+ Draft Environmental Assessment O’Donnell Canyon Dam Stabilization and Fish Barrier Project Santa Cruz County, Arizona U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Phoenix Area Office December 2015 Mission Statements The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern ADEQ Arizona Department of Environmental Quality BA Biological Assessment BLM Bureau of Land Management BO Biological Opinion CAA Clean Air Act CAP Central Arizona Project CE Conservation Easement CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CFS Cubic feet per second cm Centimeter CMA Cooperative Management Area CNF Coronado National Forest DPS Distinct Population Segment USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CWA Clean Water Act cy Cubic yard DOI Department of the Interior EA Environmental Assessment EO Executive Order EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact FR Forest Road FWCA Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act GHG Greenhouse gas km2 Square kilometer MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act mm millimeter NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NCA National Conservation Area NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act OHV Off-highway vehicle PL Public Law PM2.5 Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less PM10 Particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 microns PCE Primary constituent elements Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation RMP Resource Management Plan SHPO State Historic Preservation Office TNC The Nature Conservancy USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – PURPOSE AND NEED .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action ......................................................................................... 2 1.4 Project Location ............................................................................................................. 3 1.5 Decision Framework ...................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Consistency with BLM Resource Management Plans ................................................... 3 1.7 Public Involvement ........................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2 - DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES .................................................. 7 2.1 No Action ....................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Proposed Action (Upper BLM Dam Abutment Stabilization) ...................................... 7 2.3 Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ......................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .................................................... 14 3.1 Land Use ...................................................................................................................... 14 3.1.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 14 3.1.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 15 3.2 Geology and Soils ........................................................................................................ 16 3.2.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 16 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 18 3.3 Water Resources .......................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 19 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 20 3.4 Biological Resources ................................................................................................... 20 3.4.1 Affected Environment - Vegetation ...................................................................... 20 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences - Vegetation .......................................................... 21 3.4.3 Affected Environment – Invasive Weeds ............................................................. 23 3.4.4 Environmental Consequences – Invasive Weeds ................................................. 25 3.4.5 Affected Environment - Terrestrial Wildlife ........................................................ 29 3.4.6 Environmental Consequences - Terrestrial Wildlife ............................................. 30 3.4.7 Affected Environment - Fish and Aquatic Wildlife .............................................. 31 3.4.8 Environmental Consequences - Fish and Aquatic Wildlife .................................. 31 3.4.9 Affected Environment - Federally Listed Species ................................................ 33 3.4.10 Environmental Consequences - Federally Listed Species .................................. 42 3.4.11 Affected Environment – Special Status Species ................................................. 45 3.4.12 Environmental Consequences – Special Status Species ..................................... 55 3.5 Cultural Resources ....................................................................................................... 56 3.5.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 56 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 58 3.6 Air Quality ................................................................................................................... 58 3.6.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 58 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 59 i Draft Environmental Assessment O’Donnell Canyon Dam Stabilization/Fish Barrier Project 3.7 Hazardous Material and Solid Waste ........................................................................... 60 3.7.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 60 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 60 3.8 Environmental Justice .................................................................................................. 61 3.8.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 61 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 61 3.9 Indian Trust Assets ...................................................................................................... 61 3.9.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 61 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 62 CHAPTER 4 – MITIGATION MEASURES ......................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 5 – CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ............................................... 64 CHAPTER 6 – LIST OF PREPARERS ................................................................................. 66 CHAPTER 7 – RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS/DIRECTIVES ............................. 67 CHAPTER 8 – LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................. 72 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project location map. ................................................................................................ 5 Figure 2. Upper BLM dam location and proposed staging area. ............................................. 6 Figure 3. Plan view of proposed wing wall extension at upper BLM dam ............................. 8 Figure 4. Profile view of proposed wing wall extension at upper BLM dam .......................... 9 Figure 5. Proposed pedestrian access route ........................................................................... 10 Figure 6. Potential construction impacts areas at upper BLM dam ....................................... 11 Figure 7. View of bedrock in the channel downstream of the upper BLM dam ................... 17 Figure 8. View of headcut erosion in the terrace near the right abutment of the dam ........... 17 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Estimated instantaneous peak flood flow at the upper BLM dam. .......................... 20 Table 2. Vegetation impacts (acres) from proposed action ................................................... 23 Table 3. Federally