United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service American Fork Culinary Water Pipeline Replacement Project Environmental Assessment April 2018 Pleasant Grove Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah County, Utah For More Information Contact: Russ Hanson Pleasant Grove Ranger District 390 North 100 East Pleasant Grove UT 84062 Phone: 801-785-3563 Email: [email protected] Responsible Official David C. Whittekiend Forest Supervisor 857 West South Jordan Parkway South Jordan, Utah 84095 Cover Image of American Fork River taken by Aaron Woods, Horrocks Engineers Document Prepared by: Horrocks Engineers In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) Email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. i Contents Contents ........................................................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Proposed Project Location ............................................................................................... 1 1.3 Need for the Proposal ...................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation ................................................................... 2 Chapter 2 – Proposed Action and Alternatives ............................................................................... 4 2.1 Proposed Action .............................................................................................................. 4 2.2 No Action Alternative ..................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Decision Framework ....................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action ............... 6 3.1 Resources Excluded from Analysis ................................................................................. 6 3.2 Biological Resources ....................................................................................................... 6 Affected Environment ............................................................................................................. 6 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 10 Mitigation .............................................................................................................................. 13 3.3 Cultural Resources......................................................................................................... 14 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 14 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 15 Mitigation .............................................................................................................................. 15 3.4 Hydrology and Water Resources ................................................................................... 15 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 15 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 17 3.5 Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 19 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 19 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 21 Mitigation .............................................................................................................................. 21 3.6 Visual Resources ........................................................................................................... 21 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 21 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 25 3.7 Wilderness Areas ........................................................................................................... 26 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 26 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................... 27 3.8 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 27 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 27 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 27 Mitigation .............................................................................................................................. 28 3.9 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................................ 28 Background ........................................................................................................................... 28 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions .................................................. 28 Evaluation of Cumulative Effects ......................................................................................... 29 Chapter 4 – Comments and Coordination ..................................................................................... 30 4.1 Communications with the Public ................................................................................... 30 4.2 Agency Correspondence ................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 5 References ..................................................................................................................... 35 List of Tables Table 3-1. Threatened and Endangered Species for the Project Area ............................................ 7 Table 3-2. Forest Sensitive Species for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest / Uinta Planning Unit ........................................................................................................................... 8 Table 3-3. Uinta National Forest MIS Species Potentially Present in the Uinta Planning Unit of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest .............................................................................. 9 Table 3-4. Impact to Forest Sensitive Species .............................................................................. 10 Table 3-5. Impacts to UNF Management Indicator Species ......................................................... 12 Table 3-6. Assessed Waters in the Utah Lake Watershed Management Unit .............................. 15 Table 4-1. Correspondence ........................................................................................................... 30 Table 4-2. List of Preparers .......................................................................................................... 31 List