Draft Environmental Assessment Spring Creek (Oak) Aquatic Resources Protection Project Coconino National Forest Yavapai County, Arizona U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Phoenix Area Office June 2014 Mission Statements The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. 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. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................ iv CHAPTER 1 – PURPOSE AND NEED .................................................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................. 2 1.4 PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................. 3 1.5 DECISION FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................... 3 1.6 CONSISTENCY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS AND POLICY ................. 3 1.7 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2 – DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES ................................................. 8 2.1 NO ACTION .................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 PROPOSED ACTION ................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Fish Barrier Construction ........................................................................................ 8 2.2.2 Native Fish Stocking ............................................................................................. 10 2.2.3 Fish Community Monitoring ................................................................................ 11 2.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT ANALYZED IN DETAIL ................ 11 CHAPTER 3 – ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .................................................... 13 3.1 SOILS .......................................................................................................................... 13 3.1.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 13 3.1.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 14 3.2 WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 15 3.2.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 15 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 17 3.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Affected Environment – Vegetation...................................................................... 20 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences – Vegetation ......................................................... 21 3.3.3 Affected Environment – Terrestrial Wildlife ......................................................... 22 3.3.4 Environmental Consequences – Terrestrial Wildlife ............................................. 23 3.3.5 Affected Environment - Fish and Aquatic Wildlife .............................................. 23 3.3.6 Environmental Consequences - Fish and Aquatic Wildlife .................................. 24 3.3.7 Affected Environment – Federally Listed and Candidate Species ........................ 27 3.3.8 Environmental Consequences – Federally Listed and Candidate Species ............ 36 3.3.9 Affected Environment – CNFSensitive Species .................................................... 38 3.3.10 Environmental Consequences – CNF Sensitive Species .................................... 41 3.3.11 Affected Environment – Management Indicator Species .................................... 42 3.3.12 Environmental Consequences - Management Indicator Species ........................ 43 3.4 CULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 45 3.4.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 45 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 45 3.5 SCENIC RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 46 3.5.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 46 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 49 3.6 AIR QUALITY ............................................................................................................ 51 Draft Environmental Assessment Spring Creek (Oak) Aquatic Resources Protection Project i 3.6.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 51 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 52 3.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AND SOLID WASTE .................................................. 53 3.7.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 53 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 53 3.8 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE .................................................................................. 54 3.8.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 54 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 54 3.9 INDIAN TRUST ASSETS ........................................................................................... 55 3.9.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 55 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 4 – CONSULATATION AND COORDINATION ............................................ 56 CHAPTER 5 – LIST OF PREPARERS ................................................................................. 58 CHAPTER 6 – RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS/DIRECTIVES ............................. 59 CHAPTER 7 – LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................. 64 APPENDIX A — FISH BARRIER DESIGN ........................................................................ 75 APPENDIX B —BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ...................................................... 79 APPENDIX C – INDUSTRIAL FIRE PLAN GUIDELINES ............................................... 82 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project location. ........................................................................................................ 6 Figure 2. General location of proposed fish barrier. ................................................................ 7 Figure 3. Aerial view of proposed Spring Creek (Oak) fish barrier project area .................. 12 Figure A-1. Plan view of proposed fish barrier. .................................................................... 76 Figure A-2. Cross section view of proposed fish barrier ....................................................... 77 Figure A-3. Profile view of proposed fish barrier. ................................................................. 78 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Soil impacts (acres). ................................................................................................. 15 Table 2. Estimated peak flood flows at the fish barrier site. .................................................. 16 Table 3. Vegetation impacts (acres). ...................................................................................... 22 Table 4. Federally-listed species proposed for translocation into Spring Creek .................. 27 Draft Environmental Assessment Spring Creek (Oak) Aquatic Resources Protection Project ii Table 5. Federally-listed and candidate species within three miles of the project area. ........ 28 Table 6. Federally threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species, and CNF sensitive species considered for analysis.. ............................................................... 29 Table 7. Scenic integrity-visual quality and perception crosswalk........................................ 47 Table B-1. Resource protection best management practices ................................................ .83 Draft Environmental Assessment Spring Creek (Oak) Aquatic Resources Protection Project iii ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AAC Arizona Administrative Code AD Anno Domini ADEQ Arizona Department of Environmental Quality AZGFD Arizona