FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER LICENSE Demopolis Lock and Dam Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 13102-003 Alabama Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 July 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ viii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................ x EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... xii 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Application .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Action and Need For Power ........................................................ 1 1.2.1 Purpose of Action ............................................................................ 1 1.2.2 Need for Power ................................................................................ 2 1.3 Statutory and Regulatory Requirements ....................................................... 4 1.3.1 Federal Power Act ........................................................................... 4 1.3.2 Clean Water Act .............................................................................. 4 1.3.3 Endangered Species Act .................................................................. 5 1.3.4 Coastal Zone Management Act ..................................................... 10 1.3.5 National Historic Preservation Act ................................................ 10 1.4 Public Review and Comment ...................................................................... 11 1.4.1 Scoping .......................................................................................... 11 1.4.2 Interventions .................................................................................. 12 1.4.3 Comments on the License Applications ........................................ 12 1.4.4 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Terms and Conditions .............. 13 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................... 15 2.1 No-action Alternative .................................................................................. 15 2.2 Applicant’s Proposal ................................................................................... 15 2.2.1 Existing Corps Facilities................................................................ 15 2.2.2 Existing Corps Operations ............................................................. 17 2.2.3 Proposed Project Facilities ............................................................ 18 2.2.4 Project Safety ................................................................................. 19 2.2.5 Proposed Project Operation ........................................................... 20 2.2.6 Proposed Environmental Measures ............................................... 20 2.2.7 Modifications to Applicant’s Proposal – Mandatory Conditions .. 25 2.3 STAFF ALTERNATIVE ............................................................................ 27 2.4 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED STUDY ................................................................................... 30 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 31 3.1 General Description of the River Basin ...................................................... 31 3.2 Scope of Cumulative Effects Analysis ........................................................ 33 i 3.2.1 Geographic Scope .......................................................................... 33 3.2.2 Temporal Scope ............................................................................. 34 3.3 Proposed Action and Action Alternatives ................................................... 34 3.3.1 Geology and Soil Resources .......................................................... 34 3.3.1.1 Affected Environment................................................... 34 3.3.1.2 Environmental Effects .................................................. 36 3.3.2 Aquatic Resources ......................................................................... 53 3.3.2.1 Affected Environment................................................... 53 3.3.2.2 Environmental Effects .................................................. 89 3.3.2.3 Cumulative Effects ..................................................... 142 3.3.3 Terrestrial Resources ................................................................... 144 3.3.3.1 Affected Environment................................................. 144 3.3.3.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 158 3.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Species ........................................... 180 3.3.4.1 Affected Environment................................................. 180 3.3.4.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 191 3.3.5 Recreation and Land Use Resources ........................................... 212 3.3.5.1 Affected Environment................................................. 212 3.3.5.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 216 3.3.6 Aesthetic Resources ..................................................................... 220 3.3.6.1 Affected Environment................................................. 220 3.3.6.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 220 3.3.7 Cultural Resources ....................................................................... 222 3.3.7.1 Affected Environment................................................. 222 3.3.7.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 228 3.4 No-action Alternative ................................................................................ 229 4.0 DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 230 4.1 Power and Developmental Benefits of the Project.................................... 230 4.2 Comparison of Alternatives ...................................................................... 232 4.2.1 No-action Alternative .................................................................. 232 4.2.2 Applicant’s Proposal ................................................................... 232 4.2.3 Staff Alternative .......................................................................... 233 4.3 Cost of Environmental Measures .............................................................. 233 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................... 251 5.1 Comprehensive Development and Recommended Alternative ................ 251 5.1.1 Measures Proposed by the Applicant .......................................... 251 5.1.2 Additional Staff-recommended Measures ................................... 253 5.1.3 Measures Not Recommended by Staff ........................................ 284 5.2 Unavoidable Adverse Effects .................................................................... 287 5.3 Fish and Wildlife Agency Recommendations ........................................... 289 5.4 Consistency with Comprehensive Plans ................................................... 290 ii 6.0 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ...................................................... 292 7.0 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................... 293 8.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................ 307 APPENDIX A .................................................................................................................. 308 APPENDIX B .................................................................................................................. 324 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1. Location of the proposed Demopolis Project (Source: Birch Power, as modified by staff). ......................................................................................... 3 Figure 2-1. Schematic of the Tombigbee River, Black Warrior River, and Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway. Navigation miles are from Bankhead Tunnel (U.S. Highway 90), Mobile, Alabama (Source: staff). ......................................... 16 Figure 2-2. The Corps’ Demopolis Lock and Dam (Source: Google Earth, 2014; as modified by staff). ....................................................................................... 17 Figure 2-3. Proposed project facilities. Region shaded in red is the flow affected area (Source: Birch Power as modified by staff). ............................................... 19 Figure 3-1. Riverbed characteristics downstream of Demopolis Lock and Dam (Source: Google Earth, 2014; as modified by staff). ................................................. 42 Figure 3-2. Downstream flows at the project during operation when inflows are 5,000 cfs to 20,000 cfs (Source: Google Earth, 2014, as modified by staff). ............. 44 Figure 3-3. Downstream flows at the project during operation when inflows are 20,000 cfs to 40,000 cfs (Source: Google Earth, 2014, as modified by staff).