Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Assessment New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor Massachusetts March 2002 Prepared for: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management 251 Causeway Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114-2119 Prepared by: Maguire Group Inc. 225 Foxborough Boulevard Foxborough, MA 02035 508-543-1700 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Section No. Title Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Purpose and Need............................................................................................. 1-3 1.2.1 Purpose................................................................................................. 1-3 1.2.2 Dredging Need ..................................................................................... 1-3 1.3 Background ...................................................................................................... 1-6 1.3.1 Assessment of Alternative Disposal Sites............................................ 1-6 1.3.2 Identification of the Preferred Alternative ........................................... 1-9 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA ............................................................... 2-1 2.1 Description of the DMMP Disposal Sites........................................................ 2-2 2.1.1 Hydrography ........................................................................................ 2-2 2.1.2 Bathymetry .......................................................................................... 2-5 2.1.3 Sediment Characteristics ..................................................................... 2-5 2.1.4 Water and Sediment Quality ................................................................ 2-6 2.1.5 Habitat Areas of Particular Concern .................................................... 2-11 2.2 Fisheries Resources of the Project Area .......................................................... 2-11 2.2.1 Federally Managed Fish of the New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor......... 2-11 2.2.2 New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor Finfish Community .......................... 2-13 3.0 ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT DESCRIPTIONS FOR FEDERALLY MANAGED FISH SPECIES........................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Atlantic cod ........................................................................................ ............. 3-1 3.2 Haddock ............................................................................................. ............. 3-2 3.3 Red Hake .......................................................................................................... 3-2 3.4 Winter Flounder ............................................................................................... 3-3 3.5 Windowpane Flounder ..................................................................................... 3-3 3.6 American Plaice ............................................................................................... 3-4 3.7 Atlantic Sea Herring......................................................................................... 3-5 3.8 Bluefish ............................................................................................................ 3-5 3.9 Long-finned Squid............................................................................................ 3-6 3.10 Butterfish.......................................................................................................... 3-6 3.11 Atlantic Mackerel............................................................................................. 3-7 3.12 Summer Flounder............................................................................................. 3-8 3.13 Scup .............................................................................................................. 3-9 3.14 Black Sea Bass ................................................................................................. 3-9 Essential Fish Habitat Assessment – New Bedford Fairhaven Harbor DMMP i Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 3.15 Surf Clam ......................................................................................................... 3-10 3.16 King Mackerel.................................................................................................. 3-10 3.17 Spanish Mackerel ............................................................................................. 3-11 3.18 Cobia .............................................................................................................. 3-11 3.19 Sandbar Shark .................................................................................................. 3-11 3.20 Bluefin Tuna..................................................................................................... 3-12 4.0 ANALYSIS OF DREDGING IMPACTS TO FISH AND EFH............................. 4-1 4.1 Impairment of Water Quality ........................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Physical Impairment............................................................................. 4-1 4.1.2 Chemical Impairment........................................................................... 4-2 4.1.3 Biological Impairment.......................................................................... 4-2 4.2 Destruction of Benthic habitat.......................................................................... 4-4 4.2.1 Direct Removal of Benthic Substrate................................................... 4-4 4.2.2 Disposal of Material Onto Benthic Substrate ...................................... 4-5 4.3 Direct and Indirect Effects on Organisms ........................................................ 4-6 4.3.1 Direct Effects........................................................................................ 4-6 4.3.2 Indirect Effects ..................................................................................... 4-6 5.0 INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ........................................................ 5-1 5.1 Fishing Activities and their Potential Effects on Marine EFH......................... 5-1 5.1.1 Over-harvesting.................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.2 Harvest or Impact to Prey Species ....................................................... 5-2 5.1.3 Gear Effects.......................................................................................... 5-2 5.1.3.1 Injury to Fish ........................................................................... 5-3 5.1.3.2 Injury to Fish Habitat .............................................................. 5-4 5.2 Non-Fishing Activities and their Potential Effects on Marine EFH ................ 5-5 5.2.1 Wetland/Estuarine Alteration............................................................... 5-5 5.2.2 Aquaculture .......................................................................................... 5-8 5.2.3 Construction/Urbanization ................................................................... 5-8 5.2.4 Oil and Hazardous/Regulated Material Handling, Processing, Transport, Disposal .............................................................................. 5-10 5.2.5 Introduction/Spread of Invasive, Non-Native Species......................... 5-11 5.2.6 Marina/Dock Construction................................................................... 5-11 5.2.7 Removal of In-water Structures ........................................................... 5-12 5.2.8 Road-building and Maintenance .......................................................... 5-12 5.2.9 Shipping Operations............................................................................. 5-12 5.2.10 Waste Discharges ................................................................................. 5-13 5.2.11 Habitat Restoration............................................................................... 5-13 Essential Fish Habitat Assessment – New Bedford Fairhaven Harbor DMMP ii Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 6.0 MITIGATION ........................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Conformance to Required Permits and Approvals........................................... 6-4 6.2 Development and Adherence to Disposal Site Monitoring Plan...................... 6-4 6.3 CAD Cell Best Management Practices ............................................................ 6-5 6.4 Site Specific Environmental Data .................................................................... 6-6 7.0 CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................... 7-1 8.0 REFERENCES AND LITERATURE CITED ........................................................ 8-1 APPENDIX A Various Contaminant Classes and Some of Their Toxic Effects on Fish and Shellfish Essential Fish Habitat Assessment – New Bedford Fairhaven Harbor DMMP iii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES Figure No. Title ........................................................................................................................ Page 1-1 Project Area Location ............................................................................................