Public Release Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration Resulting from the Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Damage Assessment Photo credit: Lisa Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Photo credit: USFWS National Conservation Training Center (USFWS). Image Library. Prepared for: Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Attorney General, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Prepared by: Abt Associates/Stratus Consulting Inc. PO Box 4059 Boulder, CO 80306-4059 (303) 381-8000 August 2015 SC13483 Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................... xiii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... S-1 Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Overview of the Kalamazoo River NRDA .......................................................... 1-2 1.2 Environmental Laws and Regulations ................................................................. 1-5 1.2.1 NEPA ....................................................................................................... 1-7 1.2.1.1 Additional supporting NEPA documents ................................. 1-8 1.2.1.2 Public participation .................................................................. 1-8 1.2.2 CERCLA .................................................................................................. 1-9 1.2.2.1 Superfund cleanup .................................................................... 1-9 1.2.2.2 NRDA ..................................................................................... 1-13 1.2.2.3 Working with response agencies and potentially responsible parties .................................................................. 1-16 1.2.2.4 Settlements and OU1 RP/EA ................................................. 1-17 1.3 Purpose and Need .............................................................................................. 1-17 1.4 Administrative Record ....................................................................................... 1-18 1.5 Document Organization ..................................................................................... 1-18 Chapter 2 Description of the Proposed Action .................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 General Restoration Strategy and Objectives ...................................................... 2-3 2.3 Project Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................... 2-6 2.4 Restoration Project Monitoring and Performance Criteria .................................. 2-6 2.4.1 Performance criteria ................................................................................. 2-9 2.4.2 Adaptive management ............................................................................. 2-9 2.4.3 Monitoring parameters ........................................................................... 2-11 2.4.4 Reporting requirements .......................................................................... 2-11 2.4.5 Long-term stewardship .......................................................................... 2-12 SC13483 Contents (Public Release Draft, 8/2015) Chapter 3 Development and Analysis of Alternatives ...................................................... 3-1 3.1 Restoration Project Categories ............................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 Aquatic habitat restoration ....................................................................... 3-2 3.1.1.1 Techniques for instream restoration ......................................... 3-3 3.1.1.2 Techniques for stream bank restoration ................................... 3-9 3.1.1.3 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native aquatic species ............................................................. 3-12 3.1.1.4 Techniques for controlling invasive aquatic species .............. 3-13 3.1.2 Riparian and wetland habitat restoration ............................................... 3-14 3.1.2.1 Techniques for riparian and wetland restoration .................... 3-18 3.1.2.2 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native plants ............................................................................ 3-19 3.1.2.3 Techniques for reintroduction and enhancement of native animals ......................................................................... 3-20 3.1.2.4 Techniques for controlling invasive species .......................... 3-20 3.1.3 Barrier removal ...................................................................................... 3-22 3.1.3.1 Techniques for dam removal .................................................. 3-24 3.1.3.1.1 Removal of the Otsego City Dam ........................ 3-26 3.1.3.1.2 Removal of the Otsego Dam ................................ 3-29 3.1.3.2 Techniques for small barrier removal and replacement ......... 3-30 3.1.3.3 Techniques for other fish passage modifications ................... 3-31 3.1.4 Habitat conservation .............................................................................. 3-34 3.1.4.1 Techniques for habitat conservation ...................................... 3-35 3.2 Alternatives Carried Forward for Analysis ........................................................ 3-35 3.2.1 Alternative A: No Action Alternative .................................................... 3-35 3.2.2 Alternative B: Restoration of the Kalamazoo River corridor within the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site .................. 3-36 3.2.3 Alternative C: Restoration within the Kalamazoo River watershed ..................................................................................... 3-37 3.3 Identification of Preferred Alternative ............................................................... 3-37 3.4 Alternatives Not Considered for Detailed Analysis ........................................... 3-38 Chapter 4 Environmental Setting/Affected Environment................................................ 4-1 4.1 Water Resources and Water Quality .................................................................... 4-3 4.1.1 Water resources ........................................................................................ 4-3 4.1.2 Water quality ............................................................................................ 4-6 4.2 Geologic Resources and Sediment Quality .......................................................... 4-8 4.3 Biological Resources ........................................................................................... 4-9 4.3.1 Fish ......................................................................................................... 4-10 4.3.2 Aquatic invertebrates ............................................................................. 4-14 Page iv SC13483 Contents (Public Release Draft, 8/2015) 4.3.3 Wildlife .................................................................................................. 4-17 4.3.3.1 Birds ....................................................................................... 4-17 4.3.3.2 Amphibians and reptiles ......................................................... 4-18 4.3.3.3 Mammals ................................................................................ 4-18 4.3.4 Vegetation .............................................................................................. 4-18 4.3.5 Federally listed species .......................................................................... 4-19 4.4 Air Quality ......................................................................................................... 4-21 4.5 Socioeconomic Resources and Environmental Justice ...................................... 4-22 4.5.1 Socioeconomic resources ....................................................................... 4-22 4.5.2 Environmental justice ............................................................................ 4-22 4.6 Recreation and Land Use ................................................................................... 4-22 4.7 Noise .................................................................................................................. 4-24 4.8 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 4-25 Chapter 5 Environmental Consequences ........................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Characteristics of Potential Impacts ..................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Water Resources and Water Quality .................................................................... 5-2 5.2.1 Alternative C (Preferred Alternative) ...................................................... 5-2 5.2.1.1 Aquatic habitat restoration ......................................................