Nashville District ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Proposed Master Plan Revision Center Hill Lake May 22, 2018 For Further Information, Contact: Travis A. Wiley U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District 110 9th Ave South, Room A-405 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Telephone: (615) 736-7958 PROPOSED MASTER PLAN REVISION CENTER HILL LAKE MASTER PLAN REVISION ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 5 2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION ................................................................................ 7 3 ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................................................ 7 3.1 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision .................................................................. 7 3.2 No Action ....................................................................................................................... 8 4 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ...................... 8 4.1 Project History and Setting ........................................................................................... 8 4.2 Climate, Physiography, Topography, Geology, and Soils ........................................ 11 4.2.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 11 4.2.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 15 4.2.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 15 4.3 Aquatic Environment .................................................................................................. 17 4.3.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 17 4.3.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 27 4.3.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 27 4.4 Terrestrial Resources and Land Use ......................................................................... 27 4.4.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 27 4.4.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 36 4.4.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 37 4.5 Threatened and Endangered Species ........................................................................ 37 4.5.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 37 4.5.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 39 4.5.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 39 4.6 Archaeological and Historic Resources. ................................................................... 39 4.6.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 39 4.6.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 40 4.6.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 40 i 4.7 Air Quality .................................................................................................................... 40 4.7.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 40 4.7.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision or No Action .......................................................... 40 4.8 Socio-Economic Resources ....................................................................................... 41 4.8.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 41 4.8.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 44 4.8.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 44 4.9 Recreation Resources ................................................................................................. 44 4.9.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................... 44 4.9.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ................................................................................ 45 4.9.3 No Action .................................................................................................................................. 46 4.10 Health and Safety ........................................................................................................ 46 4.10.1 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................................... 46 4.10.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ........................................................................... 47 4.10.3 No Action .............................................................................................................................. 47 4.11 Aesthetics .................................................................................................................... 47 4.11.1 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................................... 47 4.11.2 Implementation of Proposed MP Revision ........................................................................... 47 4.11.3 No Action .............................................................................................................................. 47 4.12 Cumulative Impacts..................................................................................................... 47 4.12.1 Past and Present Actions ....................................................................................................... 48 4.12.2 Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ............................................................................... 50 4.12.3 Effects ................................................................................................................................... 51 5 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ...................................................................................52 5.1 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act ............................................................................ 52 5.2 Endangered Species Act ............................................................................................ 52 5.3 Environmental Justice ................................................................................................ 53 5.4 Cultural Resource Requirement ................................................................................. 54 6 SCOPING AND PUBLIC CONCERN .................................................................................54 6.1 Public Involvement ...................................................................................................... 54 6.2 Scoping Responses .................................................................................................... 54 6.3 MP Revision Comments .............................................................................................. 55 7 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................55 8 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................56 ii 9 LIST OF PREPARERS ......................................................................................................58 Tables and Figures Table 1. Resources Likely to be Affected by Implementation of the Proposed MP Revision ...... 8 Table 2. Relevant Figures for Center Hill Lake ..........................................................................10 Table 3. Theoretical Minimum Flows at Old Hickory Dam for Water Quality .............................23 Table 4. Impaired Stream Reaches (2014 303 (d) list) in the Center Hill Lake and Collins River Watersheds ...............................................................................................................................25 Table 5. Center Hill Surface Water Designations ......................................................................26 Table 6. Common Invasive Plants ............................................................................................30 Table 7. State Listed Species Within One Mile of Center Hill Lake Boundaries .........................31 Table 8. Low Density Recreation Areas on Center Hill Lake .....................................................36 Table 9. Proposed Designation