Briggs Road to La Crosse Tap (Q-1D South) 161 kV Transmission Line Rebuild Project La Crosse County, Wisconsin RUS Project Number 1060 Environmental Assessment Prepared for Rural Utilities Service United States Department of Agriculture Submitted by: Dairyland Power Cooperative May 2016 Briggs Road to La Crosse Tap (Q-1D South) 161 kV Transmission Line Rebuild Project Contents Page 1.0 Project Description ...................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Proposed Project .............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Project History .................................................................................................................. 1-2 1.3 Schedule .......................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 Project Location ................................................................................................................ 1-3 1.5 Project Design and Construction ...................................................................................... 1-3 1.5.1 Access Routes and Material Staging ................................................................................ 1-3 1.5.2 Transmission Structures ................................................................................................... 1-4 2.0 Purpose and Need for the Project .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Purpose and Need for DPC’s Action ................................................................................ 2-1 2.1.1 Existing Facilities and Reliability History ........................................................................... 2-2 2.1.2 Contingency Analysis ....................................................................................................... 2-2 2.1.3 Recommended Plan ......................................................................................................... 2-3 2.2 Purpose and Need for RUS’s Action ................................................................................ 2-4 3.0 Alternatives to the Proposed Project ......................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Regional Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.3 Alternative Designs and Construction Methods ................................................................ 3-2 3.4 Alternative Routes Considered ......................................................................................... 3-2 3.4.1 Xcel Energy’s Briggs Road - Mayfair 161 kV Transmission Line Route ............................ 3-2 3.4.2 DPC’s 69 kV Transmission Line Route Alternatives ......................................................... 3-3 3.4.3 Underground Alternative ................................................................................................... 3-9 3.5 No Action Alternative ...................................................................................................... 3-11 4.0 Affected Environment ................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.1 Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 General Land Use ............................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1.2 Important Farmland, Prime Forest Land, and Prime Rangeland ...................................... 4-5 4.1.3 Formally Classified Land .................................................................................................. 4-6 4.2 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 4-6 4.3 Wetlands .......................................................................................................................... 4-7 4.4 Threatened and Endangered Species .............................................................................. 4-8 4.5 Fish and Wildlife Resources ........................................................................................... 4-13 4.6 Floodplains ..................................................................................................................... 4-13 4.7 Water Quality .................................................................................................................. 4-14 4.8 Coastal Areas ................................................................................................................. 4-15 4.9 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................... 4-15 4.10 Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................... 4-15 4.11 Aesthetics ....................................................................................................................... 4-15 i Briggs Road to La Crosse Tap (Q-1D South) 161 kV Transmission Line Rebuild Project 4.12 Socioeconomics and Community Resources ................................................................. 4-16 4.13 Environmental Justice .................................................................................................... 4-16 4.14 Transportation ................................................................................................................ 4-18 4.15 Human Health and Safety............................................................................................... 4-19 4.15.1 Electrical Characteristics ................................................................................................ 4-19 4.16 Corona, Audible Noise, Radio and Television Interference ............................................ 4-20 4.16.1 Corona ............................................................................................................................ 4-20 4.16.2 Audible Noise ................................................................................................................. 4-20 4.16.3 Radio and Television Interference .................................................................................. 4-21 5.0 Environmental Effects ................................................................................................................. 5-1 5.1 Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 General Land Use ............................................................................................................ 5-1 5.1.2 Important Farmland, Prime Forest Land, and Prime Rangeland ...................................... 5-2 5.1.3 Formally Classified Land .................................................................................................. 5-3 5.1.4 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-3 5.2 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 5-3 5.2.1 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-4 5.3 Wetlands .......................................................................................................................... 5-4 5.3.1 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-5 5.4 Threatened and Endangered Species .............................................................................. 5-5 5.4.1 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-7 5.5 Fish and Wildlife Resources ............................................................................................. 5-9 5.5.1 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-9 5.6 Floodplains ....................................................................................................................... 5-9 5.6.1 Mitigation and Monitoring.................................................................................................. 5-9 5.7 Water Quality .................................................................................................................. 5-10 5.7.1 Mitigation and Monitoring................................................................................................ 5-10 5.8 Coastal Areas ................................................................................................................. 5-10 5.9 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................... 5-11 5.9.1 Mitigation and Monitoring................................................................................................ 5-11 5.10 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................