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NORTH HAIWEE DAM NO. 2 PROJECT Biological Resources Assessment June 2017 Prepared by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Watershed Resources Group NORTH HAIWEE DAM NO. 2 PROJECT Biological Resources Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PURPOSE................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 PROJECT OVERVIEW................................................................................................. 4 1.3.1 NORTH HAIWEE DAM NUMBER 2 ......................................................................... 4 1.3.2 LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT REALIGNMENT ............................................................ 7 1.3.3 CACTUS FLATS ROAD REALIGNMENT .................................................................. 7 1.4 BORROW SITES ........................................................................................................ 8 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ............................................................................................ 8 2.1 REGIONAL SETTING .................................................................................................. 8 2.2 LOCAL SETTING ....................................................................................................... 8 2.3 PROJECT SETTING.................................................................................................... 9 2.4 NATURAL COMMUNITIES ......................................................................................... 11 2.5 EXPECTED WILDLIFE............................................................................................... 11 3.0 METHODS .................................................................................................................. 11 3.1 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................. 11 3.2 GENERAL HABITAT ASSESSMENT SURVEYS ............................................................. 12 3.2.1 NEW NORTH HAIWEE DAM (NHD2) PROJECT AREA AND BLM DISTURBED .......... 12 3.2.2 BORROW SITE 15 ............................................................................................ 15 3.2.3 BORROW SITE 24 ............................................................................................ 15 3.3 WETLANDS AND JURISDICTIONAL AREAS ................................................................. 16 3.4 SPECIAL-STATUS NATURAL COMMUNITIES ............................................................... 16 3.5 NATURAL COMMUNITIES ......................................................................................... 17 3.5.1 SPINY MENODORA SCRUB ................................................................................ 17 3.5.2 FOURWING SALTBUSH SCRUB .......................................................................... 17 3.5.3 JOSHUA TREE WOODLAND ............................................................................... 17 3.5.4 ALLSCALE SCRUB ............................................................................................ 17 3.5.5 CREOSOTE BUSH-BURROBUSH SCRUB ............................................................. 18 3.5.6 TAMARISK THICKETS........................................................................................ 18 3.5.7 BLACK WILLOW THICKETS ............................................................................... 18 i NORTH HAIWEE DAM NO. 2 PROJECT Biological Resources Assessment 3.5.8 SHADSCALE SCRUB ......................................................................................... 18 3.5.9 HARDSTEM BULRUSH MARSH ........................................................................... 18 3.6 SPECIAL STATUS PLANTS AND WILDLIFE ................................................................. 19 3.6.1 SPECIAL-STATUS PLANTS ................................................................................ 19 3.6.2 SPECIAL-STATUS WILDLIFE .............................................................................. 31 3.6.3 INSECTS .......................................................................................................... 42 3.6.4 REPTILES ........................................................................................................ 42 3.6.5 BIRDS ............................................................................................................. 43 3.6.6 MAMMALS-BATS.............................................................................................. 52 3.6.7 OTHER MAMMALS ............................................................................................ 56 3.7 FIELD SURVEY METHODS FOR SPECIAL STATUS WILDLIFE ........................................ 58 3.7.1 INSECTS .......................................................................................................... 58 3.7.2 REPTILES ........................................................................................................ 58 3.7.3 BIRDS ............................................................................................................. 62 3.7.4 MAMMALS-BATS.............................................................................................. 64 3.7.5 MAMMALS (EXCLUDING BATS) .......................................................................... 67 3.8 NATIVE RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY WILDLIFE .......................................................... 73 4.0 RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 74 4.1 WETLANDS AND JURISDICTIONAL AREAS ................................................................. 74 4.2 SPECIAL STATUS NATURAL COMMUNITIES ............................................................... 75 4.3 NATURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPECIAL STATUS PLANTS............................................ 76 4.4 SPECIAL STATUS WILDLIFE ..................................................................................... 79 4.4.1 INSECTS .......................................................................................................... 79 4.4.2 REPTILES ........................................................................................................ 79 4.4.3 BIRDS ............................................................................................................. 85 4.4.4 MAMMALS-BATS............................................................................................ 100 4.4.5 OTHER MAMMALS .......................................................................................... 102 4.5 NATIVE RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY WILDLIFE ........................................................ 104 5.0 IMPACT ANALYSIS.................................................................................................... 106 5.1 WETLAND AND JURISDICTIONAL AREAS ................................................................. 106 5.2 NATURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPECIAL STATUS PLANTS.......................................... 107 5.3 SPECIAL STATUS WILDLIFE ................................................................................... 109 ii NORTH HAIWEE DAM NO. 2 PROJECT Biological Resources Assessment 5.3.1 DESERT TORTOISE......................................................................................... 109 5.3.2 BURROWING OWL .......................................................................................... 109 5.3.3 RAPTORS AND BIRDS ..................................................................................... 109 5.3.4 BATS ............................................................................................................ 110 5.3.5 MOHAVE GROUND SQUIRREL.......................................................................... 110 5.3.6 AMERICAN BADGER AND DESERT KIT FOX ....................................................... 111 5.3.7 NATIVE AND RESIDENT MIGRATORY WILDLIFE .................................................. 112 6.0 MITIGATION MEASURES ............................................................................................ 112 7.0 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................. 118 iii NORTH HAIWEE DAM NO. 2 PROJECT Biological Resources Assessment FIGURES Figure 1. Regional map................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Proposed project elements ............................................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Cross-section of existing and new dams ...................................................................... 6 Figure 4. Project area overview, NHD2 project area, four associated borrow sites, 2015. .... 10 Figure 5. Desert tortoise transect survey area including ZOI’s around the NHD2. ................. 61 Figure 6. Historic range of the MGS as established in the West Mojave Plan. ....................... 68 Figure 7. MGS CNDDB Occurrence records - trapping grid - Cactus Flat Road spring 2015. 70 Figure 8. MGS CNDDB Occurrence records - trapping grid/borrow site 9, spring 2015. ....... 71 Figure 9. MGS CNDDB Occurrence Records - Trapping Grid/Borrow Site 24, Spring 2015. 72