FINAL PISMO BEACH SHORELINE PROTECTION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT/ MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Prepared by: LOS ANGELES DISTRICT U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 915 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90017 Assisted by: CHAMBERS GROUP, INC. 5 Hutton Centre Drive, Suite 750 Santa Ana, California 92707 (949) 261-5414 In association with: MOFFATT AND NICHOL 3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 600 Long Beach, California 90806 April 2014 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMP ACT for PISMO BEACH SHORELINE PROTECTION PROJECT CITY OF PISMO BEACH SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA I have reviewed the attached Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared for the project in San Luis Obispo County. The proposed project, as evaluated in this EA, is to protect from erosion caused by waves the toe of the bluffs at one site. The attached EA evaluated six potential sites. Two of the six sites (St. Andrews Lift Station and the Vista del Mar Lift Station) were originally proposed in the federal Consistency Determination for California Coastal Commission review, design, and construction. Bluff protection at the Vista del Mar Lift Station has been completed by the city of Pismo Beach. Only one site (St. Andrews Lift Station) is currently planned and funded for construction. Five areas in the northern portion of Pismo Beach have been identified as chronically erosional to the extent that structures are threatened. These five areas from north to south are: 1) St. Andrews Lift Station (a lift station is a pump that raises sewage from a lower elevation sewer line to a higher elevation sewer line), 2) Vista del Mar Lift Station, 3) Ocean Park, 4) Price Street - North, and 5) Price Street - South. At each of these sites, loss of material due to erosion of bluff faces and toes has jeopardized existing street rights-of-way, infrastructure, and public improvement. Because the beach has minimal sand these areas, the bluffs are exposed to direct wave activity during winter storms. A sixth site (Cypress Street Lift Station) at the southern end of Pismo Beach has also experienced chronic bluff-top erosion and bluff toe erosion, jeopardizing a sewer pump station and roadways. The Cypress Street Lift Station site is adjacent to a sand dune fronted by a wide beach; however during storms, waves are able to reach and attack the dune toe, causing instability in the bluff system. Resources analyzed, including geology, oceanography and water quality, air quality, biological resources, cultural, socioeconomic, recreation, safety, land use, noise, traffic, utilities, aesthetics, and climate change analysis, in this EA are not expected to result in significant adverse impacts. The Corps obtained a Section 401 (of the Clean Water Act) Water Quality waiver for the authorized project in 2011 meeting the requirements of Sections 401 and 404(b )(1). A 404(b )(1) Evaluation was completed as part of this EA. Project impacts on marine resources will be minor and short-term. No federally listed species will be adversely affected by project implementation. Therefore, formal Section 7 consultation is not required pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1969, as amended. The USACE has determined that the proposed project will not have a substantial, adverse impact to Essential Fish Habitat. A Consistency Determination (CD-057-12) was prepared for concurrence by the California Coastal Commission. Concurrence was received on December 13, 2013. The Corps has determined this project is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the California Pismo Beach Shoreline Protection Project Final EA/MND Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SECTION 1.0 – INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1 1.1 BACKGROUND AND PROJECT PURPOSE ................................................................1 1.2 PROJECT LOCATION ....................................................................................................2 1.3 NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION .........................................................................2 1.4 AUTHORIZATION..........................................................................................................2 SECTION 2.0 – DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES ..........................5 2.1 ALTERNATIVE 1: ROCK REVETMENT .....................................................................5 2.2 ALTERNATIVE 2: VERTICAL CONCRETE WALL .................................................18 2.3 ALTERNATIVE 3: SCULPTED CONCRETE/SHOTCRETE WALL ........................18 2.4 ALTERNATIVE 4: STEEL SHEET PILE WALL (CYPRESS STREET LIFT STATION SITE ONLY) ................................................................................................33 2.5 CONSTRUCTION OF ALTERNATIVES ....................................................................35 2.6 INITIAL CONSTRUCTION ..........................................................................................37 SECTION 3.0 – DESCRIPTION OF OTHER ALTERNATIVES .........................................50 3.1 NO ACTION...................................................................................................................50 3.2 OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ..................................................................50 3.2.1 Offshore Breakwater ............................................................................................50 3.2.2 Groin .....................................................................................................................50 3.2.3 Beach Nourishment ..............................................................................................50 3.2.4 Managed Retreat ...................................................................................................51 SECTION 4.0 – ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ......................................................................................................................52 4.1 GEOLOGY .....................................................................................................................52 4.1.1 Environmental Setting ..........................................................................................52 4.1.2 Environmental Consequences ..............................................................................54 4.2 OCEANOGRAPHY AND WATER QUALITY ............................................................60 4.2.1 Environmental Setting ..........................................................................................60 4.2.2 Environmental Consequences ..............................................................................63 4.3 AIR QUALITY ...............................................................................................................71 4.3.1 Environmental Setting ..........................................................................................71 4.3.2 Air Quality Standards ...........................................................................................72 4.3.3 Environmental Consequences ..............................................................................77 4.3.4 Climate Change Analysis .....................................................................................95 4.4 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................98 4.4.1 Environmental Setting ..........................................................................................98 4.4.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................119 4.5 CULTURAL .................................................................................................................152 4.5.1 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................152 4.5.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................156 4.6 SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................160 4.6.1 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................160 4.6.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................160 4.7 RECREATION .............................................................................................................166 4.7.1 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................166 Chambers Group, Inc. i 20122 Pismo Beach Shoreline Protection Project Final EA/MND Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California 4.7.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................167 4.8 SAFETY .......................................................................................................................173 4.8.1 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................173 4.8.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................174 4.9 LAND USE ...................................................................................................................179 4.9.1 Environmental Setting ........................................................................................179 4.9.2 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................180