WHEELER RESERVOIR FINAL RESERVOIR LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN Volume VIII MULTIPLE RESERVOIR LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT August 2017 This page intentionally left blank Document Type: EIS Administrative Record Index Field: Final EIS Project Name: Multiple RLMPs & CVLP EIS Project Number: 2016-2 WHEELER RESERVOIR Final Reservoir Land Management Plan VOLUME VIII MULTIPLE RESERVOIR LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Prepared by Tennessee Valley Authority August 2017 This page intentionally left blank Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. VIII-V CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................VIII-1 1.1 Tennessee Valley Authority History ......................................................................... VIII-2 1.2 Overview of TVA’s Mission and Environmental Policy ............................................ VIII-2 1.2.1 TVA’s Mission ................................................................................................... VIII-2 1.2.2 Environmental Policy ........................................................................................ VIII-3 1.2.3 Land Policy ....................................................................................................... VIII-3 1.2.4 Shoreline Management Policy .......................................................................... VIII-4 1.3 The Natural Resource Plan ..................................................................................... VIII-6 1.4 Purpose of Reservoir Land Planning ....................................................................... VIII-6 CHAPTER 2. REGIONAL OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................VIII-9 2.1 History of Wheeler Dam .......................................................................................... VIII-9 2.2 Wheeler Reservoir and Present Shoreline ............................................................ VIII-10 2.2.1 Recreation ...................................................................................................... VIII-14 2.2.2 Terrestrial Ecology ......................................................................................... VIII-17 2.2.3 Aquatic Ecology .............................................................................................. VIII-22 2.2.4 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................ VIII-25 2.2.5 Water Quality .................................................................................................. VIII-43 2.2.6 Wetlands ........................................................................................................ VIII-45 2.2.7 Floodplains ..................................................................................................... VIII-46 2.2.8 Air Quality ....................................................................................................... VIII-47 2.2.9 Cultural and Historic Resources ..................................................................... VIII-48 2.2.10 Natural Areas and Ecologically Significant Sites ............................................ VIII-51 2.2.11 Aesthetics and Visual Resources ................................................................... VIII-51 2.2.12 Noise .............................................................................................................. VIII-52 2.2.13 Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice .................................................. VIII-54 2.3 Major Features of Wheeler Reservoir .................................................................... VIII-57 2.3.1 Natural Resource Management ..................................................................... VIII-57 2.3.2 Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge ................................................................... VIII-58 2.3.3 Dewatering Units ............................................................................................ VIII-59 2.3.4 Joe Wheeler State Park ................................................................................. VIII-59 2.3.5 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail ............................................................... VIII-60 2.3.6 Cultural Resource Management ..................................................................... VIII-60 2.4 The Future Management of Reservoir Lands ........................................................ VIII-61 CHAPTER 3. LAND PLANNING PROCESS ................................................................................... VIII-63 3.1 Process for Planning Land .................................................................................... VIII-63 VIII-i Wheeler Reservoir Land Management Plan 3.2 Wheeler Reservoir Goals and Objectives .............................................................. VIII-68 3.3 Parcel Allocations .................................................................................................. VIII-69 3.4 Property Administration ......................................................................................... VIII-75 CHAPTER 4. PARCEL DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................................ VIII-77 CHAPTER 5. PLANNING TEAM ................................................................................................... VIII-235 CHAPTER 6. LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................... VIII-237 GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................................... VIII-241 INDEX ................................................................................................................................................. VII-245 Appendices Appendix A – Final Land Management Plan Maps – Panels 1 through 15 ..................................... VIII-249 Appendix B – Comparison of Parcel Allocations by Alternative ....................................................... VIII-255 List of Tables Table 2-1. Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance on Wheeler Reservoir ........ VIII-14 Table 2-2. Developed Public Recreation Areas on TVA Lands on the Wheeler Reservoir .......... VIII-16 Table 2-3. Developed Commercial, Private and Semi-Private (Camps) Recreation Areas on TVA Lands on the Wheeler Reservoir ................................................................................. VIII-17 Table 2-4. Land Cover on TVA Owned Parcels and within the Vicinity of Wheeler Reservoir ..... VIII-18 Table 2-5. Invasive Non-native Species that Pose a Severe Threat Known to Occur in Alabama ....................................................................................................................... VIII-21 Table 2-6. RFAI and Benthic Community Scores for Wheeler Reservoir (2011-2015)................ VIII-23 Table 2-7. Fish Species in Wheeler Reservoir .............................................................................. VIII-23 Table 2-8. Federally and State-Listed Species in the Wheeler Reservoir Counties ..................... VIII-26 Table 2-9. Habitat Requirements for Plant Species of Conservation Concern within 5 Miles of Wheeler Reservoir ....................................................................................................... VIII-34 Table 2-10. Habitat Requirements for Terrestrial Wildlife Species of Conservation Concern within 3 Miles of Wheeler Reservoir ............................................................................ VIII-36 Table 2-11. Habitat Requirements for Aquatic Species of Conservation Concern within 10 Miles of Wheeler Reservoir .................................................................................... VIII-39 Table 2-12. Ecological Health Indicators at Wheeler Reservoir – 2011 .......................................... VIII-44 Table 2-13. Direct Reservoir Average Daily Water Supply Withdrawals and Wastewater Discharges – 2016 ................................................................................... VIII-44 Table 2-14. Wetland Types within the Wheeler Reservoir .............................................................. VIII-46 Table 2-15. Population and Percent Growth – Wheeler Reservoir ................................................. VIII-54 Table 2-16. Employment and Income, 2010-2014 – Wheeler Reservoir ........................................ VIII-55 Table 2-17. Minority Population and Poverty, 2010-2014 – Wheeler Reservoir ............................. VIII-56 Table 3-1. Land Use Zone Definitions ........................................................................................... VIII-64 VIII-ii Contents Table 3-2. Summary of Land Use Allocations for the Final Wheeler Reservoir Land Management Plan........................................................................................................ VIII-69 Table 3-3. Final Wheeler Reservoir Land Management Plan and 2011 Comprehensive Valleywide Land Plan Comparison ................................................... VIII-74 Table A-1. Wheeler Reservoir Parcels by Map Panel ................................................................. VIII-251 List of Figures Figure 1-1. TVA Managed Reservoir Land ......................................................................................