins that are adjacent to the Mojave River HUC8 and are characterized by habitats that are similar to those in the Mojave River HUC8: Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave (summarized in Table 1 and Table 2 below); 3. Define the proposed Service Areas: HUC10 watersheds located in the respective HUC8 sub- basins that are adjacent to the Mojave River HUC8 and are characterized by habitats that are similar to those in the Mojave River HUC8: Antelope-Fremont Valleys, Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes, and Southern Mojave (summarized in Table 3 and shown in Figure 2 below); 4. Compare the habitats and vegetation types in the HUC8 sub-basins that are adjacent to Mojave River HUC8 (summarized in Table 3 and shown in Figure 3 below; sources: USGS National Hydrography Dataset, CDFW, DRECP, Cal-Veg); and 5. Define the proposed Service Areas (HUC10 watersheds) according to Service Area justification guidelines (EPA, Corps, RWQCB, CDFW) based on the EPA level IV ecoregions and the habitats and vegetation types that occur in the respective HUC8 sub-basins and HUC10 watersheds (summarized in Table 3 and shown in Figures 4 – 7 below). The proposed Service Areas are illustrated below as follows: Figure 1, Bank Service Areas and EPA Ecoregions; Figure 2, Bank Service Areas and Hydrologic Basins; and Figure 3, Bank Service Areas and Land Cover. Descriptions of the EPA level IV ecoregions are provided in Appendix B. NOTE: the tables and the figures provided below are pending IRT approval of the proposed Service Areas.

Table 1. Mojave Basin and Range Level IV Ecoregions: Mojave River HUC8 and Adjacent HUC8 Sub-basins

Mojave Mojave Antelope Antelope Coyote Coyote Southern Southern

River River Fremont Fremont Cuddeback Cuddeback Mojave Mojave Mojave River HUC8 --- EPA Level IV % % % Ecoregions ACRES TOTAL ACRES TOTAL ACRES % TOTAL ACRES TOTAL

14a Eastern Mojave Basins 720,082 27% 0 0% 101,846 9% 1,735,780 42% 14b Eastern Mojave Low Ranges & Arid Footslopes 627,536 22% 0 0% 18,118 2% 1,464,045 35% 14c Eastern Mojave Mountain Woodland & Shrubland 31,765 1% 0 0% 0 0% 25,744 < 1% 14f Mojave Playas 39,425 1% 53,753 3% 15,962 2% 94,277 3% 14h Death Valley/Mojave Central Trough 363,655 13% 0 0% 0 0% 532,817 13% 14j Western Mojave Basins 703,504 25% 1,334,560 79% 603,210 50% 151,563 4% 14k Western Mojave Low Ranges & Arid Footslopes 254,429 9% 311,323 18% 443,305 37% 70,230 2% 14n Mojave Lava Fields 39,674 1% 0 0% 0 0% 31,655 < 1% 14o Mojave Sand Dunes 40,358 1% 0 0% 0 0% 17,757 < 1% TOTAL 2,820,433 100% 1,699,637 100% 1,182,442 100% 4,123,957 100%

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency: Ecoregions of the United States: Level III and Level IV https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregions

Table 2. Sonoran Basin and Range Level IV Ecoregions: Southern Mojave HUC8 Sub-basin

Southern Mojave HUC8 --- EPA Level IV Ecoregions ACRES % TOTAL 81j Central Sonoran / Colorado Desert Basins 1,080,340 76% 81i Central Sonoran / Colorado Desert Mountains 293,360 21% 81d Sand Hills / Sand Dunes 21,402 1% 81h Sonoran Playas 34,463 2% TOTAL 1,429,565 100% Source: US Environmental Protection Agency: Ecoregions of the United States: Level III and Level IV https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregions

Table 3. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Areas: HUC8 Sub-basins

Service Area HUC8 Sub-basin HUC8 ID ACRES SQ-MI

Corps Section 404 Mojave River 18090208 2,955,725 4,617 TOTAL 2,955,725 4,617

Lahontan RWQCB Mojave River 18090208 2,955,725 4,617 Antelope-Fremont 18090206 2,155,244 3,367 Coyote-Cuddeback 18090207 1,182,438 1,847 TOTAL 6,293,400 9,830

CDFW Section 1600 Mojave River 18090208 2,955,725 4,617 Antelope-Fremont 18090206 2,155,244 3,367 Coyote-Cuddeback 18090207 1,182,438 1,847 Southern Mojave 18100100 5,674,761 8,865 TOTAL 11,968,170 18,697

CEQA Protected Habitats Mojave River 18090208 2,955,725 4,617 Antelope-Fremont 18090206 2,155,244 3,367 Coyote-Cuddeback 18090207 1,182,438 1,847 Southern Mojave 18100100 5,674,761 8,865 TOTAL 11,968,170 18,697

Source: USGS National Hydrography Dataset: http://nhd.usgs.gov/data.html

Figure 1. Bank Service Areas and EPA Ecoregions

Figure 2. Bank Service Areas and Hydrologic Basins

Figure 3. Bank Service Areas and Land Cover

The GIS dataset relied upon to depict the service areas is the USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) of the basin, sub-basin, watershed and sub-watershed boundaries meeting standardized delineation criteria. The hierarchy of watershed designations consists of four levels of increasing specificity: HUC6 (Basin), HUC8 (Sub-basin), HUC10 (Watershed), and HUC12 (Sub-watershed). The service areas described below are proposed based on jurisdiction, similar or contiguous habitat in the surrounding areas, and the distributional range of associated special-status animals or sensitive communities. GIS data sources include EPA Ecoregions, USGS National Hydrography Dataset, CDFW, DRECP, and Cal-Veg land cover, habitats, and vegetation.

CORPS SERVICE AREA (SECTION 404)

The South Pacific Division (SPD) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their final guidelines for the establishment of service areas in the Regional Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Guidelines for South Pacific Division (Corps 2015). These guidelines were used in determining the extent of the Service Area for the Bank. These guidelines call for the establishment of service areas based on a watershed approach as outlined in the Mitigation Rule (33 CFR Parts 325 and 332). The guidelines define watershed as the area delineated by the HUC10 and state that the HUC10 in which the Bank Property is located is the starting point for developing a service area. At a minimum, the Service Area will include the HUC10 in which the Bank Property is located. Additional HUC10’s should be added using justifications based on the Sub-basin (HUC8) and ecoregion needs. Based on this guidance, HUC10 watersheds were included in the Service Area if they met certain criteria. Watersheds that are abutting the 10-digit watershed in which the Bank Property is located and are also within the same HUC8 and ecoregion require “minimal justification for inclusion in the service area” according to the guidance. Also included were watersheds within the same 8-digit sub-basin as the Bank Property and on which the Bank Property has direct hydrologic influence and connectivity, and watersheds that are areas within the same ecoregion and HUC8 sub-basin and have a similar influence on the functions of the watershed but may provide dissimilar habitats to the Bank Site properties. Based on this guidance, there are four watershed types: Minimum Service Area HUC10 (watershed in which the Bank Site is located); HUC10s Requiring Minimal Justification (watersheds abutting the HUC10 in which the Bank Site is located); Hydrologically Justified HUC10s (watersheds within the same HUC8 sub-basin as the Bank Site and on which the Bank Site has direct hydrologic influence and connectivity); and Ecologically Justified HUC10s (watersheds within the same ecoregion as the Bank Site that have similar biotic functions as those provided by aquatic resources within the Bank Site that may not be located directly downstream from the Bank Site). Following these guidelines and in cooperation with the Corps, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Service Areas have been identified for the Bank. The Primary Service Area consists of the HUC10 in which the Bank is located as well as the HUC10s that require “minimal justification” following the Corps guidelines. In accordance with these guidelines, the Secondary Service Area would consist of the HUC10s within the Mojave River HUC8 that are located downstream of the Bank Site (there are none in this case). A Tertiary Service Area is proposed that covers ecologically similar watersheds in the vicinity of the Bank.

Primary Service Area The HUC10s within the Primary Service Area include the following:  Cronese Valley  Langford Well Lake  Baxter Wash – Mojave River  Soda Lake Minimum Service Area HUC10 Section 8.5 of the Regional Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Guidelines for the South Pacific Division states: “At a minimum, the service area will be the 10-digit watershed containing the Site(s)…. Documentation and justification must be provided for expansion of the service area from the 10-digit watershed containing the Site.” HUC10s Requiring Minimal Justification Section 8.5 of the Regional Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Guidelines for the South Pacific Division states: “Additions where all of the following are true require minimal justification: a) areas abutting the 10-digit watershed in which the Site is located, b) within the same 8-digit sub-basin as the Site and c) within the same ecoregion as the Site.” Additional watersheds are considered for inclusion in the Service Area based on the following hydrological and/or ecological justifications: Hydrologically Justified HUC10s (Secondary Service Area) HUC10 watersheds that are directly influenced by and have connectivity with the Bank Site will also be included in the service area. Ecologically Justified HUC10s (Tertiary Service Area) Ecologically justified HUC10 watersheds that fill the same or similar contiguous ecological niches as the habitats, special status species or sensitive communities found at the Bank Site will also be included in the service area.

Secondary Service Area No HUC10 watersheds are located downstream from Bank Site other than those that abut the Cronese Valley HUC10 and are already included in the Primary Service Area.

Tertiary Service Area Additional watersheds are considered for inclusion in the Tertiary Service Area based on the ecological similarity of habitats within these watersheds and the regional need for mitigation for impacts to flood control and conveyance drainages, detention basins, ditches and ephemeral urban drainages and other minor maintenance modifications triggering impacts to otherwise low quality aquatic resources for minimally impacting projects. The Corps will decide on a case-by-case basis if a project in the Tertiary Service Area is authorized to use 404 credits as compensatory mitigation. Ecologically justified HUC10s include watersheds that fill the same, or similar, ecological niches as the habitats seen in the Bank. All of the ecologically justified HUC10s occur in the Mojave River HUC8 sub-basin, contain similar habitats, and are encompassed within Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion. These HUC10 watersheds contain similar aquatic and terrestrial communities and mitigation for impacts

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC DMEC within these HUC10s with resources in the Bank should allow for identical or surpassed replacement of lost functions and values in most situations. The HUC10s within the Tertiary Service Area include the following:  Halloran Wash  Wild Wash  West Fork Mojave River  Lower Kelso Wash  Lower Fremont Wash  Silver Lake  Wall Street Canyon  Crucero Hill  Apple Valley Dry Lake  Willow Wash  Stoddard Valley  Deep Creek  Sheep Creek – El Mirage Lake  Buckthorn Wash – Mojave River  Upper Fremont Wash  Daggett Wash – Mojave River  Manix Wash – Mojave River  Bell Mountain Wash – Mojave River  Devils Playground Wash  Broadwell Lake  Upper Kelso Wash  Troy Lake

The Corps Section 404 Service Area is illustrated below in Figure 4.

LAHONTAN RWQCB SERVICE AREA (PORTER-COLOGNE)

Although some of the aquatic features within the Lahontan RWQCB are not Corps jurisdictional, the service area for these features was determined using the same protocol described above. In cooperation with the IRT, and following the Corps guidelines, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary service areas have been identified for the Bank.

Primary Service Area The watersheds identified in the guidelines as those that would comprise the “minimum service area” and those requiring minimal justification for inclusion in the service area are included in the Primary Service Area. The HUC10s within the Primary Service Area include the following:  Cronese Valley  Langford Well Lake  Baxter Wash – Mojave River  Soda Lake Minimum Service Area HUC10 Section 8.5 of the Regional Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Guidelines for the South Pacific Division states: “At a minimum, the service area will be the 10-digit watershed containing the Site(s)…. Documentation and justification must be provided for expansion of the service area from the 10- digit watershed containing the Site.” HUC10s Requiring Minimal Justification Section 8.5 of the Regional Compensatory Mitigation and Monitoring Guidelines for the South Pacific Division states: “Additions where all of the following are true require minimal justification: a) areas abutting the 10-digit watershed in which the Site is located, b) within the same 8-digit sub-basin as the Site and c) within the same ecoregion as the Site.” Additional watersheds are considered for inclusion in the Service Area based on the hydrological and/or ecological justifications provided below.

Secondary Service Area Hydrologically Justified HUC10s The Secondary Service Area will include HUC10 watersheds that terminate at Cronese Lake and therefore have similar hydrologic influence on this terminal water body. These watersheds are not located directly downstream of the Bank Site, but have a similar hydrologic influence on Cronese Lake. Restoration actions within the Bank Site will improve the functions and values of Cronese Lake. For example, wetlands are known to filter pollutants from surface water. Due to the fact that the Mojave River sub-basin is a closed basin from which pollutants cannot drain, the accumulation of pollutants and minerals is of particular importance to water management plans. Additionally, vegetated wetlands help to dampen the impact of floodwaters that could negatively impact downstream communities (EPA 2006, Hey and Philippi 1995).

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC DMEC The following watersheds are therefore considered to be hydrologically justified for inclusion in the Secondary Service Area:  Halloran Wash  Wild Wash  West Fork Mojave River  Lower Kelso Wash  Lower Fremont Wash  Silver Lake  Wall Street Canyon  Crucero Hill  Apple Valley Dry Lake  Willow Wash  Stoddard Valley  Deep Creek  Sheep Creek – El Mirage Lake  Buckthorn Wash – Mojave River  Upper Fremont Wash  Daggett Wash – Mojave River  Manix Wash – Mojave River  Bell Mountain Wash – Mojave River  Devils Playground Wash  Broadwell Lake  Upper Kelso Wash  Troy Lake

Tertiary Service Area Ecologically Justified HUC10s Ecologically justified HUC10s include HUC10s that may not terminate in East Cronese Lake but do fill the same, or similar, ecological niches as the habitats seen in the Bank Site. All of the ecologically justified HUC10s occur in the Antelope-Fremont Valley and Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes HUC8 sub- basins, contain similar habitats, and are encompassed within the Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion. These HUC10 watersheds contain similar aquatic and terrestrial communities and mitigation for impacts within these HUC10s with resources in the Bank should allow for identical or surpassed replacement of lost functions and values in most situations. The dominant plant community throughout out the Mojave Desert Region is Creosote Bush Scrub. Desert washes throughout the Mojave Basin and Range ecoregion are also similar to those found within the Bank Site and Primary Service Area. Additional watersheds are considered for inclusion in the Tertiary Service Area based on the regional need for mitigation for impacts to flood control and conveyance drainages, detention basins, ditches and ephemeral urban drainages and other minor maintenance modifications triggering impacts to otherwise low quality aquatic resources for minimally impacting projects. The Lahontan RWQCB will decide on a case-by-case basis if a project in the Tertiary Service Area is authorized to use Porter-Cologne credits as compensatory mitigation. The HUC10s in the Tertiary Service Area include those in the Antelope- Fremont Valleys and Coyote-Cuddeback Lakes HUC8 sub-basins. HUC10 Watersheds in the Antelope – Fremont Valleys HUC8:  Dove Spring Canyon – Red Rock Canyon  Rock Creek – Buckhorn Lake

 Lake Palmdale – Piute Ponds  Big Rock Creek – Big Rock Wash  Cottonwood Creek – Tylerhorse Canyon  Cottonwood Creek  Town of Pearblossom  Jawbone Canyon  Le Montaine Creek – Eller Slough  Upper Cache Creek  Little Rock Wash  Fiddler Gulch – Goler Gulch  Koehn Lake  Sidney Peak  Pine Tree Canyon  Rosamond Lake  Tropico Hill – Oak Creek  Lower Cache Creek  Sacatara Creek – Kings Canyon  Mescale Creek – Rocky Buttes  Peerless Valley  Bissell Hills  Rogers Lake  Amargosa Creek HUC10 Watersheds in the Coyote – Cuddeback Lakes HUC8:  Goldstone Lake  Mount General  The Buttes  Town of Kramer Junction – Town of Jimgrey  Inscription Canyon  Black Canyon  Superior Lake  Cuddeback Lake  Nelson Lake – Bicycle Lake  Coyote Lake  Harper Lake

The Lahontan RWQCB Service Area is illustrated below in Figure 5.

CDFW SERVICE AREA (SECTION 1600)

The HUC10 watersheds included in the proposed Service Area for 1600 impacts are identified below; projects with Section 1600 impacts that are located outside of this service area will be considered by CDFW on a case-by-case basis. The Bank Site properties support sensitive stream, playa lake, and riparian habitats that are rare for the region including Atriplex-dominated wetlands and numerous xeric riparian communities found within the HUC10 watersheds listed below. HUC10 Watersheds in the Mojave River HUC8:  Cronese Valley  Langford Well Lake  Baxter Wash – Mojave River  Soda Lake  Halloran Wash  Wild Wash  West Fork Mojave River  Lower Kelso Wash  Lower Fremont Wash  Silver Lake  Wall Street Canyon  Crucero Hill  Apple Valley Dry Lake  Willow Wash  Stoddard Valley  Deep Creek  Sheep Creek – El Mirage Lake  Buckthorn Wash – Mojave River  Upper Fremont Wash  Daggett Wash – Mojave River  Manix Wash – Mojave River  Bell Mountain Wash – Mojave River  Devils Playground Wash  Broadwell Lake  Upper Kelso Wash  Troy Lake HUC10 Watersheds in the Antelope – Fremont Valleys HUC8:  Dove Spring Canyon – Red Rock Canyon  Rock Creek – Buckhorn Lake  Lake Palmdale – Piute Ponds  Big Rock Creek – Big Rock Wash  Cottonwood Creek – Tylerhorse Canyon  Cottonwood Creek  Town of Pearblossom  Jawbone Canyon  Le Montaine Creek – Eller Slough  Upper Cache Creek

 Little Rock Wash  Fiddler Gulch – Goler Gulch  Koehn Lake  Sidney Peak  Pine Tree Canyon  Rosamond Lake  Tropico Hill – Oak Creek  Lower Cache Creek  Sacatara Creek – Kings Canyon  Mescale Creek – Rocky Buttes  Peerless Valley  Bissell Hills  Rogers Lake  Amargosa Creek HUC10 Watersheds in the Coyote – Cuddeback Lakes HUC8:  Goldstone Lake  Mount General  The Buttes  Town of Kramer Junction – Town of Jimgrey  Inscription Canyon  Black Canyon  Superior Lake  Cuddeback Lake  Nelson Lake – Bicycle Lake  Coyote Lake  Harper Lake HUC10 Watersheds in the Southern Mojave HUC8:  Amboy Crater  Clipper Wash  North Lucerne Valley  Orange Blossom Wash  Silver Creek – Rabbit Lake  Ericksen Dry Lake  Iron Ridge – Galway Lake  Sunshine Peak – Lavic Lake  Marble Mountains  Crystal Creek – Lucerne Lake  Upper Watson Wash  Clipper Valley Wash  Lower Watson Wash  Lava Hills  Blackhawk Canyon – Cougar Buttes  Coyote Lake  Cleghorn Lakes  Goat Mountain – Keys Lake

 Surprise Springs – Deadman Lake  Mesquito Spring  Black Rock Spring – Coyote Well  Mesquite Lake  Palen Lake  Quail Wash  Cleghorn Pass  Means Lake – Emerson Lake  Ford Well  McCoy Spring  Town of Old Dale – Dog Wash  Lower Pinto Wash  Quackenbush Lake – Bullion Wash  Rattlesnake Canyon  Fortynine Palms Canyon – Shortz Lake  Sheep Hole Mountains  Dale Lake  Hayfield Lake – Lake Tamarisk  Valley Mountain  Martins Well – Danby Lake  Pipes Wash  Ironwood Wash – Danby Lake  Packard Well  Iron Mountain Tunnel – Sand Draw  Arrastre Creek – Mellville Lake  Middle Pinto Wash  Cadiz Valley  Upper Homer Wash  Bristol Lake  Big Wash  Schulyler Wash  Lower Homer Wash  Upper Pinto Wash  Tank Spring – Rice Valley  Ship Creek – Ford Dry Lake  Browns Wash – Cadiz Lake The CDFW Section 1600 Service Area is illustrated below in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Section 1600 Service Area

OTHER SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES AND SENSITIVE HABITATS (CEQA)

The proposed service area for special-status species and sensitive habitats covered under CEQA is based on the distribution of those habitats in the vicinity of the Bank Site. This service area will be for the sale of credits pertaining to sensitive natural communities and other habitats, which may require mitigation under CEQA. Habitat types in the Bank Properties were mapped during field visits in 2013 and 2014. California Natural Diversity Database (CDFW 2013, USFWS 2013), California Consortium of Herbaria (CCH 2013), NatureServe (2013: http://www.natureserve.org), A Manual of California Vegetation 2nd Edition (Sawyer et al. 2008), and Western Mojave Desert Land Cover and species distribution data prepared from the Draft DRECP (Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan) were used to determine the distribution of these resources when determining the limits of the service area. The CEQA Service Area is illustrated below in Figure 7.

Figure 7. CEQA Service Area

APPENDIX B. ECOREGIONS AND HABITATS

Ecoregions of California

By Glenn E. Griffith (USGS), James M. Omernik (USGS), David W. Smith (NRCS), Terry D. Cook (NRCS-retired), Ed Tallyn (NRCS), Kendra Mosely (NRCS), and Colleen B. Johnson (Raytheon/SRA).

Open-File Report 2016–1021 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey

Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Smith, D.W., Cook, T.D., Tallyn, E., Moseley, K., and Johnson, C.B., 2016, Ecoregions of California (poster): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1021, with map, scale 1:1,100,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161021.

Level III and IV Ecoregions of California Ecoregions of California Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. They are designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research, assessment, management, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components. By recognizing the spatial differences in the capacities and potentials of ecosystems, ecoregions stratify the environment by its probable response to disturbance (Bryce and others, 1999). These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across Federal agencies, State agencies, and nongovernment organizations that are responsible for different types of resources in the same geographical areas (Omernik and others, 2000). The approach used to compile this map is based on the premise that ecological regions are hierarchical and can be identified through the analysis of the spatial patterns and the composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in ecosystem quality and integrity (Wiken, 1986; Omernik, 1987, 1995). These phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another regardless of the hierarchical level. A Roman numeral hierarchical scheme has been adopted for different levels of ecological regions. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions. Level II divides the continent into 50 regions (Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, map revised 2006). At level III, the continental United States contains 105 ecoregions and the conterminous United States has 85 ecoregions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). Level IV, depicted here for the State of California, is a further refinement of level III ecoregions. Explanations of the methods used to define these ecoregions are given in Omernik (1995), Omernik and others (2000), and Omernik and Griffith (2014). California has great ecological and biological diversity. The State contains offshore islands and coastal lowlands, large alluvial valleys, forested mountain ranges, deserts, and various aquatic habitats. There are 13 level III ecoregions and 177 level IV ecoregions in California and most continue into ecologically similar parts of adjacent States of the United States or Mexico (Bryce and others, 2003; Thorson and others, 2003; Griffith and others, 2014). The California ecoregion map was compiled at a scale of 1:250,000. It revises and subdivides an earlier national ecoregion map that was originally compiled at a smaller scale (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). This poster is the result of a collaborative project primarily between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region IX, USEPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (Corvallis, Oregon), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)–Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of the Interior- Geological Survey (USGS), and other State of California agencies and universities. The project is associated with interagency efforts to develop a common framework of ecological regions (McMahon and others, 2001). Reaching that objective requires recognition of the differences in the conceptual approaches and mapping methodologies applied to develop the most common ecoregion-type frameworks, including those developed by the USDA–Forest Service (Bailey and others, 1994; Miles and Goudy, 1997; Cleland and others, 2007), the USEPA (Omernik 1987, 1995), and the NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture– Soil Conservation Service, 1981; U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2006). As each of these frameworks is further refined, their differences are becoming less discernible. Regional collaborative projects such as this one in California, where some agreement has been reached among multiple resource-management agencies, are a step toward attaining consensus and consistency in ecoregion frameworks for the entire nation.

Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank – Proposed Service Areas Level III and Level IV Ecoregions

14. MOJAVE BASIN AND RANGE ECOREGION Stretching across southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Arizona, Ecoregion 14 is composed of broad basins and scattered mountains that generally are lower, warmer, and drier than those of the Central Basin and Range ecoregion (13). Its Creosote Bush-dominated shrub community is distinct from the saltbush–greasewood and sagebrush–grass communities to the north in the Central Basin and Range (13) and Northern Basin and Range (80) ecoregions; it also differs from the Paloverde–cactus shrub and Saguaro Cactus in the Sonoran Basin and Range ecoregion (81) to the south. In the Mojave, Creosote Bush, White Bursage, Joshua Tree and other yuccas, and Blackbrush are typical. On alkali flats, saltbush, Saltgrass, Alkali Sacaton, and Iodine Bush are found. In the mountains, Great Basin Sagebrush, California Juniper, and Singleleaf Pinyon occur. At high elevations, some Ponderosa Pine, White Fir, Limber Pine, and Bristlecone Pine can be found. The basin soils are mostly Entisols and Aridisols that typically have a thermic temperature regime; they are warmer than those of Ecoregion 13. Heavy use of off-road vehicles and motorcycles in some areas has made the soils susceptible to wind and water erosion. Most of Ecoregion 14 is federally owned and grazing is constrained by the lack of water and forage for livestock. 14a. Eastern Mojave Basins [27% of Mojave River HUC8 = 720,082 acres] The Creosote Bush-dominated Eastern Mojave Basins ecoregion includes the valleys lying between the scattered mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 4,500 feet. Elevations are lower, soils are warmer, and evapotranspiration is higher than in the Central Basin and Range ecoregion (13) to the north. Limestone- and gypsum-influenced soils occur, but overall, precipitation amount has a greater ecological significance than geology. Toward the south and east, as summer rainfall increases, the Sonoran influence grows, and woody leguminous species, such as mesquite, acacia, and Smoke Tree, become more common. Creosote Bush, White Bursage, and Big Galleta grass are typical in Ecoregion 14a. Pocket mice, kangaroo rats, and Desert Tortoise are faunal indicators of the desert environment. Desert Willow, Coyote Willow, and Mesquite grow in riparian areas, although the alien invasive tamarisk is rapidly replacing native desert riparian vegetation. 14b. Eastern Mojave Low Ranges and Arid Footslopes [22% of Mojave River HUC8 = 627,536 acres] The Eastern Mojave Low Ranges and Arid Footslopes ecoregion is composed of alluvial fans, basalt flows, hills, and low mountains that rise above the basin floors of the Mojave Desert to upper elevations of about 5,000– 6,000 feet. Areas of sparsely vegetated soils, depending on slope, soil type, and grazing history, can be susceptible to erosion during storm events. In areas transitional to the Great Basin in the north, blackbrush dominates slopes just above the upper elevational limit for Creosote Bush. Elsewhere, a mixture of typical Mojave Desert forbs, shrubs, and succulent species occurs, including Joshua tree, other yucca species, and cacti on rocky, well-drained sites. Ecoregion 14b has a diverse array of reptiles including iguanas, chuckwallas, and desert tortoises, as well as leopard, collared, horned, and spiny lizards. Desert bighorn sheep also may be present on some remote rocky outcrops.

14c. Eastern Mojave Mountain Woodland and Shrubland [< 1% of Mojave River HUC8 = 31,765 acres] The Eastern Mojave Mountain Woodland and Shrubland ecoregion occurs in California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, at elevations from about 5,000 to greater than 7,000 feet, where mean annual precipitation increases to between 10 and 16 inches per year. Vegetation includes pinyon, juniper, Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany, and Cliffrose. In many areas, a denser and more diverse mixture of large interior chaparral shrubs occurs, including oaks, Ceanothus, Silk-tassel Bush, and Apache Plume. A sagebrush zone is largely absent, but some Wyoming Big Sagebrush may be found in the understory of the woodland along with Blackbrush. Higher riparian zones along the few perennial streams have willow, mountain brush, and cottonwood, whereas other canyons have canyon live oak, or Singleleaf Pinyon and Desert Scrub oak. In California, the Kingston Range and New York, and Providence Mountains are areas of unique plant communities.

14e. Arid Valleys and Canyonlands [N/A Mojave River HUC8] The Arid Valleys and Canyonlands ecoregion includes steep canyons and benchlands less than 2,000 feet in elevation near the Colorado River. This is a hot, dry ecoregion, receiving about 5 inches of rain per year in the California part. Rocky colluvial soils cover eroded slopes and deeper soils occur on benches. Vegetation is a sparse but diverse shrub cover that includes Creosote Bush, White Brittlebush, White Bursage, and occasional Sonoran Desert elements, such as Ocotillo. Along the rivers, exotic tamarisk is replacing native riparian vegetation such as Fremont Cottonwood and willow. The presence of the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Mohave greatly influences the management and ecology of this ecoregion.

14f. Mojave Playas [< 1% of Mojave River HUC8 = 39,425 acres] The Mojave Playas generally are smaller than the Lahontan and Tonopah Playas (13h) and are not part of the broad Pleistocene pluvial basins found in the Central Basin and Range ecoregion (13) to the north. The high salt and clay content of playa surface mud, and the hot, dry conditions inhibit plant growth. Ecoregion 14f is largely barren and only sparse saltbush vegetation typically is found on the margins. Where moisture is sufficient, cold- intolerant trees and woody legumes such as Velvet Ash and Mesquite occur, particularly in the southern Mojave. Playas are dynamic environments with surface channels, playa margins, alluvial materials, and biota changing with each flooding event. Physical and biological crusts on soil surfaces are important, stabilizing soil, and reducing erosion from wind and water. 14g. Amargosa Desert [N/A Mojave River HUC8] The Amargosa Desert ecoregion is an arid, internally drained basin. It has greater temperature extremes and less Sonoran influence than the Eastern Mojave Basins (14a). This is due in part to the Spring Mountains that border Ecoregion 14g on the east and block summer rainfall. In the Amargosa Desert, rainfall occurs mostly between October and April, with annual amounts of about 4–6 inches in California. Creosote Bush and White Bursage predominate in this ecoregion as they do in Ecoregion 14a, but there is less diversity of shrub species in Ecoregion 14g. The Amargosa Valley is a discharge point for an underground water system. Where the Amargosa River surfaces, it creates important wetland oases in the Mojave. A larger, but isolated, system of seeps and springs at Ash Meadows in Nevada is a wetland area of international importance, providing habitats for a large number of endemic plants and animals. In California, the ecoregion includes part of the Amargosa Valley, as well as the Stewart, Chicago, Pahrump, California, and Mesquite Valleys. 14h. Death Valley/Mojave Central Trough [13% of Mojave River HUC8 = 363,655 acres] The Death Valley/Mojave Central Trough ecoregion includes the alluvial plain of parts of Death Valley, the Silurian Valley, and the great depressions that contain Soda, Bristol, and Cadiz dry lakes of Ecoregion 14f. The line of basins in this trough is lower in elevation and warmer than adjacent basins to the east or west, with soil temperatures mostly hyperthermic rather than thermic. The far northern part of the ecoregion, where elevations are greater than 4,000 feet near the Nevada border, is slightly cooler than the lower-elevation central and southern parts. Some areas in the central part are at or below sea level. Creosote Bush, White Bursage, and mixed saltbush communities occur. Drainage is internal. Although some consider this trough as a convenient divide between the eastern and western Mojave, summer rainfall and certain plant species characteristic of the east occur slightly farther to the west of Ecoregion 14h. 14i. Mesquite Flats/Badwater Basin [N/A Mojave River HUC8] The Mesquite Flats/Badwater Basin ecoregion encompasses one of the most extreme environments on the continent—the low elevations of Death Valley. With stark contrasts to nearby mountains, it is one of the driest and hottest ecoregions and contains the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. High elevations are near sea level. It is a mostly level lake plain and basin floor, internally drained, and with little relief. The Mesquite Flats part in the north surrounds some of the sand dunes and sand sheets of Ecoregion 14o. To the center and south, Badwater Basin contains one of the largest protected salt flats in the world, along with other playa deposits and the fluvial floodplain of the Amargosa River. Large parts of the region are barren or sparsely vegetated. A few areas have Iodine Bush, Seepweed, saltbush, Arrowweed, Allscale, or Saltgrass and, at the higher margins, some Creosote Bush and Desert Holly. Soil temperature regimes are hyperthermic and soil moisture regimes are aridic. Annual precipitation is 2–3 inches, although in some years no rain is recorded. Lake

Manly was the pluvial lake that filled this ecoregion in the Pleistocene and into the Holocene. Recently, a large lake reappeared briefly in 2005 after a wet winter and a previous flood event in summer 2004. 14j. Western Mojave Basins [25% of Mojave River HUC8 = 703,504 acres] The Western Mojave Basins ecoregion includes the alluvial plains, fans, and bajadas of the major valleys lying between the scattered mountain ranges of Ecoregion 14k. There is some variation in climate and vegetation from north to south, but the basins typically are dominated by Creosote Bush and White Bursage, with areas of Shadscale, Fourwing Saltbush, and on some upper bajadas and fans, scattered Joshua Trees. The Western Mojave Basins ecoregion has little summer rainfall compared to the Eastern Mojave Basins (14a), and typically lacks species such as Mojave Yucca and Big Gallata found more to the east. Some annual plant species associated more with Mediterranean climates occur here, but not in the Eastern Mojave Basins. Soil temperature regimes are thermic and soil moisture regimes are aridic. Drainage is internal to closed basins in the Mojave. 14k. Western Mojave Low Ranges and Arid Footslopes [9% of Mojave River HUC8 = 254,420 acres] The Western Mojave Low Ranges and Arid Footslopes ecoregion consists of erosional highlands of exposed bedrock that rise above the alluvium of the basin floors. Granitic rocks are more typical in this western ecoregion compared to a mix of geology in the eastern Mojave ranges of Ecoregion 14b. Many of these western granitic outcrops have relatively low elevations and relief. Creosote Bush shrubland occurs on hills along with areas of Joshua Tree woodland on some footslopes. This ecoregion receives little summer rainfall compared to Ecoregion 14b, and lacks some of the shrubs, yuccas, and grasses in the eastern Mojave. The ranges in the north have some Great Basin Desert scrub influence. Blackbrush shrubland and sagebrush occur more in the north in the transition to Ecoregion 13. The large highland area of Ecoregion 14k east of Owens Lake has a few small valleys or flats in it that are more similar to Ecoregion 14j, particularly between the Coso Range and Cottonwood Mountains. 14l. Western Mojave Mountain Woodland and Shrubland [N/A Mojave River HUC8] The Western Mojave Mountain Woodland and Shrubland ecoregion occurs at elevations greater than about 6,000 feet on mountains in the northwestern part of Ecoregion 14. It includes parts of the Panamint, Argus, Coso, and Nelson Ranges. In contrast to the mostly Creosote Bush shrubland of the lower elevations in Ecoregion 14k, the vegetation of this higher, cooler, and wetter zone includes pinyon, juniper, and sagebrush. It is somewhat drier and less diverse than Ecoregion 14c in the eastern Mojave. Soil temperature regimes are mesic and frigid and soil moisture regimes are aridic and xeric aridic. 14m. Western Mojave High Elevation Mountains [N/A Mojave River HUC8] The Western Mojave High Elevation Mountains ecoregion covers the highest elevations of the Panamint Range, from about 8,000 to over 11,000 feet on Telescope Peak. It differs from the high elevation Ecoregion 14d in the eastern Mojave because it receives less monsoonal precipitation in the summer, and lacks Ponderosa Pine, Rocky Mountain White Fir, and other species found on the Spring Mountains of Nevada. Limber Pine, Mountain Mahogany, and Big Sagebrush occur, and at high elevations, Bristlecone Pine, some more than 3,000 years old. A distinctive bird fauna is found here in the breeding season, including the Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Red-shafted Northern Flicker, Western Bluebird, Audubon’s Warbler, and Oregon Junco. 14n. Mojave Lava Fields [< 1% of Mojave River HUC8 = 39,674 acres] The Mojave Lava Fields ecoregion includes the most recent volcanic features in the Mojave, and in many places these have changed little since the lava last erupted. The ecoregion includes Pliocene to Holocene rhyolitic and basaltic lava domes and flows. Seven different units of lava fields in California are mapped here, including the Coso volcanic field near the Sierra Nevada, the Lavic Lake volcanic fields east of Barstow, the Cinder Cone Lava Beds east of Baker, and Amboy Crater near Bristol Lake. These are the larger units of volcanic lava fields, and smaller areas of lava occur as part of the mosaic in other Mojave ecoregions. The lava flows have both ropy (pahoehoe) and blocky (aa) surfaces, and some areas have lava tubes and caves. Few if any plant communities have become established on these younger cinder cones and lava flows, except in a few pockets where shallow soils have developed. 14o. Mojave Sand Dunes [< 1% of Mojave River HUC8 = 40,358 acres] The Mojave Sand Dunes ecoregion includes migrating dunes, vegetation-stabilized dunes, and sand sheets. Although areas of eolian sand occur in many of the basins of the Mojave, only the largest areas have been mapped

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 23 November 2015, revised 29 August 2016 DMEC Page 6 here. These include the Kelso dunes, Mesquite Flat dunes in Death Valley, Saline Valley dunes, Panamint dunes, Dumont dunes, Olancha dunes near Owens Lake, and Cadiz dunes. Plants and animals have adapted to the shifting sands and dry surfaces, and several of the dunes areas have endemic species. The Kelso Dune Field, about 30 miles southeast of Baker, is the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert. The tallest dunes rise 650 feet above the surrounding terrain. The Kelso dunes have several endemic insect species, as well as several other rare native bees, wasps, and beetles. These dunes also provide habitat for the Mojave fringe-toed lizard. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank – Proposed Service Areas Level III and Level IV Ecoregions 81. SONORAN BASIN AND RANGE ECOREGION Similar in topography to the Mojave Basin and Range ecoregion (14) to the north, this ecoregion contains scattered low mountains and has large tracts of federally owned land, a large portion of which is used for military training. However, the Sonoran Basin and Range ecoregion is slightly hotter than the Mojave and contains large areas of paloverde-cactus shrub and giant saguaro cactus, whereas the potential natural vegetation in the Mojave is largely Creosote Bush. Other typical Sonoran plants include White Bursage, Ocotillo, Brittlebrush, Creosote Bush, Catclaw Acacia, Cholla, Desert Saltbush, Pricklypear, and Mesquite. Microphyll woodland trees and shrubs, such as Ironwood, Blue Paloverde, Smoketree, and Desert Willow, generally are unique to this desert, occupying desert washes with occasional moisture flow. In the region, winter rainfall decreases from west to east, whereas summer rainfall decreases from east to west. Aridisols and Entisols are dominant with hyperthermic soil temperatures and extremely aridic soil moisture regimes, creating some harsh environments for plant growth. 81d. Sand Hills/Sand Dunes [1.3 % of Southern Mojave HUC8 = 21,402 acres] The Sonoran Sand Hills/Sand Dunes ecoregion occurs in California, Arizona, and Baja California, and is one of the largest dune complexes in North America. In California, it includes lower elevation sandy areas of East Mesa as well as the higher elevation Algodones Dunes to the east. East Mesa has more stabilized aeolian deposits, possibly because of groundwater rises from human modifications of the hydrology. The wind-blown sand originated from the former beach deposits and lakebed of Pleistocene Lake Cahuilla to the west. This is one of the driest and hottest areas of the United States, with annual precipitation of only about 3 inches. The well- drained aridic soils are mostly Typic Torripsamments with hyperthermic temperature regimes. Although vegetation appears sparse on the dunes and sand hills, the ecoregion contains the largest number of dune-endemic plants in North America, as well as several specialized animal species. Psammophytic ("sand loving") scrub occurs in the interior part of the sand dune system, both in the active sand dunes and partially stabilized areas. Some microphyll woodland, Sonoran desert scrub, and canal-influenced vegetation also occurs. Peirson’s Milkvetch, a federally listed threatened plant, is found here, along with Wiggins’ Croton and the Algodones Dunes Sunflower. The Flat-tailed Horned Lizard, Desert Tortoise, and Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard occur in the ecoregion, and the dunes provide habitat for the Andrews’ Dune Scarab Beetle. The ecoregion includes areas managed for wilderness as well as for off-road vehicle recreation. 81h. Sonoran Playas [1.5% of Southern Mojave HUC8 = 34,463 acres] The Sonoran Playas ecoregion in California includes the Danby, Ford, and Palen Dry Lake areas in the low elevation basins of Ecoregion 81j. Danby Dry Lake is part of a large, northwest-trending structural trough that also includes Bristol and Cadiz Dry Lakes to the northwest in Ecoregion 14f. The elevation of Ecoregion 81h is about 600–620 feet. Danby Dry Lake is the sump of a large drainage basin that includes Ward Valley and adjacent upland areas. Playa lake sediments consist of silt and sand, tend to be orange or light yellowish-brown in color, and contain saline layers. The mostly barren cover has some sparse saltbush on the margins. Where moisture is sufficient, Velvet Ash and Mesquite occur. Playas are dynamic environments with surface channels, playa margins, alluvial materials, and biota changing with each flooding event. 81i. Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Mountains [21% of Southern Mojave HUC8 = 293,360 acres] Similar to Ecoregion 81a, the Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Mountains ecoregion is the erosional highlands of exposed bedrock that rise above the more gently sloping sediment-filled basins (Ecoregion 81j). Unlike the Western Sonoran Mountains ecoregion (81a), these ranges receive more summer precipitation. The rugged terrain is dissected by dry washes that can flood during the infrequent rainfall events. The climate is hot,

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829 Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 23 November 2015, revised 29 August 2016 DMEC Page 7 arid, and continental. Soil temperature regimes are hyperthermic with a typic aridic soil moisture regime. Soil moisture is driest from May to June and intermittently moist during the July–September and December–February periods. The vegetation of this mostly rocky terrain typically is Sonoran Creosote Bush Scrub transitioning into succulent scrub with Ocotillo and numerous cacti. Species include Creosote Bush, White Bursage, Brittlebush, Ocotillo, Teddy Bear and Staghorn Cholla, Range Ratany, Barrel Cactus, and Beavertail Cactus, with some Littleleaf Paloverde in the Arizona part. 81j. Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Basins [76% of Southern Mojave HUC8 = 1,080,340 acres] The Central Sonoran/Colorado Desert Basins ecoregion includes the broad alluvial plains, fans, and bajadas that occur between the higher relief mountain ranges of Ecoregion 81i. Large areas of the region are dominated by Creosote Bush and White Bursage. On alluvial fans and coarse soils, Ocotillo, Brittlebush, and cholla cactus species occur. Shrub density varies from low to moderate, with shrub spacing from several feet to tens of feet. The Colorado Desert is more sparsely vegetated than eastern Sonoran ecoregions (81k, 81l) in Arizona, with a less diverse avifauna. Desert Saltbush Scrub occurs, often on finer textured, poorly drained soils with high alkalinity and salinity. Allscale is the dominant shrub along with some Fourwing Saltbush, Mesquite, and Bush Seepweed. In the washes and ephemeral streams, mesquite and exotic tamarisk are mixed with Creosote Bush. Microphyll woodland habitat is found along some dry-wash channels, with Blue Paloverde, Ironwood, Smoke Tree, or Desert Willow, and these plants support a diversity of wildlife. Literature Cited: Bailey, R.G., Avers, P.E., King, T., and McNab, W.H., eds. 1994. Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States (map) (supplementary table of map unit descriptions compiled and edited by McNab, W.H., and Bailey, R.G.): Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Agriculture–Forest Service, scale 1:7,500,000. Bryce, S.A., Omernik, J.M., and Larsen, D.P., 1999, Ecoregions—A geographic framework to guide risk characterization and ecosystem management: Environmental Practice, v. 1, no. 3, p. 141–155. Bryce, S.A., Woods, A.J., Morefield, J.D., Omernik, J.M., McKay, T.R., Brackley, G.K., Hall, R.K., Higgins, D.K., McMorran, D.C., Vargas, K.E., Petersen, E.B., Zamudio, D.C., and Comstock, J.A., 2003, Ecoregions of Nevada (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,350,000). Cleland, D.T., Freeouf, J.A., Keys, J.E., Jr., Nowacki, G.J., Carpenter, C., and McNab, W.H., 2007, Ecological subregions—Sections and subsections of the conterminous United States: Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of Agriculture–Forest Service, General Technical Report WO-76, scale 1:3,500,000. Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North America— Toward a common perspective: Montreal, Quebec, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 71 p. (map revised 2006). Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Johnson, C.B., and Turner, D.S., 2014, Ecoregions of Arizona (poster): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014-1141, with map, scale 1:1,325,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141141. McMahon, G., Gregonis, S.M., Waltman, S.W., Omernik, J.M., Thorson, T.D., Freeouf, J.A., Rorick, A.H., and Keys, J.E., 2001, Developing a spatial framework of common ecological regions for the conterminous United States: Environmental Management, v. 28, no. 3, p. 293–316. Miles, S.R., and Goudy, C.B., compilers, 1997, Ecological subregions of California: San Francisco, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, R5-EM-TP-005, and http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/ecoregions. Omernik, J.M., 1987, Ecoregions of the conterminous United States (map supplement): Annals of the Association of American Geographers, v. 77, no. 1, p. 118-125, scale 1:7,500,000.

Omernik, J.M., 1995, Ecoregions—A spatial framework for environmental management, in Davis, W.S., and Simon, T.P., eds., Biological assessment and criteria-tools for water resource planning and decision making: Boca Raton, Florida, Lewis Publishers, p. 49–62. Omernik, J.M., Chapman, S.S., Lillie, R.A., and Dumke, R.T., 2000, Ecoregions of Wisconsin: Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, v. 88, no. 2000, p. 77–103. Omernik, J.M., and Griffith, G.E., 2014, Ecoregions of the conterminous United States—Evolution of a hierarchical spatial framework: Environmental Management, v.54, no. 6, p. 1249–1266. Thorson, T.D., Bryce, S.A., Lammers, D.A., Woods, A.J., Omernik, J.M., Kagan, J., Pater, D.E., and Comstock, J.A., 2003, Ecoregions of Oregon (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,500,000). U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2006, Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin: Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, Agriculture Handbook 296, 669 p. plus map. U.S. Department of Agriculture–Soil Conservation Service, 1981, Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States: Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, Agriculture Handbook 296, 156 p. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013, Level III ecoregions of the continental United States (revision of Omernik, 1987): Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Map M-1, various scales. Wiken, E., 1986, Terrestrial ecozones of Canada: Ottawa, Environment Canada, Ecological Land Classification Series no. 19, 26 p.

PRINCIPAL AUTHORS: Glenn E. Griffith (USGS), James M. Omernik (USGS), David W. Smith (NRCS), Terry D. Cook (NRCS-retired), Ed Tallyn (NRCS), Kendra Mosely (NRCS), and Colleen B. Johnson (Raytheon/SRA).

COLLABORATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS: John Rogers (NRCS–retired), Sandra A. Bryce (Dynamac Corporation), James Weigand (Bureau of Land Management), Todd Keeler-Wolf (DFW), Thor Thorson (NRCS), Ben Sleeter (USGS), Julie Evens (California Native Plant Society), Robert K. Hall (USEPA), Hazel Gordon (USFS), James M. Harrington (DFW), Peter Ode (DFW), James Calzia (USGS), Randy Southard (University of California–Davis), Toby O’Geen (UC-Davis), Dick McCleery (NRCS), Greg Suba (California Native Plant Society), Hugh Safford (USFS), Joseph Furnish (USFS), Alan J. Woods (Oregon State University), Tad Larsen (Raytheon/SRA), and Thomas R. Loveland (USGS).

REVIEWERS: Earl B. Alexander (Soils and Geoecology), and John A. Hutchinson (USGS).

Suggested citation: Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Smith, D.W., Cook, T.D., Tallyn, E., Moseley, K., and Johnson, C.B., 2016, Ecoregions of California (poster): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1021, with map, scale 1:1,100,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161021.

This project was partially supported by funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) program.

Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\IRT-REVIEW\IRT-comments-2016\DMEC-Mojave-Bank-Service-Area-20160829