US Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District Draft Environmental Impact Statement Kansas River Commercial Sand and Gravel Dredging Proposed by Kansas Aggregates Producers Association: Kaw Valley Companies, Inc.; Holliday Sand & Gravel Company; Master’s Dredging; Builder’s Choice Aggregates; and LBB L.L.C. October 2016 This Page Intentionally Left Blank Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 Introduction .........................................................................1-1 1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Regulatory Authority .................................................................................................1-1 1.3 National Environmental Policy Act ...........................................................................1-2 1.4 Commercial Dredging History and Background .......................................................1-3 1.4.1 Overview of the Kansas River ......................................................................1-4 1.4.2 Overview of Kansas River Sand and Gravel Dredging Operations ..............1-8 1.4.3 History of Commercial Dredging...................................................................1-9 1.4.4 Bed Degradation.........................................................................................1-14 1.4.5 Dredging Areas Closed Prior to 2007 Permit Decision ...............................1-16 1.4.6 Current Dredging Areas ..............................................................................1-16 1.4.7 Processing Plant Sites ................................................................................1-21 1.5 Purpose and Need .................................................................................................1-21 1.5.1 Project Purpose ..........................................................................................1-21 1.5.2 Project Need ...............................................................................................1-22 1.6 Environmental Impact Statement Overview ...........................................................1-22 CHAPTER 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives ....................................2-1 2.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................2-2 2.3 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................................2-7 2.3.1 Alternate Sources of Sand and Gravel .........................................................2-8 2.4 Reduced Limit Alternative ......................................................................................2-19 2.5 Other Alternatives Considered ...............................................................................2-21 2.5.1 Sediment Budget for Each Individual Dredging Area on the Kansas River 2-21 2.5.2 Dredging in Kansas Reservoirs ..................................................................2-23 2.5.3 Smaller Rivers in Kansas and Missouri, and the Arkansas River Floodplain . 2-26 CHAPTER 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 3.1-1 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3.1-1 3.2 Geology and Geomorphology ............................................................................... 3.2-1 OCTOBER 2016 I DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT KANSAS RIVER COMMERCIAL DREDGING TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.2.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.2-1 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................. 3.2-33 3.3 Land Use ............................................................................................................... 3.3-1 3.3.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.3-1 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.3-4 3.4 Infrastructure ......................................................................................................... 3.4-1 3.4.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.4-1 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.4-4 3.5 Economics and Demographics ............................................................................. 3.5-1 3.5.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.5-2 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................. 3.5-27 3.6 Water Resources .................................................................................................. 3.6-1 3.6.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.6-1 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.6-9 3.7 Recreation ............................................................................................................. 3.7-1 3.7.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.7-2 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.7-9 3.8 Wetlands ............................................................................................................... 3.8-1 3.8.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.8-1 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.8-1 3.9 Floodplains ............................................................................................................ 3.9-1 3.9.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................ 3.9-1 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................... 3.9-3 3.10 Terrestrial and Aquatic Resources ...................................................................... 3.10-1 3.10.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.10-1 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................... 3.10-15 3.11 Federally Listed Species ..................................................................................... 3.11-1 3.11.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.11-1 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................... 3.11-14 3.12 Cultural Resources .............................................................................................. 3.12-1 3.12.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.12-1 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................. 3.12-3 3.13 Noise ................................................................................................................... 3.13-1 3.13.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.13-1 3.13.2 Environmental Consequences................................................................. 3.13-3 OCTOBER 2016 II DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT KANSAS RIVER COMMERCIAL DREDGING TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.14 Air Quality............................................................................................................ 3.14-1 3.14.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.14-1 3.14.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 3.14-5 3.15 Climate Change ................................................................................................... 3.15-1 3.15.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................. 3.15-1 3.15.2 Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 3.15-3 CHAPTER 4 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................4-1 4.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................4-1 4.2 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ...................................4-2 4.2.1 Channel Modification ....................................................................................4-2 4.2.2 Reservoir Construction and Operation .........................................................4-3 4.2.3 Flood Control Levees ...................................................................................4-3 4.2.4 Municipal Water Supply ................................................................................4-3 4.2.5 Irrigation........................................................................................................4-4 4.2.6 Agriculture ....................................................................................................4-4 4.2.7 Urbanization