Wild Springs Solar Project Draft Environmental Assessment Pennington County, South Dakota DOE/EA-2068 April 2021 Table of Contents Introduction and Background ................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need for WAPA’s Federal Action ...................................................................... 1 Wild Springs Solar’s Purpose and Need .................................................................................. 1 Proposed Action and Alternatives ............................................................................ 2 No Action Alternative .............................................................................................................. 2 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Study .................................................. 2 Proposed Action ....................................................................................................................... 2 Solar Panels and Racking ................................................................................................3 Electrical Collection System ...........................................................................................4 Inverter/Transformer Skids .............................................................................................4 Access Roads ..................................................................................................................5 Fencing & Cameras .........................................................................................................5 Laydown Areas ...............................................................................................................5 Collector Substation ........................................................................................................5 Operation and Maintenance Building .............................................................................6 Weather Stations .............................................................................................................6 Parking ............................................................................................................................6 Stormwater Drainage Basins ...........................................................................................6 Transmission Line ...........................................................................................................6 Construction Activities ...................................................................................................7 Operation .........................................................................................................................8 Decommissioning and Reclamation ................................................................................9 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ..................................... 11 Geology and Soils .................................................................................................................. 11 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................13 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................14 Air Quality and Emissions ..................................................................................................... 14 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................14 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................14 Land Use and Land Cover ..................................................................................................... 15 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................16 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................19 Water Resources .................................................................................................................... 19 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................20 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................21 Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species .......................................................... 21 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................23 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................24 Fish and Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 24 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................30 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................36 Page i Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................. 36 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................39 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................40 Socioeconomic Conditions and Environmental Justice ......................................................... 40 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................41 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................43 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................... 43 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................43 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................44 Roads and Traffic .................................................................................................................. 44 Environmental Impacts: Proposed Action ...................................................................44 Environmental Impacts: No Action Alternative ..........................................................45 Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change ................................................................................ 45 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................... 46 Public Involvement and Coordination .................................................................... 47 Public Involvement ................................................................................................................ 47 Tribal Consultation ................................................................................................................ 48 References ............................................................................................................... 50 Page ii List of Tables Table 1: Estimated Project Facility Acreages within the Project Footprint .................... 3 Table 2 Soil Characteristics within the Project Boundary ........................................... 12 Table 3 Summary of Land Cover in the Project Boundary .......................................... 15 Table 4 Summary of Land Cover Impacts Within the Project Footprint ..................... 17 Table 5 Summary of Wildlife Studies for the Wild Springs Solar Project ................... 24 Table 6 Summary of Grassland Bird Species Observed during Breeding Bird Surveys ....................................................................................................................... 27 Table 7 Previously Recorded Archaeological Sites and Historic Architectural Resources within One-half Mile of the Project Boundary ............................................... 37 Table 8 Existing Socioeconomic Environmental in the Project Vicinity ..................... 40 Table 9 List of Preparers and Technical Support, Management, and Reviewers ......... 47 Table 10 Summary of Public Scoping Comments ......................................................... 47 List of Figures Figure 1 – Project Location Figure 2 – Project Boundary Refinement Figures 3 – Preliminary Project Layout Figure 4a-d – Detailed Preliminary Project Layout Figure 5 – Land Use Figure 6 – Waterbodies, Wetlands, and Floodplains List of Appendices Appendix A – Natural Resource Strategy Appendix B – Vegetation Management Plan Appendix C –Visual Renderings Appendix D – Public Involvement Page iii Acronym List Acronym Definition AC alternating current Basin Electric Basin Electric Power Cooperative BCC Birds of Conservation Concern BMP best management practice CEQ Council on Environmental Quality DC direct current EA Environmental Assessment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency kV kilovolt MW megawatt NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHD National Hydrography Dataset NLCD National Land Cover Database NLEB northern long-eared bat NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service O&M building operations and maintenance building Project Wild Springs Solar Project Project Boundary Approximately 1,499-acre area of privately-owned land for which Wild Springs Solar, LLC has leases and purchase options to allow siting and construction of the Project. Project Footprint Approximate 1,108-acre area