Renewal of Authorization for Department of Water Resources to Store Excess Soil on Reclamation Property
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Final Environmental Assessment Renewal of Authorization for Department of Water Resources to Store Excess Soil on Reclamation Property EA-11-007 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Mid Pacific Region South-Central California Area Office Fresno, California May 2014 Mission Statements The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. 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. EA-11-007 Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction ................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ................................................................................. 3 1.3 Scope ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Resources Requiring Further Analysis ................................................. 4 Section 2 Alternatives Considered ............................................................... 5 2.1 No Action Alternative ........................................................................... 5 2.2 Proposed Action .................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 Permitting ...................................................................................... 7 2.2.2 Environmental Commitments ....................................................... 7 Section 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ....... 9 3.1 Water Resources ................................................................................... 9 3.1.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 9 3.1.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 9 3.2 Land Use ............................................................................................. 10 3.2.1 Affected Environment ................................................................. 10 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences ..................................................... 10 3.3 Biological Resources .......................................................................... 10 3.3.1 Affected Environment ................................................................. 10 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ..................................................... 14 3.4 Cultural Resources .............................................................................. 15 3.4.1 Affected Environment ................................................................. 15 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences ..................................................... 16 3.5 Air Quality .......................................................................................... 16 3.5.1 Affected Environment ................................................................. 17 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ..................................................... 17 3.6 Global Climate .................................................................................... 18 3.6.1 Affected Environment ................................................................. 19 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ..................................................... 19 3.7 Resources Eliminated from Further Analysis ..................................... 20 Section 4 Consultation and Coordination ................................................. 21 4.1 Public Review Period .......................................................................... 21 4.2 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. § 661 et seq.) ........... 21 4.3 Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) ........................... 21 4.4 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703 et seq.) ......................... 21 4.5 Executive Order 11988 – Floodplain Management ............................ 22 4.6 Executive Order 11990 – Protection of Wetlands .............................. 22 Section 5 Preparers and Reviewers ........................................................... 22 Section 6 Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................... 23 Section 7 References .................................................................................... 24 iii EA-11-007 List of Tables and Figures Figure 1-1 Project Location ............................................................................................................ 2 Figure 1-2 Project Location and Surrounding Waterways ............................................................. 3 Figure 2-1 Previous Site Improvements ......................................................................................... 6 Table 2-1 Environmental Protection Measures and Commitments ................................................ 7 Table 3-1 Special-Status Species List ........................................................................................... 11 Table 3-2 Bay Area Air Quality Management District Attainment Status ................................... 17 Appendices Appendix A Cultural Resources Determination Appendix B Indian Trust Assets Determination Appendix C US Fish and Wildlife Letter Appendix D San Joaquin Kit Fox Avoidance Measures iv EA-11-007 Section 1 Introduction The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) provided the public with an opportunity to comment on the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) between May 6, 2013 and June 5, 2013. No comments were received during the comment period. Changes from the draft EA that are not minor editorial changes are indicated by vertical lines in the left margin of this document. 1.1 Background Over time, silt and debris settles at various locations along the rivers and canals in the area of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta). When this material buildup becomes excessive, it can affect flood control efforts, levee stability, Delta channel navigation function, recreational opportunities and water quality/quantity for downstream users. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) addresses these problems by removing sediment and soil on an as-needed basis. After removal from the waterway, soils are stored and dried until a beneficial reuse is found. In the past, Reclamation has allowed DWR to store this excess soil from dredging or excavation on Reclamation property. Due to restrictions by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, DWR can only place spoils from dredging in locations that have been approved by the Regional Board through their General Order Waste Discharge Requirements (DWR and Reclamation 2005). In August 2000, DWR obtained General Order No. 5-00-183 under California Water Code Section 13263. This allowed DWR to place dredged material on Reclamation’s land at the west end of Fabian Tract, a 34.4 acre parcel of land located in San Joaquin County, California, at the intersection of the Delta Mendota Canal and Grant Line Canal southeast of the Clifton Court Forebay (see Figures 1-1 and 1-2). The Fabian Tract property is also known as Parcel APN 189-050-18, or Settlement Pond #1. Following issuance of the General Order in 2000, settling ponds were constructed at the Fabian Tract site to receive the dredged material. From August to November 2000, approximately 70,000 cubic yards (cy) of material were removed from around Hammer Island and the Rivers End Marina/Livermore Yacht club, and delivered to the ponds for management. DWR had two additional projects, in 2004 and 2005, which were much smaller in size and consisted of localized dredging of sediment that had blocked farmers’ irrigation siphons. The 2004 project involved removal of approximately 31,000 cy from the west end of Union Island in Old River, northeast of Coney Island. The 2005 project involved removal of approximately 7,000 cy to the south of the 2004 area on Old River, south and southeast of Coney Island. Since the dredging method used in the later projects did not produce free liquids, the majority of the berms put in place in 2000 were removed. DWR would like to be prepared for anticipated future soil storage and disposal needs. These future needs could involve anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of cy. In order to be prepared for these anticipated future needs, DWR is requesting renewal of the existing land use authorization with Reclamation to allow storage of excess soil on Parcel No. 189-050-18. 1 EA-11-007 Figure 1-1 Project Location 2 EA-11-007 Figure 1-2 Project Location and Surrounding Waterways 1.2 Purpose and Need When DWR has projects in the South Delta area, they sometimes need a location to store excess soil until it can be beneficially reused. The previous land use authorization issued by Reclamation (Number 00-LC-20-7443) for this purpose has expired, and DWR would like to renew the authorization for another five years. The purpose of this action is to allow DWR access to Reclamation property for material storage. 1.3 Scope This EA addresses the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of allowing access to Reclamation’s Fabian Tract property (shown in Figures 1-1 and 1-2) for storage of excess soil or sediments from DWR projects. The duration of the