20130115-3035 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2013 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER PILOT PROJECT LICENSE Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project—FERC Project No. 12690-005 (DOE/EA-1949) Washington Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20426 U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401 January 15, 2013 20130115-3035 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................... v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 17 1.1 APPLICATION........................................................................................... 17 1.2 PURPOSE OF ACTION AND NEED FOR POWER................................ 17 1.2.1 Purpose of Action .......................................................................... 17 1.2.2 Need for Power.............................................................................. 19 1.3 COOPERATING AGENCY ROLES ......................................................... 20 1.4 STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ....................... 20 1.4.1 Federal Power Act ......................................................................... 22 1.4.2 Clean Water Act ............................................................................ 23 1.4.3 Endangered Species Act................................................................ 23 1.4.4 Marine Mammal Protection Act.................................................... 24 1.4.5 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act . 25 1.4.6 Coastal Zone Management Act ..................................................... 25 1.4.7 National Historic Preservation Act................................................ 26 1.5 PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT ....................................................... 26 1.5.1 Comments on the Draft License Application ................................ 27 1.5.2 Interventions .................................................................................. 28 1.5.3 Comments on the License Application ......................................... 29 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES................................................... 29 2.1 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE.................................................................. 29 2.2 APPLICANT’S PROPOSAL...................................................................... 30 2.2.1 Project Facilities ............................................................................ 30 2.2.2 Project Safety................................................................................. 31 2.2.3 Project Installation and Removal .................................................. 31 2.2.4 Project Operation........................................................................... 33 2.2.5 Project Maintenance ...................................................................... 34 2.2.6 Proposed Environmental Measures ............................................... 36 2.3 STAFF ALTERNATIVE ............................................................................ 37 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS......................................................................... 39 3.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AREA .......................... 39 3.2 SCOPE OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS ................................ 40 3.2.1 Geographic Scope.......................................................................... 40 3.2.2 Temporal Scope............................................................................. 41 3.3 PROPOSED ACTION AND ACTION ALTERNATIVES ....................... 41 i 20130115-3035 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2013 3.3.1 Geologic and Soil Resources......................................................... 42 3.3.1.1 Affected Environment................................................... 42 3.3.1.2 Environmental Effects .................................................. 44 3.3.2 Marine Resources .......................................................................... 48 3.3.2.1 Affected Environment................................................... 48 3.3.2.2 Environmental Effects .................................................. 65 3.3.2.3 Cumulative Effects ....................................................... 95 3.3.3 Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species .................................. 96 3.3.3.1 Affected Environment................................................... 96 3.3.3.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 116 3.3.3.3 Cumulative Effects ..................................................... 122 3.3.4 Terrestrial Resources ................................................................... 122 3.3.4.1 Affected Environment................................................. 122 3.3.4.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 123 3.3.5 Recreation.................................................................................... 125 3.3.5.1 Affected Environment................................................. 125 3.3.5.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 128 3.3.6 Land and Ocean Use.................................................................... 131 3.3.6.1 Affected Environment................................................. 131 3.3.6.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 132 3.3.7 Navigation ................................................................................... 140 3.3.7.1 Affected Environment................................................. 140 3.3.7.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 141 3.3.8 Aesthetic Resources..................................................................... 146 3.3.8.1 Affected Environment................................................. 146 3.3.8.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 147 3.3.9 Cultural Resources....................................................................... 150 3.3.9.1 Affected Environment................................................. 150 3.3.9.2 Environmental Effects ................................................ 153 3.4 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE................................................................ 154 4.0 DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS .......................................................................... 155 4.1 POWER AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT ................ 155 4.2 COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES.................................................... 156 4.3 COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES......................................... 158 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................... 164 5.1 COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES.................................................... 164 5.2 COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................................... 168 5.3 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS ................................................ 175 5.4 FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS ................. 176 5.5 CONSISTENCY WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS............................ 179 ii 20130115-3035 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2013 6.0 FERC FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ........................................... 180 7.0 LITERATURE CITED......................................................................................... 181 8.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................ 201 APPENDIX A.................................................................................................................. 202 iii 20130115-3035 FERC PDF (Unofficial) 01/15/2013 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project (Source: application). ..... 18 Figure 2. Illustration of the OpenHydro turbine (Source: application). .................... 31 Figure 3. OpenHydro Installation Barge (Source: application)................................. 33 Figure 4. ROV image of cobble pavement bottom in project area (Source: applicant). .................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 5. Hjulstrom’s Diagram showing the transport, deposition, and erosion of particles based on particle size and water velocity (Source: www.geographylwc.org.uk). ..................................................................................... 47 Figure 6. Percentile One-third octave levels (TOLs) for ambient noise (25 Hz – 1 kHz) (Source: application). ...................................................................................... 51 Figure 7. Median One-third octave levels (TOLs) for ambient noise (1 kHz – 25 khz) as a function of current velocity (Source: application). ........................................... 51 Figure 8. Probability distribution of turbine source levels (left). Broadband (25 Hz – 25 kHz) one-third octave source levels (right) for select operating percentiles (Source: application). ..............................................................................................