Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Restoration Draft Environmental Assessment Draft June 2011 Table of Contents 1 Table of Contents 2 1.0 Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................... 1-1 3 1.1 Background .................................................................................................... 1-1 4 1.1.1 Settlement and Act ............................................................................. 1-3 5 1.2 Purpose and Need .......................................................................................... 1-4 6 1.3 Reclamation’s Legal and Statutory Authorities and Jurisdiction 7 Relevant to the Proposed Action ................................................................... 1-4 8 1.4 Implementing Agency Responsibility ........................................................... 1-5 9 1.5 Purpose and Intended Use of the EA ............................................................. 1-5 10 1.6 Study Area ..................................................................................................... 1-5 11 1.7 Resources of Potential Concern ..................................................................... 1-5 12 2.0 Alternatives Including Proposed Action ............................................................. 2-1 13 2.1 No Action Alternative ................................................................................... 2-1 14 2.2 Proposed Action ............................................................................................ 2-1 15 2.2.1 Lining Raises ..................................................................................... 2-4 16 2.2.2 Bank Raises ........................................................................................ 2-7 17 2.2.3 Bridge Modifications ......................................................................... 2-7 18 2.2.4 Little Dry Creek Wasteway Modification........................................ 2-10 19 2.2.5 Construction Considerations ............................................................ 2-10 20 2.3 Environmental Commitments ...................................................................... 2-11 21 2.4 Conservation Strategy for Biological Resources ......................................... 2-11 22 3.0 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ............................... 3-1 23 3.1 Water Resources ............................................................................................ 3-1 24 3.1.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................ 3-1 25 3.1.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................ 3-7 26 3.1.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-10 27 3.2 Biological Resources ................................................................................... 3-12 28 3.2.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-12 29 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-17 30 3.2.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-18 31 3.3 Cultural Resources ....................................................................................... 3-19 32 3.3.1 Prehistoric Era .................................................................................. 3-19 33 3.3.2 Native Peoples at the Time of European Contact ............................ 3-20 Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Restoration Draft Environmental Assessment June 2011 – i San Joaquin River Restoration Program 1 3.3.3 Historic Era ...................................................................................... 3-21 2 3.3.4 Prehistoric Resources ....................................................................... 3-24 3 3.3.5 Historic Era Resources ..................................................................... 3-24 4 3.3.6 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-25 5 3.3.7 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-26 6 3.4 Air Quality ................................................................................................... 3-26 7 3.4.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-26 8 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-26 9 3.4.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-29 10 3.5 Global Climate Change................................................................................ 3-29 11 3.5.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-29 12 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-30 13 3.5.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-30 14 3.6 Noise ............................................................................................................ 3-30 15 3.6.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-30 16 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-31 17 3.6.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-35 18 3.7 Transportation .............................................................................................. 3-35 19 3.7.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-35 20 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-36 21 3.7.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-37 22 3.8 Power and Energy Resources ...................................................................... 3-37 23 3.8.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-38 24 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-38 25 3.8.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-40 26 3.9 Socioeconomic Resources ........................................................................... 3-40 27 3.9.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-40 28 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-41 29 3.9.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-41 30 3.10 Environmental Justice .................................................................................. 3-42 31 3.10.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-42 32 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-42 33 3.10.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-43 34 3.11 Land Use ...................................................................................................... 3-43 35 3.11.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-43 36 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-43 37 3.11.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-44 38 3.12 Agricultural Resources ................................................................................ 3-44 Draft Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Restoration ii – June 2011 Environmental Assessment Table of Contents 1 3.12.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-44 2 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-44 3 3.12.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-45 4 3.13 Utilities ........................................................................................................ 3-45 5 3.13.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-45 6 3.13.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-45 7 3.13.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-46 8 3.14 Earth Sciences .............................................................................................. 3-46 9 3.14.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-46 10 3.14.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-46 11 3.14.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-47 12 3.15 Indian Trust Assets ...................................................................................... 3-47 13 3.15.1 Affected Environment ...................................................................... 3-47 14 3.15.2 Environmental Consequences .......................................................... 3-48 15 3.15.3 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................... 3-48 16 3.16 Population and Housing ..............................................................................