ELKHORN SLOUGH TIDAL MARSH RESTORATION PROJECT Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for June 2015 California Department of Fish and Wildlife ELKHORN SLOUGH TIDAL MARSH RESTORATION PROJECT Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Prepared for June 2015 California Department of Fish and Wildlife 550 Kearny Street Suite 800 San Francisco, CA 94108 415.896.5900 www.esassoc.com Los Angeles Oakland Orlando Palm Springs Petaluma Portland Sacramento San Diego Santa Cruz Seattle Tampa Woodland Hills 120505 OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY | ESA helps a variety of public and private sector clients plan and prepare for climate change and emerging regulations that limit GHG emissions. ESA is a registered assessor with the California Climate Action Registry, a Climate Leader, and founding reporter for the Climate Registry. ESA is also a corporate member of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3). Internally, ESA has adopted a Sustainability Vision and Policy Statement and a plan to reduce waste and energy within our operations. This document was produced using recycled paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project Page A. Initial Study Checklist 1 Introduction 2 Project Description 2 Proposed Construction 14 Construction Sequencing 17 Material Delivery 18 Construction Schedule 22 Operations and Maintenance 22 Approvals 22 B. Environmental Factors Potentially Affected 25 C. Determination 25 D. Evaluation of Environmental Effects 26 E. Evaluation of Environmental Impacts 34 Aesthetics 34 Agricultural and Forest Resources 36 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases 39 Biological Resources 46 Cultural Resources 73 Geology, Soils, and Seismicity 82 Hazards and Hazardous Materials 90 Hydrology and Water Quality 95 Land Use and Land Use Planning 105 Mineral Resources 110 Noise 111 Population and Housing 115 Public Services 116 Recreation 117 Transportation and Traffic 118 Utilities and Service Systems 127 Mandatory Findings of Significance 129 F. References 131 G. List of Preparers 138 Lead Agency 138 Project Sponsor 138 Initial Study Consultants 138 Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project i ESA / 120505 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration June 2015 Table of Contents Appendices A. Construction Methods and Equipment B. Air Quality Calculations C. Elkhorn Slough Habitat Assessment List of Tables 1. Approximate truck trips for sediment delivery 19 2. Projects Considered in the Cumulative Impact Analysis 31 3. Estimated Daily Construction Air Pollutant Emissions during Phase 1 41 4. Estimated Daily Construction Air Pollutant Emissions during Future Phase 42 5. Acreages of Biotic Habitats on the Project Site 48 6. Wetland Habitat Impact and Restoration Acreages— Phase 1 62 7. Wetland Habitat Impacts and Restoration Acreages— Future Phases 66 8. Typical Noise Levels 112 9. Level of Service Descriptions 120 List of Figures 1. Regional Setting 5 2. Site Map 7 3. Restoration Plan 11 4. Restoration Plan – Long Term Habitats 12 5. Phase 1 Restoration Areas 15 6. Future Phases Restoration Areas 16 7. Cumulative Projects 29 8. Marine Protected Areas in Elkhorn Sough 71 Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project ii ESA / 120505 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration June 2015 ELKHORN SLOUGH TIDAL MARSH RESTORATION PROJECT Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration A. Initial Study Checklist 1. Project Title: Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project 2. Lead Agency Name and Address: California Department of Fish and Wildlife Central Region (4) 1234 East Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 3. Contact Person and Phone Number: Dave Feliz 831-728-2822 x302 4. Project Location: Lower Elkhorn Slough, Seal Bend and Minhoto-Hester Marsh 5. Project Sponsor’s Name and Address: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Department of Fish & Wildlife) 1700 Elkhorn Road Watsonville, CA 95076 6. General Plan Designation(s): Wetlands & Coastal Strand/ Agricultural Preservation/Agricultural Conservation 7. Zoning Designation(s): Resource Conservation (Coastal Zone) 8. Description of Project: (Describe the whole action involved, including but not limited to later phases of the project, and any secondary, support, or off-site features necessary for its implementation. Attach additional sheets if necessary.) See below. 9. Surrounding Land Uses and Setting. (Briefly describe the project’s surroundings.) See below. 10. Other public agencies whose approval is required (e.g., permits, financing approval, or participation agreement. Indicate whether another agency is a responsible or trustee agency.) See below. Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project 1 ESA / 120505 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration June 2015 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration Introduction This Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), as amended (commencing with Section 21000 of California’s Public Resources Code), and State CEQA Guidelines. The Lead Agency for the project, as defined by CEQA, is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), which has primary jurisdiction over the project site in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project would be undertaken on lands owned by CDFW and would be implemented by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF). CDFW has determined that the proposed project is subject to environmental assessment under CEQA. Early identification of potential environmental impacts provides the basis for necessary revision to the project design. The analysis in this document focuses on aspects of the project that could have a significant effect on the environment, and identifies feasible measures to mitigate (i.e., reduce or avoid these impacts. The CEQA Guidelines define “significant effect on the environment” as a “substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project….” (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15382). The document consists of the following major sections: Project Description – provides a brief description of existing site conditions and facilities, the proposed modifications and improvements, and the discretionary approvals required for the project to proceed. Environmental Checklist and Discussion – provides specific environmental topic chapters within which the following are addressed: 1. Environmental setting or conditions that may affect or be affected by the proposed project. 2. Potential environmental effects and level of significance likely to result from the project as proposed. 3. Mitigation measures that can be implemented to eliminate or substantially reduce the identified potentially significant environmental effects. 4. References used in the analyses. Appendices – including information regarding construction methodology and equipment, air pollutant emissions modeling, and the site’s biological resources. Project Description Background The Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project (“project”) would restore 147 acres of vegetated tidal salt marsh, upland ecotone, and native grasslands in Monterey County. The project would restore the marsh to one that is higher in elevation and thus possibly more resilient to climate change than other Elkhorn Slough marshes, reduce tidal scour in the system, and improve scientific understanding of salt marsh restoration techniques for the benefit of future projects in the estuary. Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project 2 ESA / 120505 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration June 2015 Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration The Elkhorn Slough estuary is one of the largest estuaries in California and contains the State’s largest salt marshes south of San Francisco Bay. The slough provides important habitat for an exceptionally broad range of resident and migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife, and plays a crucial role in the local estuarine and nearshore food web. The Elkhorn Slough watershed encompasses 45,000 acres. The Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve is owned and managed by CDFW. Those lands are also designated as the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR) with administrative and research funding provided by NOAA to CDFW through the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. The Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) is a land trust and partner to CDFW. ESF owns nearly 3,300 acres and manages easements on an additional 300 acres of private land in the Elkhorn Slough watershed (Elkhorn Slough Foundation, 2014). A large portion of Elkhorn Slough is designated by CDFW as the Elkhorn Slough Marine Protected Area. The boundary of this designation extends to the mean high tide level. Therefore, some of this project area occurs within the Marine Protected Area. The slough system is currently facing unprecedented rates of tidal wetland loss and degradation. Over the past 150 years, human activities have altered the tidal, freshwater, and sediment processes which are essential to support and sustain Elkhorn Slough’s estuarine habitats. Fifty percent of the tidal salt marsh in Elkhorn Slough has been lost in the past 150 years. This habitat loss is primarily a result of two historic land use changes, 1) construction of a harbor at the mouth of the slough which lead to increased tidal flooding (and subsequent drowning of vegetation) and 2) past diking and draining of the marsh for use as pasture land The act of draining the wetlands led to sediment compaction