BIG CREEK NATIONAL DISASTER RESILIENCE DESIGN PROJECT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE Prepared for: Shelby County, Tennessee Mayor Lee Harris Prepared By: Barge Design Solutions, Inc. October 2019 For further information, contact: Jim Vazquez Administrator Shelby County Office of Resilience 125 North Main Street Room 443 Memphis, Tennessee 38103 Phone: 901-636-7170 E-mail: [email protected] Big Creek National Disaster Resilience Design Project Tables of Contents Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION ......................................................................................... 3 1.3 EXISTING CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................... 3 1.4 DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS ............................................................................................... 3 1.5 SCOPE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ............................................................. 4 1.6 REQUIRED PERMITS AND LICENSES ...................................................................................... 4 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................ 6 2.1 No Action Alternative ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................................... 6 2.3 ALTERNATIVES ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION ................................ 11 2.4 HYDROLOGIC AND HYDRAULIC MODELING ....................................................................... 13 2.5 COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES ......................................................................................... 17 2.6 MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................................................................... 19 2.7 THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ............................................................................................ 19 2.8 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .............................................................................................................. 19 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .................... 22 3.1 PLANNING, LAND USE, AND ZONING .................................................................................... 22 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 22 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 23 3.2 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND PRIME FARMLAND......................................................................... 23 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 23 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 28 3.3 WATER RESOURCES ................................................................................................................. 29 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 29 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 33 3.4 FLOODPLAINS .............................................................................................................................. 36 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 36 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 36 3.5 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 39 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 39 i Big Creek National Disaster Resilience Design Project Tables of Contents Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 40 3.6 VISUAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................. 41 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 41 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 41 3.7 NOISE ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 42 Environment Consequences .......................................................................................................... 42 3.8 AIR QUALITY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ......................................................... 42 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 43 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 44 3.9 CULTURAL RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 45 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 45 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 46 3.10 SOLID WASTE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ................................................................. 47 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 47 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 48 3.11 SOCIOECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ................................................... 49 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 49 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 51 3.12 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES .................................................................................................. 51 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 51 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 52 3.13 AIRPORT HAZARDS .................................................................................................................. 52 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 52 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 53 3.14 PUBLIC SAFETY ......................................................................................................................... 53 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 53 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 53 3.15 UTILITIES ..................................................................................................................................... 55 Affected Environment ...................................................................................................................... 55 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 55 3.16 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ........................................................................................................... 56 4.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ............................................................................................................... 58 ii Big Creek National Disaster Resilience Design Project Tables of Contents 5.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 59 List of Tables Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Alternatives by Resource Area .................................. 18 Table 2. Site Soils – Main