Cumulative Impacts Technical Report 183 North Mobility Project, Travis and Williamson Counties From SH 45/RM 620 to Loop 1 (MoPac) Austin District CSJs: 0151-05-100 & 3136-01-185 February 2016 The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 16, 2014, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT 183 North Mobility Project Cumulative Impacts Technical Report TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 GUIDANCE ......................................................................................................................................... 1 3.0 SUMMARY OF SCOPING ACTIVITES COMPLETED ............................................................................. 2 4.0 RESOURCES ANALYZED FOR CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ....................................................................... 4 5.0 RESOURCES TO BE ANALYZED: CURRENT CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ............................................ 10 5.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ......................................................................................... 10 5.1.1 Jollyville Plateau Salamander .............................................................................................. 10 5.1.2 Endangered Karst Species ................................................................................................... 15 5.2 Edwards Aquifer/Groundwater Resources ................................................................................. 21 5.3 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 25 6.0 DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS ON EACH RESOURCE FROM THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................ 33 6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ......................................................................................... 33 6.1.1 Jollyville Plateau Salamander .............................................................................................. 33 6.1.2 Endangered Karst Species ................................................................................................... 35 6.2 Edwards Aquifer/Groundwater Resources ................................................................................. 36 6.3 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 37 7.0 OTHER ACTIONS – PAST, PRESENT, AND REASONABLY FORESEEABLE – AND THEIR EFFECT ON EACH RESOURCE ......................................................................................................................................... 39 8.0 THE OVERALL EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT COMBINED WITH OTHER ACTIONS ............. 44 8.1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 44 8.2 Jollyville Plateau Salamander ...................................................................................................... 44 8.3 Endangered Karst Species ........................................................................................................... 45 8.4 Edwards Aquifer/Groundwater .................................................................................................. 46 8.5 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 47 9.0 MINIMIZATION AND MITIGATION OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ........................................................ 47 9.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ......................................................................................... 47 9.1.1 Jollyville Plateau Salamander .............................................................................................. 47 9.1.2 Endangered Karst Species ................................................................................................... 48 9.2 Edwards Aquifer/Groundwater Resources ................................................................................. 48 9.3 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 49 10.0 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 50 11.0 GREENHOUSE GASES AND CLIMATE CHANGE ................................................................................ 50 12.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 56 CSJs: 0151-05-100 & 3136-01-185 i February 2016 183 North Mobility Project Cumulative Impacts Technical Report LIST OF TABLES Table 3-1: Public Stakeholder Meetings ....................................................................................................... 3 Table 3-2: Technical Work Group Meetings ................................................................................................. 4 Table 4-1: Resources Analyzed for Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................... 5 Table 5-1: Known Habitat Impacts to Species of Concern (SOC) since Status Reviews ............................. 19 Table 5-2: Known Locations for the Four Karst species of Concern ........................................................... 19 Table 5-3: Known Habitat Contained within Preserves since Recent Species of Concern (SOC) Status Reviews ....................................................................................................................................................... 20 Table 5-4: Impaired Waterways in the Surface Waters RSA ....................................................................... 32 Table 7-1: Current and Historic Population in Burnet, Williamson, and Travis Counties ........................... 39 Table 7-2: Projected Population in Burnet, Williamson, and Travis Counties ............................................ 40 Table 7-3: Percentage of Impervious Cover by County within the RSA…………………………………………………..43 Table 11-1: Estimate Climate Impacts from the NHTSA CAFE Standards for U.S. Passenger Vehicle Fleet54 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Combined RSA Map ................................................................................................................... 111 Figure 2: Jollyville Plateau Salamander RSA Map ........................................ 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Bookmark not defined.2 Figure 3: Karst Invertebrate RSA Map ........................................................................................................ 17 Figure 4: Groundwater RSA Map ................................................................................................................ 22 Figure 5: Surface Water RSA Map ............................................................................................................... 26 Figure 6: Changes to Impervious Cover in the Combined RSA 1992, 2001, 2011 ...................................... 42 Figure 7: The Greenhouse Effect ................................................................................................................ 51 LIST OF ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Planned Projects in the Combined RSA Attachment B: Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Projects Attachment C: Land Cover in the Combined RSA Attachment D: 2035 Regional Tolling Network Analysis CSJs: 0151-05-100 & 3136-01-185 ii February 2016 183 North Mobility Project Cumulative Impacts Technical Report 1.0 INTRODUCTION This technical report describes the detailed analysis conducted to assess cumulative effects associated with the 183 North Mobility Project. It summarizes guidance utilized, project scoping, resources to be analyzed, direct and indirect effects on each resource from the proposed projects, other actions (past, present, and reasonably foreseeable) and their effect on resources, the overall effects of the proposed project combined with other actions, and a discussion of potential mitigation of cumulative effects. 2.0 GUIDANCE The Environmental Assessment described the proposed project and its potential direct effects on the environment. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) defines direct effects as those effects that are “caused by the action and occur at the same time and place” (40 CFR §1508.8). Direct effects are predictable and are a direct result of the project. The Indirect Impacts of the proposed project were assessed in the Indirect Impacts Technical Report. This Cumulative Impacts Technical Report builds on those two analyses. Cumulative effects are defined as effects “on the environment which result from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or person undertakes such other actions. Cumulative impacts can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time.” (NEPA, Section 1508.7, 1978). NEPA case law has emphasized the definition of a “meaningful cumulative effects analysis”, rooted in the 1985 Fritiofson decision which provides: “the CEQ regulations [indicate] that a meaningful cumulative-effects study must