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I I III-9 I TABLE 5 Preliminary List I Endangered and Threatened Species I With Possibility of Occurrence in I.B. 635 Study Area I GROUP COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME CLASSIFICATION BIRDS Bald Eagle Haliaeetus 1eucocepha1 us El Interior Least Tern Sterna antillarum athalassos El I Whooping Crane Grus americana E2 White-Faced Ibis Plegadis chihi Tl Arctic Peregrine Falcon Falco pe regrinus tundrius Tl 1 Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Tl Glack-Capped Vireo Vireo atricapillus Tl Wood Stork Mycteria americana Tl American Swallow-Tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus Tl I Golden-Cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia T3 I REPTILES Texas Horned Lizard Phrynosoma co rnutum Tl Brazos Water Snake Nerodia harteri harteri T2 I Timber Rattlesnake Crotalus horridus T2 I Classification Code E - Endangered 1 — Confi rned I T - Threatened 2 - Probable I 3 - Possible I Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 1987 I I I *12r I I I III-10 I According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Dallas County is within "the migration route/corridor for seven federally threatened or endangered birds" as given in Table 6. However, the FVS stated that the I proposed activity would have no impacts to these species. I TABLE 6 Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Vhose I Migratory Corridor Includes Dallas County, Texas COMMON SCIENTIFIC STATUS I NAME NAME American peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus anaturn Endangered I Arctic peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus tundrius Threatened Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Endangered I Black-capped vireo Vireo leucocephalus Endangered Interior least tern Sterna antillarum Endangered I Piping plover Charadrius melodus Threatened I Whooping crane Grus americana Endangered I Source: United States Fish and Wildlife Service I J. FLORA/FAUNA Any flora and fauna populations existing in the area shall encounter only short term impacts due to reconstruction of the interchange. These populations I which still exist within the study area have adapted to the urban environment; therefore, no long term effects on local flora and fauna communities are I expected. R. PRIME/UNIQUE FARMLAND I Based on field investigation, there is no farmland adjacent to the I interchange within the limits of the proposed improvements. I I I I III-ll I L. REQUIREMENT FOR SECTION 4(f) STATEMENT The proposed project will not require the use of any publicly owned land from a public park, recreational area, wildlife and waterfowl refuge lands or I historic sites of national, state or local significance as determined by the federal, state or local officials having jurisdiction there of. Consequently, I the preparation of a 4(f) statement will not be required. M. HISTORICAL/ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES I There is one recorded archaeological site and no known historic structures recorded within the project vicinity, according to the Texas Antiquities Committee. The archaeological site identified is located in White Rock Creek, I north of I.H. 635 and east of Hillcrest Road. No disturbance of this site will occur due to the proposed improvements. Areas where there is a potential for architectural and archaeological sites were identified as those zones associated with points at which the project intersects or closely parallels I creeks or rivers. White Rock Creek, Cottonwood Branch and Floyd Branch are all highly sensitive areas that could contain prehistoric Indian or historic archaeological deposits and may contain historic structures along their banks I and terraces. The St. Paul A.M.E. Church is situated approximately 300 feet from the proposed southbound frontage road of U.S. 75. This site has been identified by I the City of Dallas Historic Preservation office as a site eligible for City of Dallas Landmark status. The site is sufficiently removed from the project limits such that no impact to the church is expected from the proposed action. I Coordination with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) shall precede any construction activities and any additional archaeological or historic evidence discovered in the course of construction shall be protected I and/or salvaged pursuant to any necessary memoranda of agreement reached by the SHPO and TxDOT. I N. FLOOD PLAINS In accordance with the directives of (Executive Order 11988) Flood Plain I Management, an investigation into the extent of the 100-year flood plain within the U.S. 75/1.H. 635 interchange improvement area was conducted. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) were utilized to delineate the boundary of the 100-year flood plain (Flood Hazard Zone A) in the study corridor. As depicted I in Exhibit 10, several areas of the proposed actions encroach upon and/or traverse 100-year flood plains. Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling will be performed during design to insure the 100-year flood plain will be maintained. I The hydraulic design for this project will be in accordance with current TxDOT and Federal Highway Administration design policies and procedures. The highway facility will permit the conveyance of the 100 year flood, inundation of the roadway being acceptable, without causing significant damage to the highway, I stream, or other property. The proposed project will not increase the base floodplain elevation to a level which would violate applicable floodplain I regulations or ordinances. I Dallas County is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program. I I I I I I I I I I B I I I I I ;•, rsiF'iJ*'* SrrVWt' ^r'• '—'=; rrJ;,^ ;'re5: :r£vUrf I FLOODPLAINS I I 111-12 I I 0. WETLANDS In compliance with Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, an I investigation into the extent of wetlands in the proposed interchange area was undertaken. Wetlands are defined as areas which are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically I adapted for life in saturated soil conditions (Federal Register, 1986). The Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands I indicates that wetlands possess three essential characteristics: hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology. Hydrophytic vegetation is defined as macrophytic plant life growing in water, soils, or on a substrate that is at least periodically deficient in oxygen as a result of excessive I water content. Hydric soils are defined as soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part (Soil Conservation Service, 1987). An area has wetland hydrology when saturated to the surface or inundated at some point in time I during an average rainfall year. The technical criteria are mandatory and must be satisfied in making a wetland determination (Federal Wetland Delineation I Manual, 1989). Off-site determination for wetlands in the project area were made using the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory maps, Army Corps of Engineers (USAE) delineations or Jurisdictional waters of the United States and the Soil I Conservation Service (SCS) maps delineating locations of hydric soils. On-site determinations were conducted adjacent to Floyd Branch, Cottonwood Creek and I White Rock Creek. Floyd Creek I North of I.H. 635 and adjacent to Floyd Branch, the soil type was identified as Austin series as mapped by SCS. This series is not listed as a hydric soil by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS). The I dominate vegetation was identified as the following: I Scientific Name Common Name Indicator Status Ambrosia trifida Great Ragweed FAC Vernonia baldwinii Baldwin's Ironweed NI Zanthoxylum clava-herculis Hercules club FAC Celtis laevigata Sugarberry FAC Sorghum halepense Johnson grass FACU Ulmus americana American elm FAC Toxicodendron querifolia Poison oak FACU Ulmus alata Winged elm FACU I Cratuegus mollis Downy Hawthorn FAC I I 111-13 The indicator status of these species show that the dominate vegetation is mostly facultative (FAC) to facultative upland (FACU) with one being an non Indicator (NI) species. FAC species can be found in wetlands 50% of time, while FACU species are found in wetlands 33% of the time. NI species are plants where botanists are not in agreement on its indicator status for wetland determination. The topography of the area north of I.H. 635 is gently sloping until a sharp drop-off of 10 to 30 feet to the waters of Floyd Branch. Little to no banks are evident in this area. Without hydric soils or wetland hydrology the adjacent areas are not jurisdictional wetlands, only the creek channel up to "ordinary high water mark" would be considered jurisdictional for 404 fill permit under the Clean Water Act. South of I.H. 635, Floyd Branch is still confined in steep channel. A pit was dug for soil evaluation but only fill material was found. The dominant vegetation was S. halepense (Johnson grass) FACU and Celtis laevigata (Sugarberry) FAC. Immediately adjacent to the water, Salix nigra (black willow) FACW, Populus deltoides (Eastern Cottonwood) FAC and Fraxinus americana (White ash) were present. F. americana is not listed as a wetland species for Texas and is a obligate upland species. The topography south of I.H. 635 is gentle to steep slopes. Both east and west of Floyd Branch are drainage ditches that are parallel to I.H. 635 and discharge to Floyd Branch. No signs of wetland hydrology such as water stained leaves, water-borne sediment deposits, or morphological plant adaptations were noted outside of these drainage ditches. Without hydric soils or wetland hydrology, the areas that are adjacent to Floyd Branch and south of I.H. 635 are not jurisdictional wetlands. Only the creek channel up to "ordinary high water mark" would be considered jurisdictional for 404 fill permit under the Clean Water Act. Cottonwood Creek Cottonwood Creek near U.S. 75 and I.H. 635 interchange has been channelized with large adjacent areas that have been filled.