BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES STUDY TOLAY LAKE REGIONAL PARK SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Submitted to: Sonoma Regional Parks Department 2300 County Center Drive #120A Santa Rosa, California 95403 Prepared by: LSA Associates, Inc. 157 Park Place Point Richmond, California 94801 (510) 236-6810 LSA Project No. SOG0602 April 2009 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES STUDY APRIL 2009 TOLAY LAKE REGIONAL PARK SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 1.1 PURPOSE.............................................................................................................................1 1.2 LOCATION ..........................................................................................................................1 1.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION...................................................................................................1 1.4 REGULATORY CONTEXT................................................................................................2 1.4.1 Federal Endangered Species Act .............................................................................2 1.4.2 Clean Water Act ......................................................................................................2 1.4.3 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.............................................................3 1.4.4 Migratory Bird Treaty Act.......................................................................................3 1.4.5 California Endangered Species Act.........................................................................4 1.4.6 California Fish and Game Code ..............................................................................4 1.4.7 California Environmental Quality Act ....................................................................4 1.4.8 State Species of Special Concern and Special Plants List.......................................5 1.4.9 California Native Plant Society ...............................................................................5 2.0 METHODS......................................................................................................................................6 2.1 PLANT SURVEYS...............................................................................................................6 2.2 WETLANDS.........................................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Wetland Identification Methodology.......................................................................6 2.2.2 Field Methodology ..................................................................................................7 2.3 ANIMAL SURVEYS ...........................................................................................................8 3.0 VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE VALUES ...............................................................................10 3.1 WOODLAND .....................................................................................................................10 3.1.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................10 3.1.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................11 3.2 RIPARIAN VEGETATION ...............................................................................................11 3.2.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................11 3.2.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................12 3.3 GRASSLANDS ..................................................................................................................13 3.3.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................13 3.3.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................14 3.4 TOLAY LAKE ...................................................................................................................15 3.4.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................16 3.4.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................16 3.5 SEEPS AND SPRINGS......................................................................................................17 3.5.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................17 3.5.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................17 3.6 VERNAL POOLS AND SEASONAL WETLANDS ........................................................18 3.6.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................18 3.6.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................19 3.7 PONDS ...............................................................................................................................19 3.7.1 Botanical Values....................................................................................................19 3.7.2 Wildlife Values......................................................................................................20 3.8 STREAMS ..........................................................................................................................20 3.8.1 Tolay Creek ...........................................................................................................20 P:\SOG0602\LSA Reports prepared\Final Report 2009\Final Report.doc (4/24/2009) i LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES STUDY APRIL 2009 TOLAY LAKE REGIONAL PARK SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 3.8.2 North Creek – Oak Grove Fork .............................................................................21 3.8.3 Cardoza Creek .......................................................................................................21 3.8.4 Eagle Creek ...........................................................................................................22 3.8.5 Un-named Streams ................................................................................................22 3.9 ROCK OUTCROPS............................................................................................................22 4.0 SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES......................................................................................................23 4.1 PLANTS .............................................................................................................................23 4.1.1 Known Occurrences of Special-status Plants ........................................................23 4.1.2 Potential Occurrences of Special-status Plants......................................................24 4.2 INSECTS AND CRUSTACEANS.....................................................................................27 4.2.1 Opler's Longhorn Moth .........................................................................................27 4.2.2 Zerene Silverspot Subspecies ................................................................................27 4.2.3 Ricksecker's Water Scavenger Beetle....................................................................27 4.2.4 California Linderiella ............................................................................................28 4.3 AMPHIBIANS....................................................................................................................28 4.3.1 California Red-Legged Frog..................................................................................28 4.4 REPTILES ..........................................................................................................................31 4.4.1 Western Pond Turtle..............................................................................................31 4.5 BIRDS.................................................................................................................................32 4.5.1 White-tailed Kite ...................................................................................................32 4.5.2 Golden Eagle .........................................................................................................32 4.5.3 Burrowing Owl......................................................................................................32 4.5.4 California Horned Lark .........................................................................................33 4.5.5 Grasshopper Sparrow ............................................................................................33 4.5.6 Nesting Birds.........................................................................................................33 4.6 MAMMALS .......................................................................................................................33 4.6.1 American Badger...................................................................................................33 4.6.2 Townsend's Big-Eared Bat ....................................................................................33 4.6.3