BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE MPWSP TEMPORARY SLANT TEST WELL PROJECT MARINA, CALIFORNIA Prepared by: Zander Associates 4460 Redwood Hwy, Suite 16-240 San Rafael, CA 94903 Submitted to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District 1455 Market Street San Francisco, California 94103 On behalf of: RBF Consulting 40810 County Center Drive, Suite 100 Temecula, California 92591 July 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Overview ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Threatened or Endangered Species that May Be Affected ............................................... 1 1.3 Critical Habitat ................................................................................................................. 5 2.0 CONSULTATION TO DATE ............................................................................................ 5 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION .............................................................. 6 3.1 Access .............................................................................................................................. 6 3.2 Restricted Construction Area ........................................................................................... 6 3.3 Project Facilities ............................................................................................................... 6 3.3.1 Temporary Slant Test Well and Well-head Facilities ................................................. 9 3.3.2 Monitoring Wells ........................................................................................................ 9 3.3.3 Electrical Power Supply .............................................................................................. 9 3.3.4 Test Water Disposal Facilities .................................................................................... 9 3.4 Project Phasing and Scheduling ..................................................................................... 10 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION AREA ...................................................................... 10 4.1 Location and General Characteristics ............................................................................ 10 4.2 Cemex Operations Area ................................................................................................. 10 4.3 Slant Test Well ............................................................................................................... 12 5.0 SPECIES ACCOUNTS AND STATUS IN THE ACTION AREA ................................. 14 5.1 Smith's Blue Butterfly .................................................................................................... 14 5.1.1 Status and Description .............................................................................................. 14 5.1.2 Distribution and Habitat ............................................................................................ 14 5.1.3 Life History ............................................................................................................... 15 5.1.4 Threats to Survival .................................................................................................... 15 5.1.5 Occurrence within the Action Area .......................................................................... 15 5.2 Western Snowy Plover ................................................................................................... 17 5.2.1 Status and Description .............................................................................................. 17 5.2.2 Distribution and Habitat ............................................................................................ 17 5.2.3 Life History ............................................................................................................... 18 5.2.4 Threats to Survival .................................................................................................... 19 5.2.5 Occurrence within the Action Area .......................................................................... 19 5.3 Yadon's Wallflower ....................................................................................................... 20 5.3.1 Status and Description .............................................................................................. 20 5.3.2 Distribution and Habitat ............................................................................................ 22 5.3.3 Life History ............................................................................................................... 22 5.3.4 Threats to Survival .................................................................................................... 22 5.3.5 Occurrence within the Action Area .......................................................................... 23 5.4 Monterey Gilia ............................................................................................................... 23 5.4.1 Status and Description .............................................................................................. 23 5.4.2 Distribution and Habitat ............................................................................................ 23 i 5.4.3 Life History ............................................................................................................... 24 5.4.4 Threats to Survival .................................................................................................... 24 5.4.5 Occurrence within the Action Area .......................................................................... 24 5.5 Monterey Spineflower .................................................................................................... 25 5.5.1 Status and Description .............................................................................................. 25 5.5.2 Distribution and Habitat ............................................................................................ 25 5.5.3 Life History ............................................................................................................... 25 5.5.4 Threats to Survival .................................................................................................... 26 5.5.5 Occurrence within the Action Area .......................................................................... 26 6.0 POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ON LISTED SPECIES ......... 26 6.1 Effects on Listed Plants.................................................................................................. 26 6.2 Effects on Listed Animals .............................................................................................. 27 6.2.1 Smith’s blue butterfly................................................................................................ 27 6.2.2 Western snowy plover ............................................................................................... 27 6.3 Effects on Critical Habitat ............................................................................................. 28 6.3.1 Monterey spineflower ............................................................................................... 28 6.3.2 Western snowy plover ............................................................................................... 29 7.0 MINIMIZATION AND MITIGATION MEASURES ..................................................... 29 7.1 Monterey Spineflower .................................................................................................... 30 7.1.1 Pre-construction flagging .......................................................................................... 30 7.1.2 Habitat avoidance ...................................................................................................... 30 7.1.3 Timing of construction and operation ....................................................................... 30 7.1.4 Biological resource education and monitoring ......................................................... 30 7.2 Smith’s Blue Butterfly ................................................................................................... 30 7.2.1 Pre-construction surveys ........................................................................................... 30 7.2.2 Avoidance of buckwheat ........................................................................................... 30 7.2.3 Timing of construction and operation ....................................................................... 31 7.2.4 Biological resource education and monitoring ......................................................... 31 7.3 Western Snowy Plover ................................................................................................... 31 7.3.1 Timing of construction and operation ....................................................................... 31 7.3.2 Project siting and configuration ................................................................................ 31 7.3.3 Construction limits .................................................................................................... 31 7.3.4 Trash and fuel management ...................................................................................... 32 7.3.5 Work area recontouring ...........................................................................................