FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BAYOU GRANDE CHENIERE MARSH AND RIDGE RESTORATION BA-173 PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES FIELD OFFICE LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA June 2017 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BAYOU GRANDE CHENIERE MARSH AND RIDGE RESTORATION BA-173 PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA June 2017 Preparer: Angela Trahan Fish and Wildlife Biologist Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services Field Office 646 Cajundome Blvd., Suite 400 Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 Phone: (337) 291-3100 Fax: (337) 291-3139 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION .................................................................... 1 SECTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 SECTION 1.2 PURPOSE OF PROPOSED ACTION ....................................................................... 3 SECTION 1.3 PROBLEM .................................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.4 REQUIRED DECISIONS ........................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.5 COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION ............................................................. 5 SECTION 2.0 ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION .................................................... 6 SECTION 2.1 ALTERNATIVE 1 - NO ACTION.............................................................................. 6 SECTION 2.2 ALTERNATIVE 2 – PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ............................................. 6 SECTION 2.3 OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ............................................................ 10 SECTION 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 10 SECTION 3.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................. 10 A. Hydrology ........................................................................................................................................ 10 B. Water Quality ................................................................................................................................. 11 SECTION 3.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 12 A. Vegetation ....................................................................................................................................... 12 B. Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................... 12 C. Essential Fish Habitat .................................................................................................................... 12 D. Wildlife ............................................................................................................................................ 13 E. Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................................. 14 F. Migratory Bird Treaty Act ............................................................................................................ 15 SECTION 3.3 CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES ........................................... 15 SECTION 3.4 ECONOMIC RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 15 SECTION 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .................................................................................... 16 SECTION 4.1 ALTERNATIVE 1 - NO ACTION............................................................................ 17 A. Physical Environment .................................................................................................................... 17 Hydrology ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................ 17 B. Biological Environment .................................................................................................................. 17 Vegetation ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 Fisheries .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Essential Fish Habitat Assessment ............................................................................................................... 17 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................................... 18 Threatened and Endangered Species ........................................................................................................... 18 C. Cultural and Recreational Resources ............................................................................................ 18 D. Economic Resources ....................................................................................................................... 18 SECTION 4.2 ALTERNATIVE 2 - PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ............................................ 19 A. Physical Environment ..................................................................................................................... 19 Hydrology ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................ 19 B. Biological Environment .................................................................................................................. 19 Vegetation ....................................................................................................................................................... 19 Fisheries .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 Essential Fish Habitat Assessment ............................................................................................................... 20 Wildlife ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 Threatened and Endangered Species ........................................................................................................... 22 C. Cultural and Recreational Resources ........................................................................................... 23 D. Economic Resources ....................................................................................................................... 23 SECTION 5.0 RATIONALE FOR SELECTING PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE ......................................... 24 SECTION 6.0 COMPATIBILITY WITH CWPPRA AND COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES ............................ 27 SECTION 7.0 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES ......................................... 27 SECTION 8.0 PREPARER ..................................................................................................................................... 28 SECTION 9.0 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................. 28 i Appendix A – Detailed Illustrations of Project Features…………………………….…………..A Appendix B – Agency Comments Received ………………….…………………….…………...B FIGURES Figure 1. Project Location within the Barataria Basin………….…………………….…………. 2 Figure 2. Bayou Grande Cheniere Marsh and Ridge Restoration Project Features….……….….3 Figure 3. Region 2 Mapping Unit Boundaries…………………….……………….….………… 5 Figure 4. Marsh Elevation Settlement Curves………………...………………………………… 7 Figure 5. Typical Earthen Ridge Section………………………………………………………… 8 Figure 6. Typical Earthen Terrace Section………………………………………………………. 9 Figure 7. Historic Aerial Imagery (1945) of the Bayou Grande Cheniere Ridge………………25 TABLES Table 1. Evaluation of Water Quality …………………………………………………. .11 Table 2. EFH Requirements for Managed Species that Occur in the Project Area…….. 13 Table 3. Marsh Creation Projects Constructed/Authorized under CWPPRA…….…...... 25 Table 4. Ridge Restoration Projects Constructed/Authorized under CWPPRA............... 26 ii BAYOU GRANDE CHENIERE MARSH AND RIDGE RESTORATION CWPPRA Project BA-173 Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana SECTION 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION SECTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Louisiana accounts for 90 percent (%) of the coastal marsh loss in the lower 48 states (Dahl 2000). The most recent assessment of coastal land loss in Louisiana indicates an annual loss rate of approximately 16.6 square miles per year from 1985 to 2010 (Couvillion et al. 2011). Previous assessments indicated loss rates from approximately 25 square miles per year (Dunbar et al. 1992) to 35 square miles per year (Barras et al. 1994), and statewide coastal wetland loss is projected to be over 10 square miles per year from 2000 to 2050 (Barras et al. 2003). Causes of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands