Endangered Species Act - Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion Action Agency: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Activity: Re-licensing of the South Carolina Public Service Authority (SCPSA) Hydroelectric Project (FERC #199-205) Consulting Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Regional Office (SERO), Protected Resources Division (PRD) SERO-2018-00325 Date Issued: ___________________________ Approved By: ___________________________ Roy E. Crabtree, Ph.D. Regional Administrator 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.0 Consultation History ........................................................................................................... 8 2.0 Description of the Proposed Action and Action Area ...................................................... 12 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................................ 12 2.1.1 Project History .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.1.2 Current Fish Passage ..................................................................................................................... 14 2.1.3 FERC Proposed License ............................................................................................................... 16 2.1.3.1 License Term ............................................................................................................................. 16 2.1.3.2 Formalize Existing Rule Curve .................................................................................................. 16 2.1.3.4 Drought Contingency Plan, Operations and Flow Monitoring Plan, and Adaptive Management Program ................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.4 Proposed Fish Passage/Relocation/Management ........................................................................... 18 2.1.5 Sturgeon Enhancement Plan .......................................................................................................... 28 2.2 Action Area ....................................................................................................................................... 28 3.0 Status of Listed Species and Critical Habitat .................................................................... 31 3.1 Species (DPSs) and Designated Critical Habitat Not Likely to be Adversely Affected ................... 31 3.2 Species Likely to be Adversely Affected .......................................................................................... 34 4.0 Environmental Baseline .................................................................................................... 55 4.1 Status of Species in the Action Area ................................................................................................. 55 4.2 Factors Affecting Sturgeon within the Action Area ......................................................................... 56 5.0 Effects of the Action ......................................................................................................... 65 5.1 Stressors ............................................................................................................................................ 66 5.2 Exposure ........................................................................................................................................... 66 5.3 Response ........................................................................................................................................... 84 6.0 Cumulative Effects............................................................................................................ 90 7.0 Jeopardy Analyses ............................................................................................................ 92 7.1 Shortnose Sturgeon ........................................................................................................................... 92 7.2 Atlantic Sturgeon Carolina DPS ....................................................................................................... 97 8.0 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 101 9.0 Incidental Take Statement............................................................................................... 102 9.1 Anticipated Amount of Incidental Take .......................................................................................... 102 9.2 Effect of the Take ............................................................................................................................ 103 9.3 Reasonable and Prudent Measures (RPMs) .................................................................................... 103 9.4 Terms and Conditions ..................................................................................................................... 104 10.0 Conservation Recommendations .................................................................................... 109 2 11.0 Reinitiation of Consultation ............................................................................................ 110 12.0 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................... 111 Appendix A Outcomes Document 3 List of Frequently Used Acronyms BMP Best Management Practice CFR Code of Federal Regulations DPS Distinct Population Segment ESA Endangered Species Act FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FPA Federal Power Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service RMT Resource Management Team RTE rare, threatened, endangered species SCDNR South Carolina Department of Natural Resources SCPSA South Carolina Public Service Authority USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service YOY young-of-the-year Units of Measurement °C Degrees Celsius °F Degrees Fahrenheit cm Centimeter(s) ft Feet ft2 Square feet in Inch(es) g Grams kg Kilograms lb Pound(s) mi Mile(s) mi2 Square mile(s) LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 SCPSA Hydroelectric Project Area Figure 2.2 Dams and Hydroelectric Stations within the Action Area Figure 3.1 Carolina Unit 7 Figure 3.2 The North American Atlantic coast depicting 3 Shortnose Sturgeon Metapopulations Figure 3.3 The Carolina DPS, including the adjacent portion of the marine range Figure 5.1 The Fish Lift at the St. Stephen facility Located on the Re-Diversion Canal Figure 5.2 The Navigation Lock at the Pinopolis Dam between Cooper River and Lake Moultrie 4 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 ESA-Listed That May Occur In The Action Area and Assessed in this Consultation Table 3.2. Designated Critical Habitat In The Action Area and Assessed in this Consultation Table 3.3 Shortnose Sturgeon Populations and Their Estimated Abundances Table 3.4 Projected Temperature Increase in the Southeast Under Two Model Projections and Time Series Table 4.1 Summary of ESA Section 7 Consultations for Sturgeon Conducted in Santee River Basin 2002-2016 Table 4.2 Relevant Shortnose Sturgeon Research Permits Authorized for Research Activities Utilizing Wild Fish Under ESA Section 10 (a)(1)(A) permits Table 4.3 Relevant Atlantic sturgeon – Carolina DPS Research Permits Authorized for Research Activities Utilizing Wild Fish Under ESA Section 10 (a)(1)(A) Permits Table 9.1 Summary of Anticipated Annual Take Estimates 5 Introduction Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.), requires each federal agency to insure that any action that it authorizes, funds, or carries out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of any critical habitat of such species. To fulfill this obligation, Section 7(a)(2) requires federal agencies to consult with the appropriate Secretary on any action they propose that “may affect” listed species or designated critical habitat. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) share responsibilities for administering the ESA. Consultations on most listed marine species and their designated critical habitat are conducted between the action agency and NMFS. The consultation is concluded after NMFS concurs with an action agency that its action is not likely to adversely affect listed species or critical habitat or issues a Biological Opinion (“Opinion”) that identifies whether a proposed action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species, or destroy or adversely modify its critical habitat. If jeopardy or destruction or adverse modification is found to be likely, the Opinion identifies reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) to the action as proposed, if any, that can avoid jeopardizing listed species or resulting in the destruction/adverse modification of critical habitat. The Opinion states the amount or extent of incidental take of the listed species that may occur, specifies reasonable and prudent measures (RPMs) that are required to minimize the impacts of incidental take and monitoring to validate the expected effects of the action, and recommends conservation measures to further