David Magney Environmental Consulting MOJAVE RIVER WATERSHED MITIGATION BANK PROSPECTUS Prepared for: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS and CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE On behalf of: RICHARD LYONS & LAURIE PRANGE LYONS Mission Statement To provide quality environmental consulting services with integrity that protect and enhance the human and natural environment April 2015, revised August 2016 www.magney.org Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Prospectus EA 35556 Project No. 08-000000-6211 Prepared for: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Regulatory Division 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 930 Los Angeles, California 90017-3401 Contact: Veronica Li Phone: 213/452-3292 AND California Department of Fish and Wildlife South Coast Region 3883 Ruffin Road San Diego, California 92123 Contact: David Lawhead Phone: 858/627-3997 On behalf of: Richard Lyons & Laurie Prange Lyons P.O. Box 808 Santa Paula, California 93061 Prepared by: David Magney Environmental Consulting 13086 Highland Drive Grass Valley, California 95945 Contact: David L. Magney Phone: 530/273-1799 13 April 2015, revised 29 August 2016 www.magney.org This document should be cited as: David Magney Environmental Consulting. 2016. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus. 13 April 2015, revised 29 August 2016. (EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211; DMEC PN 12-0004.) Grass Valley, California. Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Diego, California. Prepared on behalf of Richard Lyons & Laurie Prange Lyons, Santa Paula, California. Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC Table of Contents PAGE SECTION I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 TYPE AND PURPOSE................................................................................................1 PROPOSED SERVICE AREAS ................................................................................1 Proposed Service Areas and Bank Credits ............................................................................ 2 PROJECT LOCATION ..............................................................................................4 REGULATORY CONTEXT ......................................................................................8 OWNERSHIP ...............................................................................................................8 Identity of Owner .................................................................................................................. 8 Identity and Responsibilities of Sponsor ............................................................................... 9 Identity of Conservation Easement Holder ........................................................................... 9 Identity of Long-term Steward .............................................................................................. 9 MARKET DEMAND...................................................................................................9 SECTION II. SITE DESCRIPTION ...................................................................... 12 MAPPED SOIL UNITS .............................................................................................15 Rositas-Carrizo Association .................................................................................................. 15 Playas..................................................................................................................................... 17 Tecopa-Rock Outcrop-Lithic Torriorthents Association ....................................................... 17 HYDROLOGY ...........................................................................................................18 FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES OF AQUATIC RESOURCES ...........................23 LIFT OF WETLAND FUNCTIONS .......................................................................25 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................29 Habitat Types ........................................................................................................................ 29 Atriplex torreyi Provisional Shrubland Alliance (Torrey Saltbush Scrub) ........................... 33 Prosopis glandulosa Woodland Alliance (Mesquite Bosque) .............................................. 33 Suaeda nigra Shrubland Alliance (Bush Seepweed Scrub) .................................................. 34 Tamarix ramosissima Stand .................................................................................................. 35 Cressa truxillensis-Distichlis spicata Herbaceous Alliance .................................................. 36 Flora ...................................................................................................................................... 38 Fauna ..................................................................................................................................... 43 SPECIAL-STATUS RESOURCES ..........................................................................46 Definitions ............................................................................................................................. 46 Special-status Plants .............................................................................................................. 50 Special-status Wildlife .......................................................................................................... 51 Sensitive Habitats .................................................................................................................. 53 HABITAT CONNECTIVITY...................................................................................54 Adjacent Land Use ................................................................................................................ 54 Connectivity Areas and Corridors ......................................................................................... 59 RESTORATION PLAN ............................................................................................61 SECTION III. REFERENCES CITED ................................................................. 64 LITERATURE CITED .............................................................................................64 Y:\DMEC\Jobs\Lyons\Mojave\Prospectus\ProspectusFINAL\MojaveRiverWatershedMitBank-Prospectus-20160829.docx Lyons – Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank: Prospectus EA 35556, Project No. 08-000000-6211 (DMEC PN 12-0004) 29 August 2016 DMEC PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS ........................................................................67 APPENDIX A. SERVICE AREA JUSTIFICATION .............................................1 APPENDIX B. ECOREGIONS AND HABITATS ..................................................1 LIST OF TABLES PAGE Table 1. Pending Renewable Energy Project Applications in the Mojave Desert Region ..................... 10 Table 2. Mitigation Bank Parcels............................................................................................................ 12 Table 3. Episodic Streams Wetland Attributes ....................................................................................... 24 Table 4. Comparison of Baseline and Post-restoration FCI scores at the Bank Site .............................. 26 Table 5. Plant Species Observed on the Bank Site ................................................................................. 39 Table 6. Plant Species Expected on the Bank Site.................................................................................. 41 Table 7. Wildlife Species Observed and Expected on the Bank Site ..................................................... 43 Table 8. Definitions of Special-status Species ........................................................................................ 48 Table 9. California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Ranks (CNPS Lists) ............................................. 48 Table 10. California Native Plant Society Risk Threat Code Extensions............................................... 49 Table 11. California Natural Diversity Database Element Ranking System .......................................... 49 Table 12. Special-status Plants Potentially Occurring Onsite ................................................................ 50 Table 13. Special-status Wildlife Potentially Occurring Onsite ............................................................. 51 Table 14. Sensitive Habitats Potentially Occurring Onsite .................................................................... 54 Table 15. Area of Wetland Habitats and Types of Proposed Mitigation of the Bank Site ..................... 61 LIST OF FIGURES PAGE Figure 1. Mojave River Watershed Mitigation Bank Service Areas ........................................................ 3 Figure 2. General Location of Mitigation Bank Site ................................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Mitigation Bank Site on 2010 Aerial Imagery .......................................................................... 6 Figure 4. Regional HUC8 Sub-basins and Mojave Hydrologic Basin ..................................................... 7 Figure 5. Renewable Energy Projects and Potential in the Mojave Desert Region ................................ 11 Figure 6. Bank Site with USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangles