Appendix C Biological Resources Assessment INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK FINAL BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT for the LAGUNA CREEK DIVERSION RETROFIT PROJECT Prepared for: City of Santa Cruz Water Department 212 Locust Street, Suite C Santa Cruz, California 95060 Contact: Jessica Martinez-McKinney Prepared by: 725 Front Street, Suite 400 Santa Cruz, California 95060 Contact: Ryan Henry SEPTEMBER 2020 Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled material. Table of Contents SECTION PAGE NO. 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Location ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Project Description ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2.1 Project Background .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2.2 Proposed Project Description ................................................................................................... 3 1.2.3 Standard Construction Practices ............................................................................................. 5 2 REGULATORY SETTING ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Federal ................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.1.1 Clean Water Act ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.1.2 Federal Endangered Species Act .......................................................................................... 11 2.1.3 Migratory Bird Treaty Act ....................................................................................................... 13 2.2 State ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.1 California Environmental Quality Act .................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 California Endangered Species Act ....................................................................................... 13 2.2.3 California Fish and Game Code ............................................................................................ 14 2.2.4 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act ............................................................................. 14 2.2.5 California Native Plant Protection Act................................................................................... 15 2.2.6 California Coastal Act ............................................................................................................ 15 2.2.7 California Government Code – Local Exemptions ............................................................... 16 2.2.8 California Public Resources Code - Timberland and Forest Land ....................................... 16 2.2.9 California Department of Food and Agriculture Sudden Oak Death Zone of Infestation .. 16 2.3 Local ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.3.1 County of Santa Cruz General Plan and Local Coastal Program ........................................ 17 3 METHODS ................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 Literature Review ................................................................................................................................. 21 3.2 Field Surveys ........................................................................................................................................ 21 3.2.1 Vegetation Communities and Land Covers .......................................................................... 22 3.2.2 Plants ...................................................................................................................................... 22 3.2.3 Wildlife .................................................................................................................................... 23 3.2.4 Aquatic Resources Jurisdictional Delineation ...................................................................... 23 3.2.5 Survey Limitations ................................................................................................................. 25 4 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.1 Vegetation Communities and Land Covers ........................................................................................ 27 4.1.1 Forest and Woodlands Alliances ........................................................................................... 27 4.1.2 Non-Natural Land Covers ...................................................................................................... 28 12287 i September 2020 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT FOR THE LAGUNA CREEK DIVERSION RETROFIT PROJECT 4.2 Plants and Wildlife Observed .............................................................................................................. 28 4.2.1 Plants ...................................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Wildlife .................................................................................................................................... 28 4.3 Special-Status Biological Resources .................................................................................................. 29 4.3.1 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................................................. 30 4.3.2 Special-Status Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 31 4.3.3 Jurisdictional Wetlands and Waters ..................................................................................... 34 4.3.4 Wildlife Corridors/Habitat Linkages...................................................................................... 35 5 PROJECT IMPACTS ...................................................................................................................................... 37 5.1 Impacts to Special-Status Species ..................................................................................................... 38 5.1.1 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................................................. 38 5.1.2 Special-Status Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 39 5.2 Impacts to Sensitive Vegetation Communities .................................................................................. 40 5.2.1 Direct Impacts ........................................................................................................................ 41 5.2.2 Indirect Impacts ..................................................................................................................... 41 5.3 Impacts to Jurisdictional Wetlands and Waters ................................................................................ 41 5.3.1 Direct Impacts ........................................................................................................................ 42 5.3.2 Indirect Impacts ..................................................................................................................... 42 5.4 Impacts to Wildlife Corridors and Migratory Routes .......................................................................... 42 5.4.1 Direct Impacts ........................................................................................................................ 42 5.4.2 Indirect Impacts ..................................................................................................................... 43 5.5 Impacts to Local Policies and Ordinances ......................................................................................... 43 5.6 Impacts to Habitat Conservation Plans .............................................................................................. 44 5.7 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................................. 44 6 FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE AND MITIGATION .................................................................................................. 47 6.1 Explanation of Findings of Significance ............................................................................................. 47 6.2 Impact BIO-1: Special-Status Species ................................................................................................ 48 6.2.1 Special-Status Plants ............................................................................................................. 48 6.2.2 Special-Status Wildlife ..........................................................................................................