Spirit Lake Tunnel Intake Gate Replacement and Geotechnical Drilling Project Environmental Assessment Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount St
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United States Department of Agriculture Spirit Lake Tunnel Intake Gate Replacement and Geotechnical Drilling Project Environmental Assessment Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Skamania County, Washington Forest Service April 2020 For More Information Contact: Chris Strebig Spirit Lake Project Manager (360) 891-5052 [email protected] Cover photos: Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens (top), Spirit Lake tunnel intake gate (bottom left), engineer reading piezometer in previously drilled bore hole (bottom center), log debris mat floating on Spirit Lake near the tunnel intake gate (bottom right). 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Spirit Lake Tunnel Intake Gate Replacement and Geotechnical Drilling Project Environmental Assessment Contents Section 1: Introduction and Need for Action ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Need for Action .................................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Protecting Downstream Communities ................................................................................................ 6 1.5 Analysis Framework ........................................................................................................................... 7 Public Law 97-243 ................................................................................................................................ 7 Forest Plan and Comprehensive Management Plan .............................................................................. 8 Forest Service Manual 2880 ................................................................................................................. 8 1.6 Resources and Issues Dismissed from Detailed Analysis .................................................................. 8 General Wildlife .................................................................................................................................... 9 General Botany ..................................................................................................................................... 9 General Aquatic Species ....................................................................................................................... 9 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Floodplains, Executive Order 11988 of May 24, 1977 ......................................................................... 9 Essential Fish Habitat ........................................................................................................................... 9 Wild and Scenic Rivers ......................................................................................................................... 9 Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas .............................................................................................. 9 Inventoried Roadless Area .................................................................................................................... 9 Parklands and Prime Farmlands .......................................................................................................... 10 Social and Economic Resources ......................................................................................................... 10 1.7 Key Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Section 2: Proposed Action and Alternatives ............................................................................................. 11 2.1 Alternative A: No Action ................................................................................................................. 11 2.2 Activities Common to Action Alternatives B and C ........................................................................ 12 Replacement of the Intake Gate Structure of the Spirit Lake Tunnel ................................................. 12 Reconstruct Existing National Forest System Road 99 and Construct Temporary Roads, Staging Areas, and Barge Loading Facility ..................................................................................................... 14 Geotechnical Investigation and Core Sampling .................................................................................. 15 Public Access ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Stabilization and Rehabilitation .......................................................................................................... 16 Forest Plan Amendment ...................................................................................................................... 16 Project Design Criteria ........................................................................................................................ 17 2.3 Alternative B: Windy Ridge to Pump Station (Proposed Action) .................................................... 21 2.4 Alternative C: Windy Ridge to Duck Bay (Intake Gate) and Helicopter Use (Geotechnical Drilling) ................................................................................................................................................................ 23 2.5 Alternatives Considered but Dismissed from Detailed Analysis ...................................................... 25 Gathering of Information and Coordination ....................................................................................... 25 Evaluation Criteria .............................................................................................................................. 25 Drilling Component Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 26 Intake Gate Replacement Component Alternatives ............................................................................ 26 Section 3: Analysis Measures and Environmental Effects ......................................................................... 27 3.1 Research............................................................................................................................................ 27 Analysis Measures .............................................................................................................................. 27 Environmental Effects......................................................................................................................... 28 3.2 Visual Resources .............................................................................................................................. 31 Analysis Measures .............................................................................................................................. 31 Gifford Pinchot National Forest i Spirit Lake Tunnel Intake Gate Replacement and Geotechnical Drilling Project Environmental Assessment Environmental Effects......................................................................................................................... 33 3.3 Recreation ........................................................................................................................................