Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Final EIS/OEIS October 2018 Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .......................................... 3-1 3.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3-1 3.0.1 Navy Compiled and Generated Data ..................................................................... 3-1 3.0.1.1 Marine Species Monitoring and Research Programs ............................ 3-2 3.0.1.2 Navy’s Quantitative Analysis to Determine Impacts to Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals .................................................................................. 3-2 3.0.1.3 Aquatic Habitats Database .................................................................... 3-7 3.0.2 Ecological Characterization of the Study Area ....................................................... 3-7 3.0.2.1 Biogeographic Classifications................................................................. 3-8 3.0.2.2 Bathymetry .......................................................................................... 3-11 3.0.2.3 Currents, Circulation Patterns, and Water Masses ............................. 3-14 3.0.2.4 Ocean Fronts ........................................................................................ 3-21 3.0.2.5 Water Column Characteristics and Processes ..................................... 3-21 3.0.2.6 Abiotic Substrate ................................................................................. 3-22 3.0.3 Overall Approach to Analysis ............................................................................... 3-24 3.0.3.1 Resources and Issues Evaluated .......................................................... 3-25 3.0.3.2 Resources and Issues Eliminated from Further Consideration ............ 3-25 3.0.3.3 Identifying Stressors for Analysis ......................................................... 3-25 3.0.3.4 Resource-Specific Impacts Analysis for Individual Stressors ............... 3-87 3.0.3.5 Resource-Specific Impacts Analysis for Multiple Stressors ................. 3-88 3.0.3.6 Biological Resource Methods .............................................................. 3-89 List of Figures Figure 3.0-1: Large Marine Ecosystem of the Hawaii Range Complex ...................................................... 3-9 Figure 3.0-2: Large Marine Ecosystem of the Southern California Portion of the HSTT Study Area ....... 3-10 Figure 3.0-3: Three-Dimensional Representation of the Intertidal Zone (Shoreline), Continental Margin, Abyssal Zone, and Water Column Zones ............................................................................ 3-12 Figure 3.0-4: Bathymetry of the Main Hawaiian Islands ......................................................................... 3-13 Figure 3.0-5: Bathymetry of the Eastern Part of the Southern California Portion of the Study Area ..... 3-15 Figure 3.0-6: Surface Circulation in the Hawaiian Islands ........................................................................ 3-17 Figure 3.0-7: Surface Circulation in the Southern California Portion of the HSTT Study Area ................ 3-18 Figure 3.0-8: The North Pacific Transition Zone ...................................................................................... 3-19 Figure 3.0-9: Average Sea Surface Temperature in the Study Area (2011–2015) ................................... 3-23 i Table of Contents Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Final EIS/OEIS October 2018 Figure 3.0-10: HSTT Surface Ship Traffic By Percent Ship-Hours 2011-2015 ........................................... 3-41 Figure 3.0-11: Relative Distribution of Commercial Vessel Traffic in the Hawaii Range Complex .......... 3-44 Figure 3.0-12: Relative Distribution of Commercial Vessel Traffic in the Southern California Portion of the Study Area .................................................................................................................... 3-45 Figure 3.0-13: Relative Distribution of U.S. Navy Vessel Traffic in the Hawaii-Range Complex .............. 3-46 Figure 3.0-14: Relative Distribution of U.S. Navy Vessel Traffic in the Southern California Portion of the Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 3-47 Figure 3.0-15: Gun Blast and Projectile from a 5"/54 Navy Gun ............................................................. 3-53 Figure 3.0-16: Sonobuoy Launch Depicting the Relative Size of a Decelerator/Parachute ..................... 3-80 Figure 3.0-17: Aerial Target (Drone) with Parachute Deployed .............................................................. 3-81 Figure 3.0-18: Flow Chart of the Evaluation Process of Sound-Producing Activities .............................. 3-91 Figure 3.0-19: Two Hypothetical Threshold Shifts ................................................................................... 3-94 List of Tables Table 3.0-1: Sonar and Transducer Sources Quantitatively Analyzed ..................................................... 3-30 Table 3.0-2: Sonar and Transducers Qualitatively Analyzed.................................................................... 3-37 Table 3.0-3: Training and Testing Air Gun Sources Quantitatively Analyzed in the Study Area .............. 3-38 Table 3.0-4: Elevated Causeway System Pile Driving and Removal Underwater Sound Levels .............. 3-39 Table 3.0-5: Summary of Pile Driving and Removal Activities per 24-Hour Period ................................. 3-39 Table 3.0-6: Interpolated Ship-Hours from 2011 to 2015 Positional Records in the Study Area ............ 3-40 Table 3.0-7: Median Surface Ship Speeds for Hawaii and Southern California 2011–2015 .................... 3-42 Table 3.0-8: Representative Aircraft Sound Characteristics .................................................................... 3-48 Table 3.0-9: Sonic Boom Underwater Sound Levels Modeled for F/A-18 Hornet Supersonic Flight ...... 3-51 Table 3.0-10: Example Weapons Noise ................................................................................................... 3-52 Table 3.0-11: Explosive Sources Quantitatively Analyzed that Could Be Used Underwater or at the Water Surface ..................................................................................................................... 3-56 Table 3.0-12: Typical Air Explosive Munitions During Navy Activities ..................................................... 3-57 Table 3.0-13: Events Including In-Water Electromagnetic Devices ......................................................... 3-58 Table 3.0-14: Events Including High-Energy Lasers ................................................................................. 3-60 Table 3.0-15: Representative Vessel Types, Lengths, and Speeds .......................................................... 3-61 Table 3.0-16: Number and Location of Events Including Vessels ............................................................ 3-62 Table 3.0-17: Representative Types, Sizes, and Speeds of In-Water Devices.......................................... 3-63 Table 3.0-18: Number and Location of Events Including In-Water Devices ............................................ 3-64 Table 3.0-19: Number and Location of Non-Explosive Practice Munitions Expended During Training Activities .............................................................................................................................. 3-64 Table 3.0-20: Number and Location of Non-Explosive Practice Munitions Expended During Testing Activities .............................................................................................................................. 3-65 Table 3.0-21: Number and Location of Explosives that May Result in Fragments Used During Training Activities .............................................................................................................................. 3-67 ii Table of Contents Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing Final EIS/OEIS October 2018 Table 3.0-22: Number and Location of Explosives that May Result in Fragments Used During Testing Activities .............................................................................................................................. 3-68 Table 3.0-23: Number and Location of Targets Expended During Training Activities ............................. 3-69 Table 3.0-24: Number and Location of Targets Expended During Testing Activities .............................. 3-70 Table 3.0-25: Number and Location of Other Military Materials Expended During Training Activities .. 3-71 Table 3.0-26: Number and Location of Other Military Materials Expended During Testing Activities ... 3-73 Table 3.0-27: Number and Location of Events Including Seafloor Devices ............................................. 3-75 Table 3.0-28: Number and Location of Events Including Aircraft ............................................................ 3-76 Table 3.0-29: Number and Location of Wires and Cables Expended During Training Activities ............. 3-78 Table 3.0-30: Number and Location of Wires and Cables Expended During Testing Activities............... 3-79 Table 3.0-31: Size Categories for Decelerators/Parachutes Expended During Training and Testing Events .................................................................................................................................