Final Environmental Assessment
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Final Environmental Assessment Arizona Department of Water Resources Recommendation for the Reallocation of Non- Indian Agricultural Priority Central Arizona Project Water in Accordance with the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004 1.1.1 1.1.2 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region Phoenix Area Office Glendale Arizona November 2019 Mission Statements The Department of the Interior conserves and manages the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the Nation’s trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities to help them prosper. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Page i Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED........................................................................................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.1 Groundwater ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2.2 Central Arizona Project............................................................................................. 2 1.2.3 ADWR’s Reallocation Recommendation Process .................................................... 3 1.3 PROJECT LOCATION........................................................................................................... 3 1.4 PURPOSE AND NEED .......................................................................................................... 5 1.5 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ...................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................... 8 2.1 FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES ....................................................... 8 2.2 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE (REJECTION OF ADWR RECOMMENDATION) ......................... 8 2.3 PROPOSED ACTION (APPROVAL OF ADWR RECOMMENDATION) ..................................... 8 CHAPTER 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ..................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 POTENTIAL CONNECTED ACTIONS .................................................................................. 10 3.2 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS .................................................................................................... 12 3.2.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions .................................... 12 3.3 LAND USE ....................................................................................................................... 17 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 17 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 21 3.3.3 Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................. 22 3.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................ 23 3.4.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 23 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 31 3.4.3 Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................. 33 3.5 CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 34 3.5.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 34 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 35 3.5.3 Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................. 35 3.6 WATER RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 36 3.6.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 37 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 47 3.6.3 Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................. 50 3.7 SOCIOECONOMIC RESOURCES ......................................................................................... 53 3.7.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 53 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................................. 59 3.7.3 Cumulative Effects.................................................................................................. 61 Page ii 3.8 RESOURCES CONSIDERED BUT NOT AFFECTED ............................................................... 61 3.8.1 Air Quality .............................................................................................................. 62 3.8.2 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................... 62 3.8.3 Recreation and Visual Resources ............................................................................ 62 3.8.4 Indian Trust Assets (ITAs)...................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 4. AGENCIES, TRIBES, AND PERSONS CONSULTED ................................ 64 CHAPTER 5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 66 FIGURE 1. PROJECT AREA MAP.………………………………………………………….. 4 FIGURE 2. BIOTIC COMMUNITY MAP…………………………………………..……… 25 FIGURE 3. PROPOSED RECIPIENTS WITHIN PHOENIX AMA……………………… 40 FIGURE 4. PROPOSED RECIPIENTS WITHIN PINAL AMA………………………….. 41 FIGURE 5. PROPOSED RECIPIENTS WITHIN TUCSON AMA……………………….. 42 TABLE 1. LIST OF PROPOSED RECIPIENTS AND THEIR RECOMMENDED ALLOCATION…………………………………………………………………………………. 9 TABLE 2. LAND OWNERSHIP AND USES IN THE PHOENIX AMA…………………. 18 TABLE 3. LAND OWNERSHIP AND USES IN THE PINAL AMA……………………... 19 TABLE 4. LAND OWNERSHIP AND USES IN THE TUCSON AMA………................... 20 TABLE 5. FEDERALLY LISTED, PROPOSED, AND CANDIDATE SPECIES, DESIGNATED OR PROPOSED CRITICAL HABITATS, WITHIN PHOENIX, PINAL, AND TUCSON AMAs, IN ARIZONA…..…………………………………………………... 28 TABLE 6. PROPOSED RECIPIENT SUMMARY………………………………………… 39 TABLE 7. HISTORIC AND PROJECTED POPULATIONS – AMAs AND PROPOSED RECIPIENTS……………………………………………………………….…………………. 54 TABLE 8. NON-WHITE AND HISPANIC POPULATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES, ARIZONA, COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES RECEIVING REALLOCATED WATER………………...……………………………………………………………………… 56 TABLE 9. ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES FOR THE UNITED STATES, ARIZONA, COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES RECEIVING REALLOCATED WATER, 2009- 2010…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57 APPENDIX A. PROPOSED RECIPIENT APPLICATIONS APPENDIX B. ADWR EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA APPENDIX C. PUBLIC SCOPING NEWLETTER APPENDIX D. PROPOSED RECIPIENT MEETING LETER AND AGENDA APPENDIX E. NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT EA APPENDIX F. DRAFT EA COMMENTS AND RESPONSES Page iii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADWR Arizona Department of Water Resources AFA acre-feet annually AGFD Arizona Game and Fish Department AMA Active Management Area Apache Junction WUCFD Apache Junction Water Utilities Community Facilities District ASM Arizona State Museum ASU Arizona State University AWSA Arizona Water Settlements Act BA Biological Assessment BCPA Boulder Canyon Project Act BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management bls below land surface CAGRD Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District CAIDD Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District CAP Central Arizona Project CAWCD Central Arizona Water Conservation District CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CH Critical Habitat Code Groundwater Code Corps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CWA Clean Water Act Decree 1964 Arizona v. California decree DSI demand and supply imbalance EA Environmental Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement EO Executive Order EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended ESRV East Salt River Valley FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact FR Federal Register FWCA Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service GSF groundwater savings facilities IDD Irrigation and Drainage District INA Irrigation Non-Expansion Area Page iv ITAs Indian Trust Assets LBDCP Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan Listed species federally listed species under the ESA, as amended LTSC long-term storage credits MAFA million acre-feet annually M&I municipal and industrial MDWID