U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT PALM SPRINGS-SOUTH COAST FIELD OFFICE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT EA Number CA-660-02-24 ______________________________________________________________________________ DATE: 20 March 2002 TITLE / PROJECT TYPE: DESERT SCIMITAR 02 EXERCISE CASE FILE / PROJECT NO.: CACA 44015 FUNDING CODE: 1920 PROGRAM ELEMENT: EQ BLM OFFICE: Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office 690 W. Garnet Avenue, P.O. Box 1260 North Palm Springs, CA 92258-1260 APPLICANT / PROPONENT: US Marine Corps 1st Marine Division (REIN) BOX 555380 CAMP PENDLETON, CA 92055-5380 LOCATION OF PROPOSED ACTION: Areas near Quartzsite and Ehrenberg, Arizona; the Colorado River; Blythe, Midland, Cadiz Valley, and Desert Center, California ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DESERT SCIMITAR 02 EXERCISE Twentynine Palms, California to Yuma, Arizona ADMINISTRATIVE FINAL March 2002 Prepared by: Anteon Corporation 3430 Camino del Rio North San Diego, CA 92108 Applicant: United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division (Rein) Box 555380 Camp Pendleton Ca 92055-5380 Lead Agency: U.S. Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs South Coast Field Office 690 W. Garnet Ave. N. Palm Springs, CA 92258 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................1 1.2 PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED............................................................................................................1 1.3 KEY POINTS.............................................................................................................................................2 1.4 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT..............................................2 1.5 CONFORMITY WITH LAND USE PLANS ............................................................................................4 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES............................................................................................7 2.1 PROPOSED ACTION................................................................................................................................7 2.2 REDUCED ROUTE ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................................................21 2.3 BOAT LAUNCH ALTERNATIVE.........................................................................................................21 2.4 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE................................................................................................................21 2.5 ALTERNATIVES ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION ..........................................21 2.6 PERMITS AND APPROVALS ...............................................................................................................22 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT...........................................................................23 3.1 SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREAS ......................................................................................................23 3.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .........................................................................................................................24 3.3 WATER QUALITY .................................................................................................................................24 3.4 TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS.....................................................................................................25 3.5 AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................25 3.6 NOISE ......................................................................................................................................................29 3.7 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES..................................................................................................................29 3.8 CULTURAL RESOURCES.....................................................................................................................38 3.9 PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES....................................................................................................38 3.10 VISUAL RESOURCES ...........................................................................................................................38 3.11 RECREATION / VISITOR SERVICES ..................................................................................................39 3.12 PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES...................................................................................................39 3.13 WASTES (HAZARDOUS/SOLID) .........................................................................................................39 3.14 SOCIOECONOMICS...............................................................................................................................39 3.15 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND PROTECTION OF CHILDREN.................................................39 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES AND MITIGATION..................................................................41 4.1 CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT .............................................................41 4.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .........................................................................................................................41 4.3 WATER RESOURCES............................................................................................................................43 4.4 TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS.....................................................................................................44 4.5 AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................................46 4.6 NOISE ......................................................................................................................................................47 4.7 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES..................................................................................................................49 4.8 CULTURAL RESOURCES.....................................................................................................................56 4.9 PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES....................................................................................................57 4.10 RECREATION/VISITOR SERVICES ....................................................................................................58 4.11 PUBLIC SERVICES AND UTILITIES...................................................................................................59 4.12 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS..................................................................................................................61 4.13 SOCIOECONOMICS...............................................................................................................................62 4.14 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .....................................................................................................................63 4.15 US COAST GUARD BRIDGE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.................................................................63 5.0 COORDINATION AND CONTACTS.........................................................................................................65 5.1 FEDERAL AGENCIES ...........................................................................................................................65 5.2 STATE AGENCIES.................................................................................................................................66 5.3 LOCAL AGENCIES ................................................................................................................................67 5.4 NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES (through YPG) .....................................................................................68 6.0 LIST OF PREPARERS.................................................................................................................................69 7.0 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................70 Desert Scimitar 02 Exercise i Environmental Assessment – March 2002 Twentynine Palms, CA to Yuma, AZ US Bureau of Land Management LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Unit, Home Base, and Number of Personnel Participating in the Exercise. ....................................................8 Table 2. Vehicles, Watercraft, and Aircraft Used in Exercise.......................................................................................9 Table 3. Sites Used in the Exercise..............................................................................................................................15 Table 4. Radio Retransmission Sites. ..........................................................................................................................17 Table 5. Vehicle Location at the End of Each Day of the Desert Scimitar 02 Exercise. .............................................19 Table 6. Desert Scimitar 02 Route Segments by Task Force.......................................................................................20 Table 7. Permits and approvals....................................................................................................................................22