PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT (PAD) MUNICIPAL HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 1235 Prepared for: The City of Radford Radford, Virginia Prepared by: www.KleinschmidtGroup.com Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com May 2014 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT (PAD) MUNICIPAL HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 1235 Prepared by: The City of Radford Radford, Virginia Prepared by: www.KleinschmidtGroup.com Pittsfield, Maine www.KleinschmidtGroup.com May 2014 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT (PAD) MUNICIPAL HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC PROJECT NO. 1235 TABLE OF CONTENTS DEFINITIONS OF TERMS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................... VII 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 PROCESS PLAN AND SCHEDULE [§ 5.6 (D)(1)] ...................................................... 2-1 2.1 PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION, INFORMATION GATHERING, AND STUDIES ................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 2.2 PROPOSED LOCATION AND DATE FOR JOINT AGENCY MEETING AND FOR THE SITE VISIT [§ 5.8 (B)(3)(VIII)] .............................................................. 2-2 3.0 PROJECT LOCATION, FACILITIES, AND OPERATIONS [§ 5.6 (D)(2)] ................ 3-1 3.1 CONTACT INFORMATION OF EACH PERSON AUTHORIZED TO ACT AGENT FOR APPLICANT (EXACT NAME, BUSINESS ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER) ...... 3-1 3.2 MAPS OF LAND USE WITHIN PROJECT BOUNDARIES (TOWNSHIP, RANGE AND SECTION, STATE, COUNTY, RIVER, RIVER MILE, AND CLOSEST TOWN) AND, IF APPLICABLE, FEDERAL AND TRIBAL LANDS, AND LOCATION OF PROPOSED FACILITIES ........................................................................................... 3-1 3.3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING AND PROPOSED FACILITIES ....................... 3-3 3.3.1 COMPOSITION, DIMENSIONS, AND CONFIGURATION OF DAMS, SPILLWAYS, PENSTOCKS, POWERHOUSES, TAILRACES, INCLUDED AS PART OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................. 3-3 3.3.2 RESERVOIR NORMAL MAXIMUM WATER SURFACE AREA AND ELEVATION AND GROSS STORAGE CAPACITY .......................................... 3-3 3.3.3 NUMBER, TYPE AND CAPACITIES OF TURBINES AND GENERATORS, AND INSTALLED (RATED) CAPACITY OF PROPOSED TURBINES OR GENERATORS ............................................................................................ 3-3 3.3.4 NUMBER, LENGTH, VOLTAGE, AND INTERCONNECTIONS OF ANY PRIMARY TRANSMISSION LINES ................................................................ 3-3 3.3.5 ENERGY PRODUCTION (ESTIMATE OF DEPENDABLE CAPACITY, AVERAGE ANNUAL, AND AVERAGE MONTHLY ENERGY PRODUCTION) ........................................................................................... 3-5 3.4 PROJECT OPERATION, INCLUDING ANY DAILY OR SEASONAL RAMPING RATES, FLUSHING FLOWS, RESERVOIR OPERATIONS, AND FLOOD CONTROL OPERATIONS ......................................................................................................... 3-5 3.5 DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT LICENSE REQUIREMENTS ........................................... 3-6 3.6 A SUMMARY OF PROJECT GENERATION AND OUTFLOW RECORDS ....................... 3-6 3.7 CURRENT NET INVESTMENT ................................................................................. 3-6 3.8 PROJECT COMPLIANCE HISTORY ........................................................................... 3-6 3.9 PLANS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OR REHABILITATION OF THE PROJECT, AND CHANGES IN PROJECT OPERATION ............................................................... 3-7 MAY 2014 - i - TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) 3.10 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 3-7 4.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE IMPACTS [§ 5.6 (D)(3)(I)] ............ 4-1 4.1 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ........................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 DESCRIPTION OF GEOLOGICAL FEATURES, INCLUDING BEDROCK LITHOLOGY, STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURAL FEATURES, GLACIAL FEATURES, UNCONSOLIDATED DEPOSITS, AND MINERAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.2 DESCRIPTION OF SOIL TYPES, OCCURRENCE, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS, ERODABILITY AND POTENTIAL FOR MASS SOIL MOVEMENT, AND SOIL CHARACTERISTICS ............................ 4-2 4.1.3 DESCRIPTION OF RESERVOIR SHORELINES AND STREAMBANKS, INCLUDING STEEPNESS, COMPOSITION (BEDROCK AND UNCONSOLIDATED DEPOSITS), AND VEGETATIVE COVER ........................ 4-5 4.1.4 POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS AND ISSUES ............................................. 4-5 4.1.5 PROPOSED MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ........................ 4-5 4.1.6 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 4-5 4.2 WATER RESOURCES § 5.6 (D)(3)(III) .................................................................... 4-7 4.2.1 DRAINAGE AREA ...................................................................................... 4-7 4.2.2 INFLOWS, OUTFLOWS AND MONTHLY FLOW DURATION CURVES............. 4-7 4.2.3 EXISTING AND PROPOSED USES OF PROJECT WATERS ............................. 4-8 4.2.4 RELEVANT FEDERALLY-APPROVED WATER QUALITY STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO PROJECT WATERS ........................................................... 4-9 4.2.5 PROJECT EFFECTS ON SEASONAL VARIATION OF WATER QUALITY DATA, INCLUDING EXISTING WATER QUALITY WITHIN THE PROJECT VICINITY .................................................................................. 4-10 4.2.6 RESERVOIR SURFACE AREA, VOLUME AND SUBSTRATE COMPOSITION ......................................................................................... 4-16 4.2.7 GRADIENT FOR AFFECTED DOWNSTREAM REACHES............................... 4-16 4.2.8 POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS AND ISSUES ........................................... 4-17 4.2.9 PROPOSED MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ...................... 4-17 4.2.10 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-17 4.3 FISH AND AQUATIC RESOURCES [§ 5.6 (D)(3)(IV)] ............................................ 4-19 4.3.1 IDENTIFICATION OF EXISTING FISH AND AQUATIC COMMUNITIES ......... 4-19 4.3.2 IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT AS DEFINED UNDER THE MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT AND ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE ................................................................................. 4-22 4.3.3 TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND AQUATIC COMMUNITIES AND TRENDS ................................................................... 4-22 4.3.4 POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS AND ISSUES ........................................... 4-26 4.3.5 PROPOSED MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ...................... 4-27 4.3.6 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-27 4.4 WILDLIFE AND BOTANICAL RESOURCES [§ 5.6 (D)(3)(V)] ................................ 4-30 MAY 2014 - ii - TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) 4.4.1 UPLAND HABITAT(S) IN THE PROJECT VICINITY, INCLUDING THE PROJECT'S TRANSMISSION LINE CORRIDOR OR RIGHT-OF-WAY AND A LISTING OF PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES THAT USE THE HABITAT(S) ............................................................................................. 4-30 4.4.2 EXOTIC UPLAND PLANT AND WILDLIFE SPECIES ................................... 4-31 4.4.3 TRANSMISSION LINE CORRIDOR – UPLAND HABITAT ............................. 4-32 4.4.4 TEMPORAL OR SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION OF COMMERCIALLY, RECREATIONALLY, OR CULTURALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES .................... 4-32 4.4.5 POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS AND ISSUES ........................................... 4-32 4.4.6 PROPOSED MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ...................... 4-33 4.4.7 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-33 4.5 FLOODPLAINS, WETLANDS, RIPARIAN, AND LITTORAL HABITAT [§ 5.6(D)(3)(VI)] .................................................................................................... 4-34 4.5.1 MAP OF WETLANDS, RIPARIAN AND LITTORAL HABITAT ...................... 4-34 4.5.2 A LIST OF PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES, INCLUDING INVASIVE SPECIES, THAT USE THE WETLAND, LITTORAL, AND RIPARIAN HABITAT ................................................................................................. 4-37 4.5.3 POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS AND ISSUES ........................................... 4-38 4.5.4 PROPOSED MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ...................... 4-38 4.5.5 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 4-38 4.6 RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES [§ 5.6 (D)(3)(VII)] ............... 4-39 4.6.1 DESCRIPTION OF LISTED RARE, THREATENED AND ENDANGERED, CANDIDATE, OR SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES IN THE PROJECT VICINITY ................................................................................................. 4-39 4.6.2 IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES....................................................................................... 4-44 4.6.3 REFERENCES TO KNOWN BIOLOGICAL OPINION, STATUS REPORTS, OR RECOVERY PLANS PERTAINING TO A LISTED SPECIES ...................... 4-48 4.6.4 EXTENT AND LOCATION OF FEDERALLY-DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT OR OTHER HABITAT FOR LISTED SPECIES IN THE PROJECT AREA