County of Merced Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program
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COUNTY OF MERCED STREAMS GROUP FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Prepared for: Merced County Department of Public Works 715 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Merced, CA 95341 Prepared by: GPA Consulting 2600 Capitol Ave. Sacramento, CA 95816 Draft: May 2019 Final: July 2019 This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 1. Legal Authority and Findings ........................................................................................... 1 2. Document Purpose ......................................................................................................... 1 3. Document Organization .................................................................................................. 2 4. Terminology .................................................................................................................... 2 ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST .................................................................................................3 1. Project Title ..................................................................................................................... 3 2. Lead Agency Name and Address ..................................................................................... 3 3. Contact Person and Phone Number ............................................................................... 3 4. Project Location .............................................................................................................. 3 5. Project Proponent’s Name and Address ......................................................................... 3 6. General Plan Designation ................................................................................................ 3 7. Zoning .............................................................................................................................. 3 8. Project Description .......................................................................................................... 3 9. Surrounding Land Uses and Setting .............................................................................. 10 10. Other Public Agencies whose Approval is Required ..................................................... 10 11. Public Resources Code section 21080.3.1 ..................................................................... 10 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED ............................................................ 21 DETERMINATION ................................................................................................................. 22 EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........................................................................ 23 1. Aesthetics ...................................................................................................................... 24 2. Agriculture and Forestry Resources .............................................................................. 27 3. Air Quality ..................................................................................................................... 30 4. Biological Resources ...................................................................................................... 35 5. Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................ 60 6. Energy............................................................................................................................ 76 County of Merced Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program Merced County Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration July 2019 Page i 7. Geology and Soils .......................................................................................................... 77 8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ........................................................................................... 83 9. Hazards and Hazardous Materials ................................................................................ 85 10. Hydrology and Water Quality ....................................................................................... 89 11. Land Use and Planning .................................................................................................. 95 12. Mineral Resources ......................................................................................................... 97 13. Noise ............................................................................................................................. 98 14. Population and Housing .............................................................................................. 101 15. Public Services ............................................................................................................. 102 16. Recreation ................................................................................................................... 104 17. Transportation ............................................................................................................ 105 18. Tribal Cultural Resources ............................................................................................ 107 19. Utilities and Service Systems....................................................................................... 111 20. Wildfire ........................................................................................................................ 113 21. Mandatory Findings of Significance ............................................................................ 115 RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON DRAFT IS/MND ................................................................... 117 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 124 Appendix A: United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and California Natural Diversity Database Lists .......................................................................... 129 Appendix B: Special-Status Communities and Species with Potential to be in Project Activity Areas ................................................................................................................................. 131 Appendix C: AB 52 Documentation ..................................................................................... 133 Appendix D: CEQAnet Database Query ............................................................................... 135 Appendix E: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ................................................ 137 County of Merced Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program Merced County Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration July 2019 Page ii TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: REGIONAL LOCATION MAP ................................................................................... 11 FIGURE 2. STREAMS LOCATION MAP .................................................................................... 13 FIGURE 3. STREAMS CROSS-SECTIONS .................................................................................. 15 FIGURE 4. CULTURAL SENSITIVITY MAP................................................................................. 65 TABLE OF TABLES TABLE 1. STREAMS GROUP VARIOUS STREAM SECTIONS .........................................................7 TABLE 2. SPECIAL-STATUS PLANTS WITH POTENTIAL TO BE IN THE STUDY AREA .................... 42 TABLE 3. SPECIAL-STATUS WILDLIFE WITH POTENTIAL TO BE IN THE STUDY AREA .................. 44 TABLE 4. CULTURAL RESOURCE SENSITIVITY CATEGORIES ..................................................... 63 TABLE 5. EQUIPMENT NOISE................................................................................................. 99 County of Merced Streams Group Flood Control Channel Maintenance Program Merced County Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration July 2019 Page iii ACCRONYMS AND ABBREVIATOINS AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AB Assembly Bill ACM Asbestos Containing Materials APE area of potential effect ASTM American Society for Testing Materials BIOS Biogeographic Information and Observation System BMP's Best Management Practices CA-99 California State Route 99 CAAQS California Ambient Air Quality Standards Caltrans California Department of Transportation CARB California Air Resource Control Board CBC California Building Standards Code CCR California Code of Regulations CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CESA California Endangered Species Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations cfs cubic feet per second CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database CO Carbon monoxide CPUC California Public Utilities Commission CVFPB Central Valley Flood Protection Board CWA Clean Water Act CWHR California Wildlife Habitat Relationships dBA A-weighted decibels dbh diameter at breast height DTSC Department of Toxic Substance Control EIR Environmental Impact Report EPA Environmental Protection Agency ESA Environmentally Sensitive Area FCAA Federal Clean Air Act FESA Federal Endangered Species Act FFRMS Federal Flood Risk Management Standard FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMMP Farmland Mapping and monitoring Program GHG Greenhouse Gases H2S Hydrogen Sulfide HWCL Hazardous Waste Control Law I-5 Interstate 5 County of Merced Streams Group Flood Control Channel