Draft Environmental Assessment for the Little Wood River Irrigation District Pressurized Pipeline Irrigation Delivery System U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Pacific Northwest Region Snake River Area March 2010 The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to tribes. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Draft Environmental Assessment for the Little Wood River Irrigation District Pressurized Pipeline Irrigation Delivery System U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Pacific Northwest Region Snake River Area March 2010 Draft Environmental Assessment Little Wood River Irrigation District Pressurized Pipeline Project Acronyms and Abbreviations BLM U.S. Bureau of Land Management BPC Bonneville Pacific Corporation cfs cubic feet per second DEQ Idaho Department of Environmental Quality DPS Distinct Population Segment EA environmental assessment EIS environmental impact statement EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact IDFG Idaho Department of Fish and Game IDWR Idaho Department of Water Resources kWh kilowatt-hours LWRID Little Wood River Irrigation District NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service NRHP National Register of Historic Places PEM palustrine emergent PSS palustrine scrub-shrub Reclamation U.S. Bureau of Reclamation RPW Relatively Permanent Water SCI Soil Condition Index SHPO State Historic Preservation Office SISL Surface Irrigation Soil Loss Model TMDL Total Daily Maximum Load TNW Traditional Navigable Water USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey Acronyms and Abbreviations iii Draft Environmental Assessment Little Wood River Irrigation District Pressurized Pipeline Project Contents Chapter Page Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................... iii 1.0 Introduction and Background ...................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 General................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Location ............................................................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Background.......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.4 Proposed Action and Project Description............................................................ 1-3 1.5 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................ 1-4 1.6 Public Involvement .............................................................................................. 1-4 1.7 Permits ................................................................................................................. 1-9 2.0 Alternatives..................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 General................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Description of the Proposed Action..................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Courses of Action or Alternatives ....................................................................... 2-1 2.3.1 No Action Alternative........................................................................... 2-2 2.3.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................... 2-2 2.4 Alternatives Eliminated from Further Study ....................................................... 2-3 2.5 Summary of Impacts ............................................................................................ 2-3 3.0 Affected Environment ................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Overview............................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Resource Areas not Discussed in Detail............................................... 3-1 3.2 Soils ..................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.1 Affected Environment........................................................................... 3-3 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................... 3-4 3.3 Water Resources .................................................................................................. 3-7 3.3.1 Affected Environment........................................................................... 3-7 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-11 3.4 Fisheries ............................................................................................................. 3-16 3.4.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-16 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-17 3.5 Vegetation.......................................................................................................... 3-19 3.5.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-19 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-25 3.6 Wildlife .............................................................................................................. 3-27 3.6.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-27 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-28 Contents v Draft Environmental Assessment Little Wood River Irrigation District Pressurized Pipeline Project Chapter Page 3.7 Federally Protected Species ............................................................................... 3-30 3.7.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-30 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-31 3.8 Wetlands ............................................................................................................ 3-35 3.8.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-35 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-37 3.9 Recreation .......................................................................................................... 3-39 3.9.1 Affected Environment......................................................................... 3-39 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................. 3-40 3.10 Land Use .......................................................................................................... 3-42 3.10.1 Affected Environment....................................................................... 3-42 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-43 3.11 Visual Resources.............................................................................................. 3-45 3.11.1 Existing Environment ....................................................................... 3-45 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-46 3.12 Socioeconomics ............................................................................................... 3-48 3.12.1 Affected Environment....................................................................... 3-48 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-50 3.13 Transportation and Traffic ............................................................................... 3-51 3.13.1 Affected Environment....................................................................... 3-51 3.13.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-51 3.14 Energy.............................................................................................................. 3-53 3.14.1 Affected Environment....................................................................... 3-53 3.14.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-53 3.15 Cultural Resources........................................................................................... 3-55 3.15.1 Affected Environment....................................................................... 3-55 3.15.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................... 3-57 3.16 Environmental Justice...................................................................................... 3-58 3.16.1 Existing Environment ......................................................................