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Public Release Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental

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Public Release Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Public Release Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration Resulting from the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Damage Assessment Photo credit: Lisa Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Photo credit: USFWS National Conservation Training Center (USFWS). Image Library. Prepared for: Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Attorney General, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Prepared by: Abt Associates/Stratus Consulting Inc. PO Box 4059 Boulder, CO 80306-4059 (303) 381-8000 August 2015 SC13483 Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................... xiii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... S-1 Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Overview of the Kalamazoo River NRDA .......................................................... 1-2 1.2 Environmental Laws and Regulations ................................................................. 1-5 1.2.1 NEPA ....................................................................................................... 1-7 1.2.1.1 Additional supporting NEPA documents ................................. 1-8 1.2.1.2 Public participation .................................................................. 1-8 1.2.2 CERCLA .................................................................................................. 1-9 1.2.2.1 Superfund cleanup .................................................................... 1-9 1.2.2.2 NRDA ..................................................................................... 1-13 1.2.2.3 Working with response agencies and potentially responsible parties .................................................................. 1-16 1.2.2.4 Settlements and OU1 RP/EA ................................................. 1-17 1.3 Purpose and Need .............................................................................................. 1-17 1.4 Administrative Record ....................................................................................... 1-18 1.5 Document Organization ..................................................................................... 1-18 Chapter 2 Description of the Proposed Action .................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 General Restoration Strategy and Objectives ...................................................... 2-3 2.3 Project Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................... 2-6 2.4 Restoration Project Monitoring and Performance Criteria .................................. 2-6 2.4.1 Performance criteria ................................................................................. 2-9 2.4.2 Adaptive management ............................................................................. 2-9 2.4.3 Monitoring parameters ........................................................................... 2-11 2.4.4 Reporting requirements .......................................................................... 2-11 2.4.5 Long-term stewardship .......................................................................... 2-12 SC13483 Contents (Public Release Draft, 8/2015) Chapter 3 Development and Analysis of Alternatives ...................................................... 3-1 3.1 Restoration Project Categories ............................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 Aquatic habitat restoration ....................................................................... 3-2 3.1.1.1 Techniques for instream restoration ......................................... 3-3 3.1.1.2 Techniques for stream bank restoration ................................... 3-9 3.1.1.3 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native aquatic species ............................................................. 3-12 3.1.1.4 Techniques for controlling invasive aquatic species .............. 3-13 3.1.2 Riparian and wetland habitat restoration ............................................... 3-14 3.1.2.1 Techniques for riparian and wetland restoration .................... 3-18 3.1.2.2 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native plants ............................................................................ 3-19 3.1.2.3 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native animals ......................................................................... 3-20 3.1.2.4 Techniques for controlling invasive species .......................... 3-20 3.1.3 Barrier removal ...................................................................................... 3-22 3.1.3.1 Techniques for dam removal .................................................. 3-24 3.1.3.1.1 Removal of the Otsego City Dam ........................ 3-26 3.1.3.1.2 Removal of the Otsego Dam ................................ 3-29 3.1.3.2 Techniques for small barrier removal and replacement ......... 3-30 3.1.3.3 Techniques for other fish passage modifications ................... 3-31 3.1.4 Habitat conservation .............................................................................. 3-34 3.1.4.1 Techniques for habitat conservation ...................................... 3-35 3.2 Alternatives Carried Forward for Analysis ........................................................ 3-35 3.2.1 Alternative A: No Action Alternative .................................................... 3-35 3.2.2 Alternative B: Restoration of the Kalamazoo River corridor within the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site .................. 3-36 3.2.3 Alternative C: Restoration within the Kalamazoo River watershed ..................................................................................... 3-37 3.3 Identification of Preferred Alternative ............................................................... 3-37 3.4 Alternatives Not Considered for Detailed Analysis ........................................... 3-38 Chapter 4 Environmental Setting/Affected Environment................................................ 4-1 4.1 Water Resources and Water Quality .................................................................... 4-3 4.1.1 Water resources ........................................................................................ 4-3 4.1.2 Water quality ............................................................................................ 4-6 4.2 Geologic Resources and Sediment Quality .......................................................... 4-8 4.3 Biological Resources ........................................................................................... 4-9 4.3.1 Fish ......................................................................................................... 4-10 4.3.2 Aquatic invertebrates ............................................................................. 4-14 Page iv SC13483 Contents (Public Release Draft, 8/2015) 4.3.3 Wildlife .................................................................................................. 4-17 4.3.3.1 Birds ....................................................................................... 4-17 4.3.3.2 Amphibians and reptiles ......................................................... 4-18 4.3.3.3 Mammals ................................................................................ 4-18 4.3.4 Vegetation .............................................................................................. 4-18 4.3.5 Federally listed species .......................................................................... 4-19 4.4 Air Quality ......................................................................................................... 4-21 4.5 Socioeconomic Resources and Environmental Justice ...................................... 4-22 4.5.1 Socioeconomic resources ....................................................................... 4-22 4.5.2 Environmental justice ............................................................................ 4-22 4.6 Recreation and Land Use ................................................................................... 4-22 4.7 Noise .................................................................................................................. 4-24 4.8 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 4-25 Chapter 5 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Characteristics of Potential Impacts ..................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Water Resources and Water Quality .................................................................... 5-2 5.2.1 Alternative C (Preferred Alternative) ...................................................... 5-2 5.2.1.1 Aquatic habitat restoration ......................................................
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