DOCSLIB.ORG

Final Joint Nepa Environmental Assessment and Ceqa Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Final Joint Nepa Environmental Assessment and Ceqa Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration FINAL JOINT NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND CEQA INITIAL STUDY / MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Volume I FOR THE DIGITAL 395 MIDDLE MILE PROJECT San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties in California Douglas, Carson City, and Washoe Counties in Nevada Lead Agencies: NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION Broadband Technology Opportunities Program 1401 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20230 Contact: Genevieve Walker, (202) 482-2345 CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 Contact: Andrew Barnsdale, (415) 703-3221 Prepared for Project Applicant: CALIFORNIA BROADBAND COOPERATIVE, INC. 1101 Nimitz Avenue Vallejo, California 94592 Contact: Michael Ort Prepared by: CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. 5 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 750 Santa Ana, CA 92707 (949) 261-5414 May 2012 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Joint NEPA Environmental Assessment and CEQA Initial Study/MND Digital 395 Middle Mile Project TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 ES-1 PROPOSED PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................... 2 ES-2 ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................................................. 3 ES-2.1 No Action Alternative ....................................................................................................... 3 ES-2.2 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Analysis............................................................... 3 ES-2.3 Preferred Alternative ....................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.0 – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 ACTIVITIES TO BE AUTHORIZED, FUNDED, OR CARRIED OUT BY THE FEDERAL ACTION AGENCY 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES, PURPOSE, AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ................................................................. 1 1.3 RELATIONSHIP TO NEPA GUIDELINES ........................................................................................... 3 1.3.1 Environmental Assessment .............................................................................................. 3 1.3.2 Public Review and Involvement ....................................................................................... 3 1.3.3 Response to Comments/Final EA ..................................................................................... 3 1.3.4 Adoption of the EA/Project Consideration ...................................................................... 3 1.3.5 Finding of No Significant Impact ...................................................................................... 4 1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO CEQA GUIDELINES ........................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Intended Uses of the Mitigated Negative Declaration .................................................... 5 1.5 COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE REGULATORY STATUTES AND PERMIT REQUIREMENTS ......... 6 1.5.1 Federal Environmental Regulations ................................................................................. 6 1.5.2 State Environmental Regulations ................................................................................... 13 1.5.3 Local Environmental Regulations ................................................................................... 15 1.6 RESPONSIBLE, TRUSTEE, AND COOPERATING AGENCIES ........................................................... 15 SECTION 2.0 – PROPOSED ACTION .................................................................................................... 16 2.1 LOCATION ................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.1 San Bernardino ............................................................................................................... 17 2.1.2 Kern ................................................................................................................................ 17 2.1.3 Inyo South (Lone Pine) ................................................................................................... 20 2.1.4 Inyo North (Bishop) ........................................................................................................ 21 2.1.5 Mono South (Lee Vining/June Lake/Mammoth Lakes).................................................. 21 2.1.6 Mono North (Coleville/Walker/Bridgeport) .................................................................. 21 2.1.7 Nevada (Douglas, Carson City, and Washoe Counties) .................................................. 22 2.2 CONSTRUCTION METHODS ........................................................................................................ 22 2.2.1 Conduit Construction Strategy ....................................................................................... 23 2.2.2 Cable Plowing ................................................................................................................. 23 2.2.3 Trenching ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.2.4 Horizontal Directional Drilling ........................................................................................ 24 2.2.5 Fiber-optic Cable in Existing Conduit ............................................................................. 25 2.2.6 Bridge Crossings ............................................................................................................. 26 2.3 RAILROAD CROSSINGS ................................................................................................................ 35 Chambers Group, Inc. i 20260 Joint NEPA Environmental Assessment and CEQA Initial Study/MND Digital 395 Middle Mile Project 2.4 AERIAL ATTACHMENTS ............................................................................................................... 40 2.5 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ..................................................................................................... 40 2.6 OTHER PROJECT COMPONENTS ................................................................................................. 41 2.6.1 Project Facilities ............................................................................................................. 41 2.6.2 Access Vaults .................................................................................................................. 42 2.6.3 Subsurface Warning Tape and Cable Locating Technology ........................................... 43 2.6.4 Marker Posts .................................................................................................................. 43 2.6.5 Staging and Laydown Areas ........................................................................................... 43 2.6.6 Construction Schedule ................................................................................................... 44 2.6.7 Applicant-Proposed Measures ....................................................................................... 44 2.6.8 Operation and Maintenance .......................................................................................... 45 2.7 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................ 45 2.7.1 No Action Alternative ..................................................................................................... 45 2.7.2 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Analysis............................................................. 45 2.7.3 Preferred Alternative ..................................................................................................... 46 SECTION 3.0 – EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................... 48 3.1 NOISE .......................................................................................................................................... 48 3.1.1 General Characteristics of Community Noise ................................................................ 48 3.1.2 Noise Environment in the Project Area ......................................................................... 50 3.1.3 Sensitive Receptors ........................................................................................................ 50 3.1.4 Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards ............................................................... 52 3.2 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................ 56 3.2.1 Atmospheric Setting ....................................................................................................... 56 3.2.2 Air Quality Standards ..................................................................................................... 57 3.2.3 Air Pollutants of Concern ............................................................................................... 58 3.2.4 Regulatory Context ........................................................................................................ 61 3.2.5 Attainment Status .........................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • "National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1996 National Summary."
    Intro 1996 National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands The Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a National List of Vascular Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1996 National Summary (1996 National List). The 1996 National List is a draft revision of the National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands: 1988 National Summary (Reed 1988) (1988 National List). The 1996 National List is provided to encourage additional public review and comments on the draft regional wetland indicator assignments. The 1996 National List reflects a significant amount of new information that has become available since 1988 on the wetland affinity of vascular plants. This new information has resulted from the extensive use of the 1988 National List in the field by individuals involved in wetland and other resource inventories, wetland identification and delineation, and wetland research. Interim Regional Interagency Review Panel (Regional Panel) changes in indicator status as well as additions and deletions to the 1988 National List were documented in Regional supplements. The National List was originally developed as an appendix to the Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States (Cowardin et al.1979) to aid in the consistent application of this classification system for wetlands in the field.. The 1996 National List also was developed to aid in determining the presence of hydrophytic vegetation in the Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland regulatory program and in the implementation of the swampbuster provisions of the Food Security Act. While not required by law or regulation, the Fish and Wildlife Service is making the 1996 National List available for review and comment.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Nevada Areas of Heavy Use December 14, 2013 Trish Swain
    Nevada Areas of Heavy Use December 14, 2013 Trish Swain, Co-Ordinator TrailSafe Nevada 1285 Baring Blvd. Sparks, NV 89434 [email protected] Nev. Dept. of Cons. & Natural Resources | NV.gov | Governor Brian Sandoval | Nev. Maps NEVADA STATE PARKS http://parks.nv.gov/parks/parks-by-name/ Beaver Dam State Park Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area Cathedral Gorge State Park Cave Lake State Park Dayton State Park Echo Canyon State Park Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site Fort Churchill State Historic Park Kershaw-Ryan State Park Lahontan State Recreation Area Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park Sand Harbor Spooner Backcountry Cave Rock Mormon Station State Historic Park Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park Rye Patch State Recreation Area South Fork State Recreation Area Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Spring Valley State Park Valley of Fire State Park Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park Washoe Lake State Park Wild Horse State Recreation Area A SOURCE OF INFORMATION http://www.nvtrailmaps.com/ Great Basin Institute 16750 Mt. Rose Hwy. Reno, NV 89511 Phone: 775.674.5475 Fax: 775.674.5499 NEVADA TRAILS Top Searched Trails: Jumbo Grade Logandale Trails Hunter Lake Trail Whites Canyon route Prison Hill 1 TOURISM AND TRAVEL GUIDES – ALL ONLINE http://travelnevada.com/travel-guides/ For instance: Rides, Scenic Byways, Indian Territory, skiing, museums, Highway 50, Silver Trails, Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley, Eastern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Southeast95 Adventure, I 80 and I50 NEVADA SCENIC BYWAYS Lake
    [Show full text]
  • Jeremy Langley Chief Operations Officer Wilhite Langley, Inc. 21800 Barton Road, Ste 102 Grand Terrace, Ca 92313
    47 1st Street, Suite 1 Redlands, CA 92373-4601 (909) 915-5900 May 22, 2019 Jeremy Langley Chief Operations Officer Wilhite Langley, Inc. 21800 Barton Road, Ste 102 Grand Terrace, Ca 92313 RE: Biological Resources Assessment, Jurisdictional Waters Delineation Glen Helen/Devore parcel - APN: 0261-161-17, Devore, CA Dear Mr. Langley: Jericho Systems, Inc. (Jericho) is pleased to provide this letter report that details the results of a general Biological Resources Assessment (BRA) that includes habitat suitability assessments for nesting birds, Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) [BUOW] and a Jurisdictional Waters Delineation (JD) for the proposed Glen Helen/Devore parcel (Project) located within Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) #0261-161-17 in the community of Devore, CA (Attachment B: Figures 1 and 2). This report is designed to address potential effects of the proposed Project to designated Critical Habitats and/or any species currently listed or formally proposed for listing as endangered or threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), or species designated as sensitive by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), or the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). Attention was focused on sensitive species known to occur locally. This report also addresses resources protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, federal Clean Water Act (CWA) regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) respectively; and Section 1602 of the California Fish and Game Code (FCG) administered by the CDFW. SITE LOCATION The approximately 1-acre parcel (APN: 0261-161-17) is located north of Kendall Drive just north of the intersection with N.
    [Show full text]
  • VGP) Version 2/5/2009
    Vessel General Permit (VGP) Version 2/5/2009 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) VESSEL GENERAL PERMIT FOR DISCHARGES INCIDENTAL TO THE NORMAL OPERATION OF VESSELS (VGP) AUTHORIZATION TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM In compliance with the provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA), as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), any owner or operator of a vessel being operated in a capacity as a means of transportation who: • Is eligible for permit coverage under Part 1.2; • If required by Part 1.5.1, submits a complete and accurate Notice of Intent (NOI) is authorized to discharge in accordance with the requirements of this permit. General effluent limits for all eligible vessels are given in Part 2. Further vessel class or type specific requirements are given in Part 5 for select vessels and apply in addition to any general effluent limits in Part 2. Specific requirements that apply in individual States and Indian Country Lands are found in Part 6. Definitions of permit-specific terms used in this permit are provided in Appendix A. This permit becomes effective on December 19, 2008 for all jurisdictions except Alaska and Hawaii. This permit and the authorization to discharge expire at midnight, December 19, 2013 i Vessel General Permit (VGP) Version 2/5/2009 Signed and issued this 18th day of December, 2008 William K. Honker, Acting Director Robert W. Varney, Water Quality Protection Division, EPA Region Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1 6 Signed and issued this 18th day of December, 2008 Signed and issued this 18th day of December, Barbara A.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vascular Flora of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, Virginia
    Medical Research Archives The Vascular Flora of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, Virginia The Vascular Flora of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, Virginia Richard Stalter* and Eric E. Lamont ** Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439 New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458 *Corresponding Author Dr. Richard Stalter ( [email protected] ) Copyright 2015 KEI Journals. All rights reserved. Medical Research Archives The Vascular Flora of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, Virginia ABSTRACT The vascular flora of Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, Virginia consists of 602 species within 343 genera and 123 families. Of these 519 are native (86%) while 83 are not native to the region. Thirty two species are listed as rare or endangered in Virginia including two small populations of Bartonia verna at False Cape State Park found nowhere else in the state. Several species with southern affinities reach their northern range limit on the Back Bay region, whereas only two northern taxa, Hudsonia tomentosa and Myrica pensylvania are near their southern limit. Non-native varieties of Phragmites australis are a major component of the natural vegetation and pose a threat to native taxa. Each taxonomic entry in the checklist is accompanied by an annotation which includes the locality and habitat in which each taxon occurs, frequence of occurrence, range extensions, rarity status, and pertinent synonyms. Key words : flora, distribution, biodiversity, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, False Cape State Park, Virginia. Copyright 2015 KEI Journals.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting the Places We Love: How the Land And
    Protecting the Places We Love How the Land and Water Conservation Fund Supports Outdoor Recreation in Nevada Protecting the Places We Love How the Land and Water Conservation Fund Supports Outdoor Recreation in Nevada Written by: James Horrox, Frontier Group Levi Kamolnick, Environment Nevada Research & Policy Center January 2020 Acknowledgments The authors thank Mauricia Baca, Executive Director, Get Outdoors Nevada, and Andy Maggi, Executive Director, Nevada Conservation League Education Fund, for their review of drafts of this document, as well as their insights and suggestions. The authors also thank Amy Lindholm, Robert Mergell, Janice Keillor, Shevawn Von Tobel, Kurt Kuznicki, Caleb Abbott, Colleen Wallace-Barnum, Sophia Kirschenman, Rich Mueller, Sally Grate and Olivia Holmes for the invaluable assistance they have provided. Thanks also to Tony Dutzik, Susan Rakov, Gideon Weissman, Elizabeth Ridlington and Adrian Pforzheimer of Frontier Group for editorial support. The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of Environment Nevada Research and Policy Center. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review. 2020 Environment Nevada Research and Policy Center. Some Rights Reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 U.S. License. To view the terms of this license, visit creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us. Environment Nevada Research & Policy Center is a project of Environment America Research & Policy Center, a 501(c)(3) organization. We are dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces.
    [Show full text]
  • DED Meadowfarmsada Signed (2).Pdf
    Meadow Farms ADA Project Inyo County, California DISTRICT 9 – INY – 395 (PM 117.3-117.9) 09-36680/0916000021 Initial Study with Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration / Environmental Assessment Prepared by the State of California, Department of Transportation The environmental review, consultation, and any other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by Caltrans pursuant to 23 USC 327 and the Memorandum of Understanding dated December 23, 2016, and executed by FHWA and Caltrans. April 2020 General Information about This Document What’s in this document: The California Department of Transportation (Department), as assigned by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has prepared this Initial Study/Environmental Assessment (IS/EA), which examines the potential environmental impacts of the alternatives being considered for the proposed project located in Inyo County, California. The Department is the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Department is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The document tells you why the project is being proposed, what alternatives we have considered for the project, how the existing environment could be affected by the project, the potential impacts of each of the alternatives, and the proposed avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation measures. What you should do: • Please read this document. • Additional copies of this document and the related technical studies are available for review at the Caltrans District 9 office located at 500 S. Main Street, Bishop, CA 93514. This document may be downloaded at the following website: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-9 • We’d like to hear what you think.
    [Show full text]
  • Ventura County Plant Species of Local Concern
    Checklist of Ventura County Rare Plants (Twenty-second Edition) CNPS, Rare Plant Program David L. Magney Checklist of Ventura County Rare Plants1 By David L. Magney California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program, Locally Rare Project Updated 4 January 2017 Ventura County is located in southern California, USA, along the east edge of the Pacific Ocean. The coastal portion occurs along the south and southwestern quarter of the County. Ventura County is bounded by Santa Barbara County on the west, Kern County on the north, Los Angeles County on the east, and the Pacific Ocean generally on the south (Figure 1, General Location Map of Ventura County). Ventura County extends north to 34.9014ºN latitude at the northwest corner of the County. The County extends westward at Rincon Creek to 119.47991ºW longitude, and eastward to 118.63233ºW longitude at the west end of the San Fernando Valley just north of Chatsworth Reservoir. The mainland portion of the County reaches southward to 34.04567ºN latitude between Solromar and Sequit Point west of Malibu. When including Anacapa and San Nicolas Islands, the southernmost extent of the County occurs at 33.21ºN latitude and the westernmost extent at 119.58ºW longitude, on the south side and west sides of San Nicolas Island, respectively. Ventura County occupies 480,996 hectares [ha] (1,188,562 acres [ac]) or 4,810 square kilometers [sq. km] (1,857 sq. miles [mi]), which includes Anacapa and San Nicolas Islands. The mainland portion of the county is 474,852 ha (1,173,380 ac), or 4,748 sq.
    [Show full text]
  • RV Sites in the United States Location Map 110-Mile Park Map 35 Mile
    RV sites in the United States This GPS POI file is available here: https://poidirectory.com/poifiles/united_states/accommodation/RV_MH-US.html Location Map 110-Mile Park Map 35 Mile Camp Map 370 Lakeside Park Map 5 Star RV Map 566 Piney Creek Horse Camp Map 7 Oaks RV Park Map 8th and Bridge RV Map A AAA RV Map A and A Mesa Verde RV Map A H Hogue Map A H Stephens Historic Park Map A J Jolly County Park Map A Mountain Top RV Map A-Bar-A RV/CG Map A. W. Jack Morgan County Par Map A.W. Marion State Park Map Abbeville RV Park Map Abbott Map Abbott Creek (Abbott Butte) Map Abilene State Park Map Abita Springs RV Resort (Oce Map Abram Rutt City Park Map Acadia National Parks Map Acadiana Park Map Ace RV Park Map Ackerman Map Ackley Creek Co Park Map Ackley Lake State Park Map Acorn East Map Acorn Valley Map Acorn West Map Ada Lake Map Adam County Fairgrounds Map Adams City CG Map Adams County Regional Park Map Adams Fork Map Page 1 Location Map Adams Grove Map Adelaide Map Adirondack Gateway Campgroun Map Admiralty RV and Resort Map Adolph Thomae Jr. County Par Map Adrian City CG Map Aerie Crag Map Aeroplane Mesa Map Afton Canyon Map Afton Landing Map Agate Beach Map Agnew Meadows Map Agricenter RV Park Map Agua Caliente County Park Map Agua Piedra Map Aguirre Spring Map Ahart Map Ahtanum State Forest Map Aiken State Park Map Aikens Creek West Map Ainsworth State Park Map Airplane Flat Map Airport Flat Map Airport Lake Park Map Airport Park Map Aitkin Co Campground Map Ajax Country Livin' I-49 RV Map Ajo Arena Map Ajo Community Golf Course Map
    [Show full text]
  • Ridgecrest BUREAU of LAND MANAGEMENT
    BLM SPECIAL EDITION 1998 EXAMPLES OF AGENCY SIGNS SURFACE MANAGEMENT STATUS DESERT ACCESS GUIDE Ridgecrest BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT USDA FOREST SERVICE l:100,0()0-Scale topographic map showing: Highways, roads and other manmade structures Water features • Contours and elevations in meters Recreation sites • Coverage of former desert access guide #4 Ridgecrest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS Edited and published by the Bureau of Land Management National Applied Resource Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management California State Office. Planimetry partially revised by BLM from various source material. Revised information not field . he. i-rd Base map prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. Compiled from USGS 1:24,000 and l:62,5O0-scale topographic maps dated 1949-1973, and from advance materials. Partially revised from aerial photographs taken 1973-1989 and other source data. Revised information not CALIFORNIA STATE field checked. Map edited 1993. VEHICULAR RECREATION AREA Help protect your public lands by observing posted Projection and 10,000-meter grid, zone 11: Universal OHV designations. Watch for OHV signs and read hari'.verse Mercator. 25,000-foot grid licks based on them carefully. California coordinate system, zone 4 and 5. 1927 North American Datum. For more information contact the HIM, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, California State Park, or California State Motorized Vechicle Recreation Area Land lines are omitted in areas of extensive tract surveys. Office (see back panel for address and phone There may be private inholdings within the boundaries of numbers).
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents Page
    BIOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY FOR WOODVILLE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT’S WATER WELL REPLACEMENT PROJECT ( NEAR WOODVILLE, TULARE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ) Prepared for Woodville Public Utility District P.O. Box 4567 16716 Avenue 168 Woodville, CA 93258 (559) 686-9649 September 2019 Prepared by HALSTEAD & ASSOCIATES Environmental / Biological Consultants 296 Burgan Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611 Office (559) 298-2334; Mobile (559) 970-2875 Fax (559) 322-0769; [email protected] Table of Contents Page 1. Summary ..............................................................................................................................1 2. Background ..........................................................................................................................2 3. Project Location ...................................................................................................................2 4. Project Description...............................................................................................................2 5. Project Site Description .......................................................................................................2 6. Regulatory Overview ...........................................................................................................3 7. Survey Methods ...................................................................................................................7 8. Wildlife Resources in the Project Area ................................................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Naomi S. Fraga Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
    The California Deserts: Plant Life at the Extremes Naomi S. Fraga Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Red Pass, Death Valley NP Eastern Kern County, California Western Mojave Desert 29 million acres (45,000 sq mi), or 28% of California's landmass. GIS layer source: Omernick ecoregions level 3 Great Basin Mojave Sonoran A Conspiracy of Extremes Bruce Pavlick- 2008 The California Deserts - Topography: 14,246 to -279 ft. - Geology: Limestone, granite, sand dunes - Temperature: below freezing to 134°F (1913) - Changing history over the past 12,000 years - Transition to modern desert complete by 8,500 to 5,000 years ago Krascheninnikovia lanata (winterfat) “Water, water, water....There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount, a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.” ― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness Dutch Cleanser Mine, Red Rock Canyon SP Desert Flora - 2377 taxa native to desert (37% of the CA flora) - 785 taxa that do not occur elsewhere in CA (33%) - 232 naturalized taxa (9%) when compared CA (17%) Sources Desert Jepson Manual (2002) Jepson e-flora (2017) Pavlick (2008) Hesperocallis undulata (desert lily) Topographic diversity= species diversity Great Basin 1363 Taxa Mojave 1409 Taxa Sonoran 709 Taxa Remarkable Flora Dr. Frank Vasek’s students circling King Clone on April 1, 1979.
    [Show full text]