Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Project Draft License Application Exhibit E, Volume 1, Public Information Palm Desert, California Submitted to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Submitted by: Eagle Crest Energy Company Date: June 16, 2008 Project No. 080470 ©2008 Eagle Crest Energy DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION- EXHIBIT E Table of Contents 1 General Description 1-1 1.1 Project Description 1-1 1.2 Project Area 1-2 1.2.1 Existing Land Use 1-4 1.3 Compatibility with Landfill Project 1-5 1.3.1 Land Exchange 1-5 1.3.2 Landfill Operations 1-6 1.3.3 Landfill Permitting 1-6 1.3.4 Compatibility of Specific Features 1-7 1.3.4.1 Potential Seepage Issues 1-8 1.3.4.2 Ancillary Facilities Interferences 1-9 2 Water Use and Quality 2-1 2.1 Surface Waters 2-1 2.1.1 Instream Flow Uses of Streams 2-1 2.1.2 Water quality of surface water 2-1 2.1.3 Existing lakes and reservoirs 2-1 2.1.4 Impacts of Construction and Operation 2-1 2.1.5 Measures recommended by Federal and state agencies to protect surface water 2-1 2.2 Description of Existing Groundwater 2-1 2.2.1 Springs and Wells 2-3 2.2.2 Water Bearing Formations 2-3 2.2.3 Hydraulic Characteristics 2-4 2.2.4 Groundwater Levels 2-5 2.2.5 Groundwater Flow Direction 2-6 2.2.6 Groundwater Storage 2-7 2.2.7 Groundwater Pumping 2-7 2.2.8 Recharge Sources 2-8 2.2.9 Outflow 2-9 2.2.10 Perennial Yield 2-9 2.3 Potential Impacts to Groundwater Supply 2-9 2.3.1 Proposed Project Water Supply 2-9 2.3.2 Perennial Yield 2-10 2.3.3 Regional Groundwater Level Effects 2-12 2.3.4 Local Groundwater Level Effects 2-15 2.3.5 Groundwater Flow Direct Effects 2-15 2.3.6 Subsidence Potential 2-15 2.3.7 Hydrocompaction Potential 2-16 2.3.8 Cumulative Projected Effects to Water Supply 2-16 ©2008 Eagle Crest Energy i DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION – EXHIBIT E 2.4 Groundwater Quality 2-19 2.4.1 Description of Environment 2-19 2.4.1.1 Groundwater 2-19 2.4.1.2 Surface Water Resources 2-23 2.4.2 Potential Impacts to Water Quality 2-24 2.4.2.1 Groundwater Quality Effects 2-24 2.4.2.2 Surface Water Quality Effects 2-25 2.4.3 Existing or Proposed Protection, Mitigation, or Enhancement Activities 2-30 2.5 Summary Potential Groundwater Impacts 2-30 2.6 Groundwater Mitigation Measures 2-31 2.6.1 Higher Groundwater Levels 2-32 2.6.2 Lower Groundwater Levels 2-32 2.6.3 Subsidence 2-33 2.6.4 Loss of Facilities 2-33 2.7 Groundwater Mitigation Monitoring 2-33 2.8 Monitoring Network 2-33 2.8.1 Water Production 2-33 2.8.2 Water Levels and Quality 2-34 2.8.3 Subsidence 2-34 3 Fish, Wildlife, and Botanical Resources 3-1 3.1 Fish and Aquatic Resources 3-1 3.2 Description of Existing Plant and Wildlife Communities 3-2 3.2.1 Plant Communities 3-2 3.2.2 Wildlife Communities 3-4 3.2.3 Recent Biological Surveys in the Project Area 3-4 3.3 Special-Status Species and Biological Resources 3-5 3.3.1 Listed Species in the Project Area 3-6 3.3.2 Non-Listed Special-Status Species 3-16 3.4 Special Habitats 3-16 3.4.1 Wetlands, Seeps and Springs, and Jurisdictional Waters 3-16 3.4.2 Artificial Water Impoundments 3-17 3.4.3 Other Special-Status Habitats in the Project Area 3-22 3.4.3.1 Desert Dry Wash Woodland 3-22 3.4.3.2 Sand Dunes 3-22 3.4.4 Other Biological Considerations in the Project Area 3-22 3.4.4.1 Biological Soil Crusts 3-22 3.4.4.2 Invasive Species 3-23 3.5 Potential Impacts to Biological Resources 3-23 3.5.1 General Potential Impacts to Biological Resources 3-23 3.5.2 Construction 3-24 3.5.3 Operation and Maintenance 3-25 3.5.4 Specific Potential Impacts to Biological Resources 3-26 3.5.2.1 Terrestrial Plants and Animals 3-26 ©2008 Eagle Crest Energy ii DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION – EXHIBIT E 3.5.4.1 Birds and Bats 3-26 3.5.4.2 Aquatic and Semi-aquatic Species 3-27 3.5.4.3 Wetlands and Jurisdictional Waters 3-27 3.6 Recommended Mitigation Measures 3-27 3.6.1 General Mitigation Measures 3-27 3.6.2 Species-Specific Mitigation Measures 3-29 3.6.2.1 Special-Status Plants 3-29 3.6.2.2 Special-Status Animals 3-30 3.6.2.3 Special-status Species 3-30 3.6.2.4 Special-status Natural Communities 3-35 4 Historic and Archaeological Resources 4-1 4.1 Discovery Measures Recommended by State and Federal Agencies 4-1 4.1.1 Statement of applicants position on these recommendations 4-1 4.2 Results of inventories 4-1 4.2.1 Methods 4-1 4.2.2 Previous Reports 4-2 4.2.3 Explanation of variations from survey procedures recommended 4-7 4.3 Historic and archeological sites in the Project Area 4-7 4.3.1 Previously Recorded Cultural Resources 4-7 4.3.2 Prehistoric Cultural Resources 4-13 4.3.3 Historic Cultural Resources 4-16 4.4 Direct or Indirect Impacts of Project 4-18 4.5 Management Plan 4-19 4.5.1 Schedule and Cost for Implementing Mitigation 4-20 4.5.2 Sources and Extent of Financing 4-20 5 Socio-Economic Impacts 5-1 5.1 Description of the Study Area 5-1 5.2 Identification of the Area Potentially Impacted by the Project 5-2 5.3 Description of Study Area Demographics 5-2 5.3.1 Population Size and Growth Trends 5-2 5.3.2 Urban and Rural Distribution 5-4 5.3.3 Distribution of Residents by Age and Sex 5-5 5.3.4 Distribution of Residents by Race 5-7 5.3.5 Education 5-7 5.3.6 Citizenship and Birthplace 5-7 5.3.7 Language Spoken 5-7 5.3.8 Housing Characteristics 5-8 5.3.9 Housing Costs 5-8 5.3.10 Household Income 5-8 5.3.11 Commuting to Work 5-8 5.4 Summary of Study Area Employment and Income 5-9 5.4.1 Employment 5-9 5.4.2 Wages and Income 5-10 5.4.3 County Sales Tax 5-12 ©2008 Eagle Crest Energy iii DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION – EXHIBIT E 5.5 Description of Study Area Activity 5-12 5.5.1 Agricultural Sector 5-12 5.5.2 Mining Sector 5-12 5.5.3 Construction Sector 5-13 5.5.4 Manufacturing Sector 5-13 5.5.5 Trade, Transportation and Public Utilities Sector 5-13 5.5.6 Service Sector 5-13 5.5.7 Government Sector 5-13 5.6 Description of Study Area Infrastructure 5-14 5.6.1 Accommodations 5-14 5.6.1.1 Housing 5-14 5.6.1.2 Temporary Accommodations 5-14 5.6.1.3 Community and Social Services 5-15 5.6.1.4 Municipal Services 5-15 5.6.1.5 Emergency Services 5-16 5.6.1.6 Transportation Systems 5-16 5.7 Project Impacts During Construction 5-17 5.7.1 Onsite Employment and Labor Income 5-17 5.7.2 Impacts on Community Infrastructure 5-22 5.7.3 Impacts on Adjacent Properties 5-23 5.7.4 Impacts on Local Government Finances 5-23 5.7.4.1 Costs 5-23 5.7.4.2 Revenues 5-23 5.7.5 Indirect and Induced Impacts of Project Construction 5-24 5.8 Impacts During Operating Phase 5-24 5.8.1 Direct Employment and Labor Income 5-24 5.8.2 Purchases of Materials 5-25 5.8.3 Impacts on Local Government Finances 5-25 5.8.4 Indirect and Induced Impacts on Ongoing Expenditures 5-25 5.9 Displacement of Residences and Business Establishments 5-25 6 Geological and Soil Resources 6-1 6.1 Description of geological features 6-1 6.1.1 General Geologic Setting 6-1 6.1.2 Project Area Geology 6-2 6.1.2.1 Formational Rock Stratigraphy 6-2 6.1.2.2 Surficial Deposits 6-4 6.1.2.3 Geologic Structures 6-6 6.1.2.4 Mineral Resources 6-7 6.2 Description of soils 6-8 6.2.1 Soil Resources 6-8 6.2.1.1 Proposed Generating Facility Area 6-8 6.2.1.2 Water Supply Corridor 6-9 6.2.1.3 Transmission Line Corridor 6-10 6.3 Description of existing and potential geological and soil hazards 6-10 ©2008 Eagle Crest Energy iv DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION – EXHIBIT E 6.3.1 Earthquakes and Faults 6-10 6.3.1.1 Regional Faults 6-10 6.3.1.2 Regional Seismicity 6-13 6.3.1.3 Local Faulting 6-17 6.3.2 Reservoir Seepage 6-17 6.3.3 Ground Subsidence 6-18 6.3.4 Active and Inactive Mines 6-18 6.4 Erosion, mass soil movement and other impacts on the geological and soil resources 6-19 6.4.1 Soil Erosion 6-19 6.4.2 Landslides and Mass Movements 6-19 6.5 Proposed measures or facilities for the mitigation of impacts on soils and geology.