ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER LICENSE Gonzales Project FERC Project No. 2960-006 Texas Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 October 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Application .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Action and Need For Power ........................................................ 1 1.2.1 Purpose of Action ............................................................................ 1 1.2.2 Need for Power ................................................................................ 3 1.3 Statutory and Regulatory Requirements ....................................................... 3 1.3.1 Federal Power Act ........................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Clean Water Act .............................................................................. 4 1.3.3 Endangered Species Act .................................................................. 4 1.3.4 Coastal Zone Management Act ....................................................... 4 1.3.5 National Historic Preservation Act .................................................. 5 1.4 Public Review and Comment ........................................................................ 6 1.4.1 Scoping ............................................................................................ 6 1.4.2 Interventions .................................................................................... 6 1.4.3 Comments on the License Application ........................................... 7 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ..................................................... 7 2.1 No-action Alternative .................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Existing Project Facilities and Project Boundary ............................ 7 2.1.2 Project Safety ................................................................................... 9 2.1.3 Existing Project Operation .............................................................. 9 2.2 Applicant’s Proposal ................................................................................... 10 2.2.1 Proposed Project Facilities ............................................................ 10 2.2.2 Proposed Project Operation ........................................................... 10 2.2.3 Proposed Environmental Measures ............................................... 11 2.3 Staff Alternative .......................................................................................... 11 2.4 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study .................... 12 2.4.1 Project Decommissioning .............................................................. 12 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 13 3.1 General Description of the River Basin ...................................................... 14 3.2 Scope of Cumulative Effects Analysis ........................................................ 16 3.2.1 Geographic Scope .......................................................................... 16 3.2.2 Temporal Scope ............................................................................. 16 3.3 Proposed Action and Action Alternatives ................................................... 17 3.3.1 Geology and Soils.......................................................................... 17 3.3.2 Aquatic Resources ......................................................................... 19 3.3.3 Terrestrial Resources ..................................................................... 78 3.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................. 96 3.3.5 Recreation and Land Use............................................................... 97 3.3.6 Cultural Resources ....................................................................... 102 i 3.4 No-action Alternative ................................................................................ 104 4.0 DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 104 4.1 Power and Developmental Benefits of the Project.................................... 105 4.2 Comparison of Alternatives ...................................................................... 106 4.2.1 No-action Alternative .................................................................. 107 4.2.2 Applicants’ Proposal ................................................................... 107 4.2.3 Staff Alternative .......................................................................... 108 4.3 Cost of Environmental Measures .............................................................. 108 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................... 112 5.1 Comprehensive Development and Recommended Alternative ................ 112 5.1.1 Measures Proposed by the Applicant .......................................... 112 5.1.2 Additional Staff-recommended Measures ................................... 113 5.1.3 Measures Not Recommended by Staff ........................................ 119 5.2 Unavoidable Adverse Effects .................................................................... 119 5.3 Fish and Wildlife Agency Recommendations ........................................... 120 5.4 Consistency with Comprehensive Plans ................................................... 120 6.0 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ...................................................... 121 7.0 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................... 121 8.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................ 131 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1. Gonzales Project location. ............................................................................... 2 Figure 2-1. Gonzales Project facilities ............................................................................... 8 Figure 3-1. Representative flow data collected at 15-minute intervals at USGS gauge number 08173900 located about 1 mile downstream from the Gonzales Project. ......................................................................................................... 21 Figure 3-2. Water quality monitoring sites....................................................................... 24 Figure 3-3. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Gonzales Project impoundment and downstream ................................................................................................. 26 Figure 3-4. Water temperature in the Gonzales Project reservoir and downstream ........ 27 Figure 3-5. Photo of ramp traps used in the tailrace to target American eels .................. 35 Figure 3-6. The percent of time that flow is in the specified ranges at the project based on data from 1997 to 2018 at USGS gauge 08173900 ................................ 47 Figure 3-7. Downstream flows at the project under existing operation and simulated proposed operation when inflow is less than 555 cfs .................................. 49 Figure 3-8. Downstream flows at the project under existing operation and simulated proposed impoundment fluctuations when inflow is greater than 277 cfs.. 50 Figure 3-9. The relationship between DO measured by the City (2018) and flow (USGS gauge number 08173900) in the project tailrace from October 21, 2016 to October 21, 2017. ...................................................................................... 52 Figure 3-10. Downstream flows at the project under existing operation (i.e., USGS gauge number 08173900) and simulated proposed operation when inflow is in a range between 555 cfs and 830 cfs. ............................................................. 55 Figure 3-11. Downstream flows at the project under existing operation (i.e., USGS gauge number 08173900) and simulated proposed operation when inflow is in a range between 278 cfs and 554 cfs. ............................................................. 56 Figure 3-12. Downstream flows at the project under existing operation (i.e., USGS gauge number 08173900) and simulated proposed operation when inflow is less than 278 cfs ................................................................................................. 58 Figure 3-13. Location of project trash racks .................................................................... 65 iii Figure 3-14. Map showing extent of alligatorweed identified within the Gonzales Project area in the vicinity of the “Come and Take It” kayak dock ........................ 83 Figure 3-15. Locations of amphibian, reptile and avian fauna identified from the project area .............................................................................................................. 85 Figure 3-16 Project recreation facilities ........................................................................... 99 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1. The number of turbine units operating and outflow released into the tailrace during the City’s proposed operations ........................................................ 11 Table 3-1. Monthly flow data (cfs) from 1997-2018 at USGS gauge number Guadalupe River near Gonzales, Texas ........................................................................