Final ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT for PARKER - PLANET TAP 69-KV TRANSMISSION LINE REBUILD, UPGRADE and RIGHT-OF-WAY ACTION
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Final ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR PARKER - PLANET TAP 69-KV TRANSMISSION LINE REBUILD, UPGRADE AND RIGHT-OF-WAY ACTION Western No: DOE/EA-1685 DOI-BLM-AZ-C030-2009-0051-EA COOPERATING AGENCIES: US Bureau of Land Management US Fish and Wildlife Service Prepared For: US Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration 615 South 43rd Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85009 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOE/EA-1685 DOI-BLM-AZ-C030-2009-0051-EA Parker–Planet Tap 69-kV Transmission Line Rebuild, Upgrade, and Right-of-Way Action San Bernardino County, California and Mohave and La Paz Counties, Arizona LEAD AGENCY US Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration 615 South 43rd Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85009 COOPERATING AGENCIES Bureau of Land Management Lake Havasu Field Office 2610 Sweetwater Avenue Lake Havasu City, Arizona 86406 US Fish and Wildlife Service Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge 60911 Highway 95 Parker, Arizona 86344 June 2010 This page is intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................ 2 1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................. 6 1.2.1 Project Area .............................................................................................................. 6 1.2.2 Phase I: Parker to Buckskin Tap ............................................................................... 8 1.2.3 Phase II: Buckskin Tap to SWCT #1 ........................................................................ 8 1.2.4 ROW Decisions to be Made ..................................................................................... 9 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................. 10 1.3.1 Western’s Underlying Purpose ............................................................................... 11 1.3.2 BLM’s Underlying Purpose .................................................................................... 13 1.3.3 USFWS’s Underlying Purpose ............................................................................... 13 1.4 APPLICABLE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED COORDINATION ......................................................................................................... 14 1.5 PERMITS, LICENSES, AND ENTITLEMENTS ......................................................... 15 1.6 SCOPING ISSUES ........................................................................................................ 15 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................ 18 2.1 PROPOSED ACTION ................................................................................................... 18 2.1.1 Western’s Proposed Action..................................................................................... 18 2.1.2 BLM and USFWS’s Proposed Action .................................................................... 19 2.1.3 Construction Activities and Sequence .................................................................... 19 2.1.4 ROW Needs from BLM and USFWS ..................................................................... 20 2.1.5 Parking and Assembly Area.................................................................................... 20 2.1.6 Access Roads .......................................................................................................... 20 2.1.7 Design ..................................................................................................................... 22 2.1.8 Site Clearing............................................................................................................ 23 2.1.9 Electrical Outages ................................................................................................... 24 2.1.10 Structure Assembly and Erection............................................................................ 25 2.1.11 Excavation and Foundations ................................................................................... 25 2.1.12 Conductor Stringing ................................................................................................ 26 2.1.13 Right-of-Way and Access Road Restoration .......................................................... 27 2.1.14 Operation and Maintenance .................................................................................... 28 2.2 RESOURCE PROTECTION MEASURES ................................................................... 28 2.2.1 BLM Mitigation Measures ...................................................................................... 28 2.3 ADDITIONAL COORDINATION ............................................................................... 33 2.4 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ..................................................................................... 33 2.5 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT FURTHER EVALUATED ................. 34 2.6 CONFORMANCE WITH LAND USE PLANs ............................................................ 34 2.6.1 USFWS Lower Colorado River NWR Management Plan ...................................... 34 2.6.2 BLM Lake Havasu Field Office Resource Management Plan................................ 35 2.6.3 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans ............................................ 35 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSQUENCES................ 36 Parker Planet 69-kV Transmission Line DOE/EA-1685 DOI-BLM-AZ-C030-2009-0051-EA page i Final Environmental Assessment 3.1 RESOURCES CONSIDERED BUT NOT FURTHER EVALUATED ........................ 36 3.1.1 Law Enforcement .................................................................................................... 36 3.1.2 Travel Management ................................................................................................ 37 3.1.3 Farmlands, Grazing, and Rangelands ..................................................................... 37 3.1.4 Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice/Title IV ............................................. 37 3.1.5 Mineral Resources .................................................................................................. 38 3.1.6 Geology ................................................................................................................... 38 3.1.7 Navigable Waterways ............................................................................................. 39 3.1.8 Air Quality .............................................................................................................. 40 3.1.9 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern............................................................... 40 3.2 LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP .................................................................................. 41 3.2.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 41 3.2.1.1 Land Ownership and Jurisdiction .................................................................... 41 3.2.1.2 Existing Land Use ........................................................................................... 41 3.2.1.3 Planned Land Use and Zoning......................................................................... 44 3.2.1.4 Recreation ........................................................................................................ 44 3.2.1.5 Wilderness Areas ............................................................................................. 45 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 45 3.3 VISUAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 49 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 49 3.3.1.1 BLM Lake Havasu Field Office ...................................................................... 49 3.3.1.2 USFWS Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge .................................. 50 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 51 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 52 3.4.1 Vegetation ............................................................................................................... 53 3.4.1.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................... 53 3.4.1.2 Environmental Consequences Native Plants ................................................... 54 3.4.1.3 Environmental Consequences Non-Native Plants ........................................... 56 3.4.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 57 3.4.2.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................... 57 3.4.2.2 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................... 58 3.4.3 Threatened or Endangered Species ......................................................................... 61 3.4.3.1 Affected Environment ....................................................................................