WEST BELLE PASS BARRIER HEADLAND RESTORATION CWPPRA PROJECT Fed No

WEST BELLE PASS BARRIER HEADLAND RESTORATION CWPPRA PROJECT Fed No

WEST BELLE PASS BARRIER HEADLAND RESTORATION CWPPRA PROJECT Fed No. TE-52 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Lafourche Parish, Louisiana U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service August 2010 CONTENTS Section Page ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................... vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 PROJECT LOCATION ..............................................................................................1 1.2 CWPPRA PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS ............................................................3 1.3 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ..................................................................................3 1.3.1 Hydrology / Geomorphology ................................................................................. 4 1.3.2 Wetland Loss ......................................................................................................... 4 1.3.3 Restoration ............................................................................................................. 5 1.4 PURPOSE AND NEED ...................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Purpose .................................................................................................................. 5 1.4.2 Need for Action ..................................................................................................... 6 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................ 7 2.1 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED .................................................. 7 2.2 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL ................................................................ 7 2.2.1 The No Action Alternative .................................................................................. 12 2.2.2 Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative) ................................................................... 12 2.2.3 Alternative 2 ........................................................................................................ 12 2.2.4 Alternative 3 ........................................................................................................ 13 2.3 OFFSHORE BORROW AREAS ..................................................................................... 13 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 15 3.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 15 3.1.1 Geology, Soils, and Topography ......................................................................... 15 3.1.2 Climate and Weather ........................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Air Quality ........................................................................................................... 16 3.1.4 Surface Water Resources ..................................................................................... 17 3.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................... 17 3.2.1 Vegetative Communities ...................................................................................... 17 3.2.2 Aquatic Habitats .................................................................................................. 18 3.2.3 Benthic Habitats ................................................................................................... 19 3.2.4 Essential Fish Habitat and Associated Managed Species .................................... 19 i CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page 3.2.5 Fisheries Resources .............................................................................................. 23 3.2.6 Wildlife Resources ............................................................................................... 24 3.2.7 Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................................... 26 3.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 29 3.3.1 Historic, Prehistoric, and Native American Resources ........................................ 29 3.3.2 Socioeconomics (Income and Environmental Justice) ........................................ 30 3.3.3 Land Use .............................................................................................................. 31 3.3.4 Infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 31 3.3.5 Noise .................................................................................................................... 32 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .................................................................................... 33 4.1 IMPACT-PRODUCING FACTORS ................................................................................ 41 4.1.1 Dredge Operating Characteristics ........................................................................ 41 4.1.2 Effluent Discharge at Sea .................................................................................... 41 4.1.3 Total Depths of Cut Expected within the Borrow Areas ..................................... 42 4.1.4 Emplacement of Dredged Material ...................................................................... 42 4.2 PHYSICAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 45 4.2.1 Impacts on Geology, Topography, and Physical Oceanographic Processes ........ 45 4.2.2 Impacts on Climate and Weather ......................................................................... 47 4.2.3 Impacts on Air Quality ........................................................................................ 47 4.2.4 Impacts on Water Resources ................................................................................ 48 4.3 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................. 489 4.3.1 Impacts on Vegetative Communities ................................................................... 49 4.3.2 Impacts on Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ....................................................... 52 4.3.3 Impacts on Essential Fish Habitat ........................................................................ 53 4.3.4 Impacts on Wildlife Resources ............................................................................ 54 4.3.5 Impacts on Marine Mammals .............................................................................. 55 4.3.6 Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................. 56 4.4 CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 60 4.4.1 Impacts on Historic, Prehistoric, and Native American Resources ..................... 60 4.4.2 Impacts on Terrestrial Cultural Resources ........................................................... 61 4.4.3 Impacts on Offshore Cultural Resources ............................................................. 60 4.4.4 Impacts on Land Use/Recreation ......................................................................... 60 4.4.5 Impacts on Infrastructure ..................................................................................... 61 4.4.6 Impacts on Socioeconomics ................................................................................. 62 4.4.7 Impacts on Noise ................................................................................................. 63 4.5 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.......................................................................................... 63 ii CONTENTS (Continued) Section Page 4.5.1 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................. 63 4.5.2 Invasive Species ................................................................................................... 67 4.5.3 Coordination ........................................................................................................ 67 4.5.4 Compliance with Laws and Regulations .............................................................. 68 5.0 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................................... 71 6.0 PREPARERS ................................................................................................................................. 72 7.0 DISTRIBUTION LIST .................................................................................................................. 73 8.0 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................. 74 APPENDIX Appendix A COMMENTS ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS iii CONTENTS (Continued) TABLES Table Page 1 DESIGN FEATURES OF PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ............................................................. 11 2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BORROW AREAS ...................................................................

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