DRAFT Environmental Impact Report Orange County Water District Prado Basin Sediment Management Demonstration Project State Clearinghouse No. 2013111071 Orange County Water District 18700 Ward Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Contact: Daniel Bott March 2014 Table of Contents Section Page SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Purpose and Authority .............................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Public Consultation .................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 Effects Determined Not Significant ........................................................... 1-4 1.4 Effects Determined To Be Potentially Significant ..................................... 1-4 1.5 Review of the Draft EIR ............................................................................ 1-5 SECTION 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................................................... 2-1 2.1 Background .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Project Area Setting ................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Project Activities ....................................................................................... 2-2 2.4 Project Monitoring Programs .................................................................... 2-9 2.5 Construction Operations ......................................................................... 2-12 2.6 CEQA Project Objectives ....................................................................... 2-17 2.7 Permits and Approvals ........................................................................... 2-18 SECTION 3 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ................................................. 3-1 3.1 AESTHETICS RESOURCES ................................................................... 3-2 3.1.1 Regulatory Framework ............................................................... 3-2 3.1.2 Existing Environmental Setting ................................................... 3-2 3.1.3 Thresholds of Significance ......................................................... 3-4 3.1.4 Project Impacts........................................................................... 3-4 3.2 AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................... 3-7 3.2.1 Regulatory Framework ............................................................... 3-7 3.2.2 Existing Environmental Setting ................................................. 3-10 3.2.3 Threshold of Significance ......................................................... 3-13 3.2.4 Project Impacts......................................................................... 3-13 3.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .................................................................. 3-29 3.3.1 Regulatory Framework ............................................................. 3-29 3.3.2 Existing Environmental Setting ................................................. 3-33 3.3.3 Thresholds of Significance ....................................................... 3-59 3.3.4 Project Impacts......................................................................... 3-60 3.3.5 Unavoidable Significant Impacts to Listed Sensitive Species . 3-102 3.3.6 Orange County Water District Prior Mitigation Commitments in Prado Basin ............................................................................ 3-102 3.3.7 Proposed Mitigation Concept ................................................. 3-104 3.4 CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................... 3-110 3.4.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-110 3.4.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-111 3.4.3 Threshold of Significance ....................................................... 3-122 3.4.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-122 3.5 GEOLOGY ........................................................................................... 3-126 3.5.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-126 3.5.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-127 3.5.3 Threshold of Significance ....................................................... 3-130 3.5.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-130 3.6 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ...................................................... 3-136 3.6.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-136 3.6.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-137 Orange County Water District Prado Basin Sediment Management Project Draft Environmental Impact Report i Table of Contents 3.6.3 Threshold of Significance ....................................................... 3-139 3.6.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-139 3.7 HAZARDS/HAZARDOUS MATERIALS................................................ 3-142 3.7.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-142 3.7.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-144 3.7.3 Thresholds of Significance ..................................................... 3-145 3.7.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-145 3.8 HYDROLOGY/WATER QUALITY ........................................................ 3-148 3.8.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-148 3.8.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-152 3.8.3 Significance Criteria ............................................................... 3-172 3.8.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-173 3.9 LAND USE/RELEVANT PLANNING PROGRAMS............................... 3-185 3.9.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-185 3.9.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-186 3.9.3 Thresholds of Significance ..................................................... 3-187 3.9.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-187 3.10 NOISE 3-192 3.10.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-192 3.10.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-195 3.10.3 Thresholds of Significance ..................................................... 3-198 3.10.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-198 3.11 TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................ 3-205 3.11.1 Regulatory Framework ........................................................... 3-205 3.11.2 Existing Environmental Setting ............................................... 3-206 3.11.3 Thresholds of Significance ..................................................... 3-207 3.11.4 Project Impacts....................................................................... 3-207 SECTION 4 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ........................................................... 4-1 4.1 CEQA Analysis Requirements.................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Cumulative Analysis Methodology ............................................................ 4-1 4.3 Cumulative Impact Evaluation .................................................................. 4-7 SECTION 5 OTHER CEQA SECTIONS ........................................................ 5-1 5.1 Growth Inducing Impacts .......................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Significant Irreversible Changes ............................................................... 5-2 5.3 Summary of Project Impacts .................................................................... 5-3 SECTION 6 ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................... 6-1 6.1 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................. 6-1 6.2 Project Objectives .................................................................................... 6-2 6.3 Planning Criteria ....................................................................................... 6-2 6.4 Alternatives Eliminated From Further Analysis ......................................... 6-3 6.5 Project Alternatives Considered and Evaluated ....................................... 6-5 6.5.1 Alternative 1-No Project Alternative ............................................ 6-5 6.5.2 Alternative 2- Alternative Sediment Storage Site D .................... 6-8 6.5.3 Alternative 3 - Alternative Sediment Removal Method.............. 6-13 6.6 Environmentally Superior Alternative ..................................................... 6-19 SECTION 7 LIST OF PREPARES AND REVIEWERS .................................. 7-1 SECTION 8 REFERENCES ........................................................................... 8-1 Orange County Water District Prado Basin Sediment Management Project Draft Environmental Impact Report ii Table of Contents Table Page Table 1: IS/NOP Comment Letters ...............................................................................1-2