A-MILL ARTIST LOFTS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (FERC No. 14628) MINNEAPOLIS LEASED HOUSING ASSOCIATES IV, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Prepared for MINNEAPOLIS LEASED HOUSING ASSOCIATES IV, Limited Partnership Minneapolis, Minnesota Prepared by: HDR ENGINEERING March 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Application ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose of Action and Need for Power ............................................................................ 2 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 ................................................................................. 5 1.3.5 National Historic Preservation Act ........................................................................... 5 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................................ 7 2.1 No-action Alternative ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Proposed Project Facilities ........................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Proposed Project Operation .................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Proposed Project Boundary..................................................................................... 12 2.2.4 Proposed Environmental Measures......................................................................... 12 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS .................................................................................. 17 3.1 General Description of the River Basin ......................................................................... 17 3.2 Scope of Cumulative Effects Analysis ........................................................................... 18 3.2.1 Geographic Scope ................................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Temporal Scope ...................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Environmental Analysis of the Proposed Action ........................................................... 19 3.3.1 Geologic and Soil Resources .................................................................................. 19 3.3.2 Water Resources ..................................................................................................... 22 3.3.3 Aquatic Resources .................................................................................................. 27 3.3.4 Terrestrial Resources .............................................................................................. 45 3.3.5 Threatened and Endangered Species ...................................................................... 52 3.3.6 Recreation and Land Use ........................................................................................ 60 3.3.7 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................. 68 3.3.8 Aesthetic Resources ................................................................................................ 95 3.3.9 Socioeconomics ...................................................................................................... 97 4.0 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 99 A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric Project Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV, Limited Partnership March 2015 i 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................... 100 5.1 Unavoidable Adverse Effects ....................................................................................... 100 5.2 Recommendations of Fish and Wildlife Agencies ....................................................... 100 5.3 Consistency with Comprehensive Plans ...................................................................... 101 6.0 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT .............................................................. 103 7.0 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................. 105 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1. Location of the A-Mill Hydroelectric Project. ............................................................10 Figure 3-1. Monthly Flows of the Mississippi River at USGS gauge number 05288500 (FERC 2014). .........................................................................................................23 Figure 3-2. Mussel survey locations upstream and downstream of the Project............................34 Figure 3-3. Mussel abundance from upstream sampling. .............................................................34 Figure 3-4. Mussel abundance from downstream sampling. ........................................................35 Figure 3-5. Wetlands in proximity to the A-Mill Hydroelectric Project. .....................................47 Figure 3-6. Recreational areas within the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park (MPRB Undatedb.) ................................................................................................65 Figure 3-7. Area of Potential Effects. ...........................................................................................71 Figure 3-8. Key to Project Features. .............................................................................................83 LIST OF TABLES Table 3-1. FERC-licensed hydroelectric projects on the UMR (upstream to downstream) (FERC 2014). ...................................................................................18 Table 3-2. List of target species for MLHA’s entrainment analysis study ...................................28 Table 3-3. Swim speed information for fish species in the Project vicinity. ................................29 Table 3-4. Minimum fish length protected by 1.25-inch trashrack spacing. ................................31 Table 3-5. Collection results from a mussel survey in the Project vicinity completed on August 19-20, 2014. ..........................................................................................32 Table 3-6. Target species sustained and prolonged swim speeds. ................................................42 Table 3-7. Representative reptile and amphibian species found within the Twin Cities area (Hickok and Associates 1977)........................................................................49 Table 3-8. Minnesota State Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Potentially Occurring in Hennepin County. .............................................................................55 Table 3-9. Statewide minimum shoreland standards for rivers (MDNR 2015). ...........................66 A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric Project Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV, Limited Partnership March 2015 ii Table 3-10. Summary of Properties in APE and Effects of the Project ........................................84 Table 3-11. Specific time periods for providing a minimum flow (approximately 100 cfs) sufficient to maintain a 2-inch depth across the crest of the main spillway as specified in the FERC license for Project No. 2056. ..........................96 Table 3-12. Socioeconomics for the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota. (U.S. Census Bureau 2014) ....................................................................................98 Table 6-1. NEPA intensity criteria associated with the Project. .................................................103 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Best Management Practices and Revegetation Plan Appendix B Consultation Record and Agency Comments Appendix C Environmental Study Reports Appendix D Minnesota Environmental Assessment Worksheet and Joint Permit Appendix E Cultural Resources Reports Appendix F Signage Location and Example A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric Project Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV, Limited Partnership March 2015 iii This page intentionally left blank. A-Mill Artist Lofts Hydroelectric Project Minneapolis Leased Housing Associates IV, Limited Partnership March 2015 iv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Acronym Definition ALP Alternative Licensing Process AFAP Aesthetic Flow Adequacy Plan APE Area of Potential Effect BMP best management practice cfs Cubic feet per second Corps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CWA Clean Water Act CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act DO Dissolved oxygen EA Environmental Assessment FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FPA Federal Power Act °F Degrees Fahrenheit Ft Feet fps Feet per second kW Kilowatt HPC Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission LFCMP Low Flow Contingency Management Plan MCES Metropolitan Council for Environmental Sciences, formally Metropolitan