Draft Stormy and Daniels Lake Elodea Eradication Project: Environmental Assessment Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Agriculture Plant Materials Center 5310 S. Bodenburg Spur Rd. Palmer, AK 99645 1 | Page Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: PROPOSED ACTION DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................................... 4 A. Type of Proposed Action ................................................................................................................................. 4 B. Agency Authority for the Proposed Action ..................................................................................................... 4 C. Estimated Commencement Date .................................................................................................................... 4 Name and Location of the Project ........................................................................................................................ 4 D. Project Size............................................................................................................................................. 4 Figure 1. Map of Stormy and Daniels Lake Area ............................................................................................. 5 Figure 2. Stormy Lake Bathymetry Map .......................................................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Daniels Lake Bathymetric Map ......................................................................................................... 7 E. Summary and Purpose of the Proposed Action .............................................................................................. 8 1. Background ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Figure 4. Example of two specimens, Elodea canadensis (left) and Elodea nuttallii (right), displaying clear morphological differences. Photo by Paul Evald Hansen (Josefsson 2011)............................................ 8 Figure 5. Stormy Lake Survey Map ................................................................................................................ 12 Figure 6. Daniels Lake Survey Map ................................................................................................................ 13 2. Purpose ................................................................................................................................................ 13 3. Proposed Activities .............................................................................................................................. 13 4. Funding ................................................................................................................................................ 18 PART II. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND COMMENTS ................................................................................................ 19 A. Natural Environment .......................................................................................................................................... 19 1. Land Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 19 2. Water Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 19 3. Air .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 4. Vegetation ................................................................................................................................................. 22 5. Fish and Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................ 23 B. Human Environment ........................................................................................................................................... 25 6. Noise/Electrical Effects .............................................................................................................................. 25 7. Land Use .................................................................................................................................................... 26 8. Risk/Health Hazards .................................................................................................................................. 26 9. Community Impact .................................................................................................................................... 27 10. Public Services/Taxes/Utilities................................................................................................................. 28 11. Aesthetics/Recreation ............................................................................................................................. 28 12. Cultural/Historical Resources .................................................................................................................. 29 13. Summary Evaluation of Significance ....................................................................................................... 30 PART III. ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Alternative 1 - No Action ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Alternative 2 – Fluridone and Diquat treatment (Proposed Action) ................................................................... 31 Alternative 3 – Lake Draining .............................................................................................................................. 31 Alternative 4 – Mechanical Removal and Tarping .............................................................................................. 31 REFERENCES CITED ...................................................................................................................................................... 32 APPENDIX 1. ELODEA PHOTOS FROM STORMY AND DANIELS LAKES ......................................................................... 35 APPENDIX 2: DECISION TREE FOR FUNDING TREATMENT OPTIONS ........................................................................... 36 2 | Page Draft APPENDIX 3. FLURIDONE MSDS (MATERIAL DATA SAFETY SHEET) ............................................................................. 37 APPENDIX 4. SONAR ASTM (FLURIDONE) PRODUCT LABEL .......................................................................................... 38 APPENDIX 5. DIQUAT MSDS (MATERIAL DATA SAFETY SHEET) ................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX 6. REWARDTM (DIQUAT) PRODUCT LABEL .................................................................................................. 40 APPENDIX 7. STORMY LAKE WATER QUALITY DATA COLLECTED IN 2006 AND 2007.A ............................................... 41 APPENDIX 8. STORMY LAKE AREA WELLS .................................................................................................................... 42 APPENDIX 9. DANIELS LAKE AREA WELLS .................................................................................................................... 43 APPENDIX 10. APDES PERMIT ...................................................................................................................................... 44 APPENDIX 11. MEMO ON GROUNDWATER RISK FOR THE STORMY LAKE AREA ......................................................... 45 APPENDIX 12. SAFETY AND SECURITY PLANS .............................................................................................................. 48 A. Worker Safety Training ........................................................................................................................ 48 B. Worker Safety Plan .............................................................................................................................. 48 C. Safety Training Plan ............................................................................................................................. 50 D. Site Security Plan ................................................................................................................................. 53 E. Spill or Crisis Contingency Plan ............................................................................................................ 53 3 | Page Draft ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE Environmental Assessment of the proposed fluridone and diquat treatment of Stormy Lake and Daniels Lake for the purpose of eradicating the invasive aquatic elodea population and maintaining ecological integrity of waterways on the Kenai Peninsula. PART I: PROPOSED ACTION DESCRIPTION A. Type of Proposed Action The proposed action is to apply the pesticides fluridone or diquat to eradicate or reduce the biomass of the invasive aquatic plant elodea in both Stormy and Daniels Lakes. Elodea has the potential to spread throughout Kenai Peninsula waterways, affecting ecological and economic values. Eradicating the elodea population will also reduce the threat that the