Biological Monitoring Plan for the Spring Valley Stipulation
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Biological Monitoring Plan for the Spring Valley Stipulation Photo by Kelly Douglas February 2009 Biological Work Group Stipulation Parties: Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Land Management National Park Service Southern Nevada Water Authority U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Invited Parties: Nevada Department of Wildlife Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Technical assistance in the preparation of this document was provided by: Bio-West, Inc., Logan, Utah Great Basin Bird Observatory, Reno, Nevada KS2 Ecological Field Services LLC, Anton, Texas The Nature Conservancy, Reno, Nevada This document may be cited as: Biological Work Group. 2009. Biological Monitoring Plan for the Spring Valley Stipulation. February 2009. LIST OF ACRONYMS ANOVA Analysis of Variance ANS Aquatic Nuisance Species BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management BWG Biological Work Group CAP Conservation Action Planning CCC Civilian Conservation Corps CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort DMP Data Management Plan DMS Document Management Software DOI Department of the Interior EC Executive Committee EPA Environmental Protection Agency EPT Ephemeroptera Plecoptera Trichoptera ESA Endangered Species Act FWS Fish and Wildlife Service GBNP Great Basin National Park GPS Global Positioning System HACCP Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points HB Hydrographic Basin IBMA Initial Biological Monitoring Area ICH Ichthiopterius (fish bacteria) LVVWD Las Vegas Valley Water District KEA Key Ecological Attribute MODFLOW Modular Three-Dimensional Finite-Difference Groundwater Model MS model Mechanistic Simulation Model NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife NNHP Nevada Natural Heritage Program NPS National Park Service NSE Nevada State Engineer OSHA Occupational Health and Safety Administration POD Points of Diversion SGCN Species of Greatest Conservation Need SNWA Southern Nevada Water Authority SOCP Species of Conservation Priority ST State-and-Transition Model TNC The Nature Conservancy TRP Technical Review Panel UDWR Utah Division of Wildlife Resources UNHP Utah Natural Heritage Program USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey USOFR United States Office of the Federal Register WRCC Western Region Climate Center CONVERSION FACTORS UNITS OF LENGTH 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters (cm) 1 centimeter = 0.39 inch (in) 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters (cm) 1 meter = 39.37 inches (in) 1 foot = 0.305 meters (m) 1 meter = 3.28 feet (ft) 1 yard = 0.914 meters (m) 1 meter = 1.09 yard (yd) 1 mile = 1609 meters (m) 1 kilometer = 3,281 feet (ft) 1 mile = 1.609 kilometers (km) 1 kilometer = 0.62 miles (mi) UNITS OF AREA 1 square foot = 929 square centimeters (cm2) 1 square centimeter = 0.155 square inches (in2) 1 square foot = 0.093 square meters (m2) 1 square meter = 10.76 square feet (ft2) 1 square yard = 0.837 square meters (m2) 1 square meter = 3.59 square yards (yd2) 1 acre = 4047 square meters (m2) 1 hectare = 2.47 acres (ac) 1 acre = 0.405 hectares (ha) 1 square kilometer = 247 acres (ac) 1 square mile = 2.59 square kilometers (km2) 1 square kilometer = 0.386 square miles (mi2) UNITS OF VOLUME 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons (gal) 1 gallon = 0.134 cubic foot (ft3) 1 acre foot = 325,851 gallons (gal) 1 cubic meter = 35.29 cubic feet (ft3) 1 acre foot = 43,560 cubic feet (ft3) 1 cubic meter = 263.9 gallons (gal) 1 acre foot = 1233.6 cubic meters (m3) UNITS OF WEIGHT 1 ounce = 28.4 grams (g) 1 pound = 454 grams (g) 1 pound = 0.454 kilograms (kg) 1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds (lbs) Biological Monitoring Plan Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.....................................................................................................1-1 1.1 STIPULATION REGARDING SNWA’S GROUNDWATER APPLICATIONS IN SPRING VALLEY HB....................................................................................................................................................1-2 1.1.1 Stipulation Requirements for Biological Monitoring.............................................................................1-2 1.1.2 Stipulation Requirements for Hydrologic Monitoring...........................................................................1-3 1.2 NEVADA STATE ENGINEER RULING.......................................................................................................1-3 1.3 STUDY AREA.................................................................................................................................................1-4 1.3.1 Areas of Potential Groundwater Development......................................................................................1-4 1.3.2 Initial Biological Monitoring Area (IBMA)...........................................................................................1-6 1.3.3 Biological Resources..............................................................................................................................1-9 2.0 MONITORING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES...............................................................................................2-1 2.1 MONITORING GOALS..................................................................................................................................2-1 2.2 MONITORING OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................2-1 3.0 BIOLOGICAL MONITORING PLAN METHODOLOGY.........................................................................3-1 3.1 CONSERVATION ACTION PLANNING (CAP) PROCESS........................................................................3-1 3.1.1 Groundwater-Influenced Ecosystems and Nested Targets....................................................................3-1 3.1.2 Key Ecological Attributes and Indicators..............................................................................................3-2 3.2 RANGES OF VARIATION, UNREASONABLE ADVERSE EFFECT, AND CRITERIA FOR INITIATING BWG CONSULTATION…......................................................................................................3-2 3.3 PLAN DESIGN................................................................................................................................................3-3 3.3.1 Adaptive Framework..............................................................................................................................3-3 3.3.1.1 Pre-SNWA Groundwater Withdrawal Phase (Pre-Withdrawal)…............................................3-4 3.3.1.2 Withdrawal Phase......................................................................................................................3-5 3.3.2 Supplemental Data Gathering................................................................................................................3-5 3.3.3 Data Analysis, Review, Modification.....................................................................................................3-5 3.4 PEER REVIEW................................................................................................................................................3-7 4.0 MONITORING FRAMEWORK.....................................................................................................................4-1 4.1 GROUNDWATER-INFLUENCED ECOSYSTEMS....................................................................................4-2 4.1.1 Selection of Groundwater-Influenced Ecosystems.................................................................................4-2 4.1.2 Description of Groundwater-Influenced Ecosystems.............................................................................4-3 4.1.2.1 Springs........................................................................................................................................4-3 4.1.2.2 Ponds (Shoshone).......................................................................................................................4-4 4.1.2.3 Perennial Streams......................................................................................................................4-4 4.1.2.4 Wetlands.....................................................................................................................................4-5 4.1.2.5 Meadows....................................................................................................................................4-5 4.1.2.6 Phreatophytic Shrublands..........................................................................................................4-6 4.1.2.7 Swamp Cedar Woodlands..........................................................................................................4-7 4.2 DESCRIPTION OF NESTED TARGETS.......................................................................................................4-8 4.3 NESTED TARGETS TO BE DIRECTLY MONITORED...........................................................................4-10 4.3.1 Springsnails..........................................................................................................................................4-11 4.3.2 Northern Leopard Frog........................................................................................................................4-11 4.3.3 Relict Dace...........................................................................................................................................4-12 4.3.4 Pahrump Poolfish.................................................................................................................................4-13