IRVINE RANCH OPEN SPACE 2014 DONATION INTERIM RECREATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN PROJECT DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Appendix E Paleontological Resources TECHNICAL Report Appendix E PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES TECHNICAL REPORT E.1 PALEONTOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND INVENTORY REPORT ORANGE COUNTY PARKS 2014 IRVINE RANCH PALEONTOLOGICALOPEN SPACE EDONATIONVALUATION AND PROJECT INVENTORY REPORT ORANGE COUNTYOrange PARKS County 2014 Parks IRVINE RANCH OPEN SPACE DONATION PROJECT Prepared for: Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. 290 Conejo Ridge Ave. Thousand Oaks, CA 91361 Prepared by: Paleo Solutions, Inc. 911 S. Primrose Ave., Unit N Monrovia, CA 91016 Geraldine Aron, M.S. – Project Manager Courtney Richards, M.S. – Principal Investigator, Report Author Joey Raum, B.S. – Report Author PSI Report: CA18OrangeSTA01R August 1, 2018 Prepared for: Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. 290Conejo Ridge Ave. Thousand Oaks, CA 91361 OFFICES 911 S. Primrose Ave., Unit N, Monrovia, CA 91016 Denver, CO; Redlands, CA; Oceanside, CA; Bend, OR (562) 818-7713Prepared by: Paleo Solutions, Inc. CERTIFICATIONS DBE • SBE • WBE • SDB • WOSB • EDWOSB info@paleos olutions.com • www.paleosolutions.com911 S. Primrose Ave., Unit N Monrovia, CA 91016 Geraldine Aron, M.S. – Project Manager Courtney Richards, M.S. – Principal Investigator, Report Author STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. ORANGE COUNTY PARKS 2014 IRVINE RANCH OPEN SPACE DONATION PROJECT PSI REPORT NO.: CA18ORANGESTA01R This page intentionally left blank. ii STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. ORANGE COUNTY PARKS 2014 IRVINE RANCH OPEN SPACE DONATION PROJECT PSI REPORT NO.: CA18ORANGESTA01R Table of Contents 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 6 2.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Project Description ......................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Project Location .............................................................................................................................................. 8 3.0 DEFINITION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ............ 15 4.0 LAWS, ORDINANCES, REGULATIONS, AND STANDARDS .......................................... 16 4.1 State Regulatory Setting ............................................................................................................................... 16 4.1.1 California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) ................................................................................. 16 4.1.2 State of California Public Resources Code .......................................................................................... 16 4.2 Local Regulatory Setting .............................................................................................................................. 16 4.2.1 Orange County ......................................................................................................................................... 16 5.0 METHODS .............................................................................................................................. 17 5.1 Analysis of Existing Data ............................................................................................................................ 17 5.2 Field Survey .................................................................................................................................................... 17 6.0 ANALYSIS OF EXISTING DATA .......................................................................................... 18 6.1 Literature Search and Geologic Map Review ........................................................................................... 18 6.1.1 Sespe Formation – Late Eocene to Early Miocene ............................................................................ 18 6.1.2 Vaqueros Formation – Oligocene to Early Miocene ......................................................................... 19 6.1.3 Vaqueros-Sespe Formations Undifferentiated – Late Eocene to Early Miocene ......................... 19 6.1.4 Topanga Formation – Middle Miocene ............................................................................................... 19 6.1.5 Puente Formation La Vida Member – Miocene ................................................................................. 20 6.1.6 Very Old Alluvial Fan Deposits – Early to Middle Pleistocene ....................................................... 21 6.1.7 Young Alluvial Fan Deposits – Late Pleistocene to Holocene ........................................................ 21 6.1.8 Landslide Deposits – Late Holocene .................................................................................................... 21 6.1.9 Artificial Fill (Not Mapped) – Recent ................................................................................................... 21 6.2 Paleontological Record Search Results ...................................................................................................... 27 7.0 FIELD SURVEY ..................................................................................................................... 30 8.0 IMPACTS TO PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES .......................................................... 41 9.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................ 42 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 43 APPENDIX A ...................................................................................................................................... 45 Figures Figure 1. Project Location Map. .................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 2a-c. Project Overview Maps ........................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 3a-d. Project Geology Maps. ............................................................................................................................ 23 Figure 4. Overview of region, Topanga Formation overlying Vaqueros-Sespe Formations Undifferentiated. View northeast. ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Figure 5. Holocene-aged young alluvial/colluvial deposits. View south. ............................................................... 31 Figure 6. Holocene-aged young alluvial fan deposits exposed in channel. View southwest. .............................. 31 Figure 7. Exposure of Holocene-aged young alluvial fan deposits along channel wall. Planar and cross bedding. View east. ................................................................................................................................................. 31 Figure 8. Outcrop of Topanga Formation sediments on slope. View west. ......................................................... 31 iii STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. ORANGE COUNTY PARKS 2014 IRVINE RANCH OPEN SPACE DONATION PROJECT PSI REPORT NO.: CA18ORANGESTA01R Figure 9. Overview of canyons and exposures of Topanga Formation along east-facing slopes. View south. .................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 10. Exposure of Topanga Formation overlying Vaqueros-Sespe Formations Undifferentiated. View west. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Figure 11. Outcrop of Topanga Formation sandstone. View west. ........................................................................ 32 Figure 12. Outcrop of Topanga Formation sandstone. View west. ........................................................................ 32 Figure 13. Outcrop of Topanga Formation sandstone. View west. ........................................................................ 32 Figure 14. Outcrop of Topanga Formation sandstone. View west. ........................................................................ 32 Figure 15. Outcrop of Vaqueros-Sespe Formations Undifferentiated sediments eroding out of canyon. View southwest. ................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Figure 16. Thick brush covering hills and drainages. Area is mapped as Vaqueros Formation. View west. .... 34 Figure 17. Outcrop of Topanga Formation. View northwest. ................................................................................. 34 Figure 18. Outcrop of Sespe Formation. View north. .............................................................................................. 34 Figure 19. Outcrop of Sespe Formation. View north. .............................................................................................. 34 Figure 20. Outcrop of Puente Formation La Vida Member. View north.............................................................. 34 Figure 21. Outcrop of Puente Formation