1 / 48

NEPA and Water Resources

NEPA and Water Resources. Presented by Derek Koellmann July 9, 2009. Overview. What are Water Resources? Why do we consider Water Resources for NEPA? How are Water Resources documented? Scenario addressing: Elements of a discipline report Assessing impacts from a project

seanna
Download Presentation

NEPA and Water Resources

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. NEPA and Water Resources Presented by Derek Koellmann July 9, 2009

  2. Overview • What are Water Resources? • Why do we consider Water Resources for NEPA? • How are Water Resources documented? • Scenario addressing: • Elements of a discipline report • Assessing impacts from a project • Opportunities to avoid or minimize impacts

  3. NEPA and the Natural Environment Per NEPA, the Natural Environment includes: • Water Resources • Air Quality • Biological Resources • Soils, Geology, and Mineral Resources • Visual, Scenic, or Aesthetic Resources

  4. Water Resources • Water Resources are the network of surface waters that supply water for food production and other essential human systems and include: • Wetlands • Streams and Rivers • Lakes • Saltwaters • For the purposes of NEPA, it also includes the species that use and occupy these habitats

  5. Why Do We Consider Water Resources? • Water resources serve important functions for humans and other species • Water resources have societal value • NEPA requires that impacts to the environment from a proposed action must be evaluated • The lead federal agency determines what built and natural environmental elements will be evaluated

  6. Wetlands • Wetlands are areas inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. • Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. • Approximately 2% of Washington State is considered wetland

  7. Streams and Rivers • Streams and rivers are flowing bodies of water with a current and under normal flows are confined within a bed and stream banks. • They are typically freshwater and flow into an ocean, lake, sea, or other rivers or streams. • The US Environmental Protection Agency states that the State of Washington has about 70,000 miles of rivers and streams within its boundaries

  8. Lakes and Saltwaters • A lake is a large, landlocked, naturally occurring stretch of water. • Saltwaters are waters containing naturally occurring salt such as oceans, seas, gulfs or bays. • Lake Washington is the 2nd largest naturally occurring lake in Washington (next to Chelan) • Washington has 2,337 miles of saltwater shoreline

  9. Water Resource Functions • Flood control • Ground water recharge • Water filtration and purification • Erosion control • Wildlife habitat • Recreation • Research and education • Regional economic vitality

  10. Some species that use these habitats

  11. Assessing Water Resources for NEPA • In support of an overall NEPA document, sometimes Discipline Reports (DR) are developed to address the impacts to specific elements of the environment • The information from the DR is summarized in the NEPA document

  12. Elements of a Discipline Report • Introduction • Project Description • Study Approach • Baseline Conditions • Project Effects/Impacts • Measures to Avoid or Minimize Effects • Unavoidable Adverse Effects • References

  13. Discipline Report Scenario • We have been hired by the City of Bellingham to develop a Water Resources DR for the Birchwood Road Extension project • Our tasks include: • Identifying existing water resources • Determining the effects to water resources from the proposed project • Providing input on how to minimize or avoid effects to water resources

  14. New Birchwood Road Alignment Bug Lake Sunset Pond

  15. Introduction/Project Description • Very Important to have an accurate project description for without one, you cannot accurately determine the project effects • For assessing project impacts to Water Resources, you need to know: • Project footprint including both final built and temporary construction footprints • What types of impacts to expect from the project (what equipment, etc) • Where the project will impact water resources (directly and indirectly) • Where and how mitigation will occur

  16. KEY POINT • Think Ahead! • What might be out there that hasn’t been considered? • Are you positive that you know the resources that could be impacted? • Are you considering all potential project elements?

  17. SP New Birchwood Road Alignment Bug Lake Sunset Pond Staging Area

  18. Study Approach • What is your study area? • What Water Resources are in the area? • What are the applicable regulations in the area (local, state and federal) • Make sure the DR addresses these regulations so that the project proponent knows what they need to do to comply with applicable regulations • Where could impacts to Water Resources occur?

  19. Baseline Conditions What Water Resources are in your project area? • Wetlands • Streams and rivers • Lakes • Saltwaters • Associated regulatory buffers • Species likely to be found in these habitats • Fish • Amphibians • Terrestrial Species • Plants

  20. Wetlands in the Study Area • Number • Location • Classification (s) • Functions provided • Habitat provided/condition • Size • Relation to other Water Resources

  21. Water resources in the Study Area Three Wetlands • Wetland A • Isolated • Category III • Wetland B • Connected to Squalicum Creek • Category II • Wetland C • Isolated • Category IV

  22. Wetland A Wetland C Wetland B Bug Lake Sunset Pond

  23. Streams and Rivers in the Study Area • Location • Watershed view • Tributaries • Functions provided • Number and type of culverts/bridges • Habitat provided/condition

  24. Streams and Rivers in the Study Area • Fish passage barriers • History of human impacts (levees, dams, etc) • Direction of flow • Classification(s) • Species present • Relation to other Water Resources

  25. Water resources in the Study Area • Squalicum Creek • Has Chinook salmon and Steelhead, both listed under the ESA • Resident fish include rainbow trout and non-native smallmouth bass • No fish passage barriers in this reach

  26. Squalicum Creek Bug Lake Sunset Pond

  27. Lakes in the Study Area • Bug Lake • Primarily contains warm-water non-native fish species • Sunset Pond • Primarily contains warm-water non-native fish species

  28. Wetland A Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Bug Lake Sunset Pond

  29. Wetland A SP Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Bug Lake Sunset Pond Staging Area

  30. Wetland A SP Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Study Area Bug Lake Sunset Pond Staging Area

  31. Species likely to be found in these habitats • Federal listed species (ESA) • State listed species • Tribal fishing areas • Projected species • Fish • Amphibians • Terrestrial Species • Plants

  32. Project Impacts and Effects • What project elements will create impacts? • What Water Resources (or portions thereof) are being permanently or temporarily impacted? • Are regulated buffers being impacted? • What plant and animal species could be impacted? • Will mitigation be completed that will affect resources? • What are the potential Cumulative effects

  33. Wetland A SP Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Bug Lake Sunset Pond Staging Area

  34. Summary of Impacts Based on Original Design • Wetlands A, B, and C are impacted by road prism or stormwater pond • Regulated buffers of Wetlands A, B, and C are impacted by road prism or stormwater pond • Channel of Squalicum Creek is impacted by road prism – Will require bridge or culvert • Regulated Buffer of Squalicum Creek is impacted by road prism • No impacts to Bug Lake or Sunset Pond

  35. Measures to Avoid or Minimize Effects • During design • During construction • During operation • Mitigation

  36. Avoidance Measures During Design • Can roadway alignment be altered? • Can stormwater pond be moved? • Results • Only direct impacts to Wetland A & B • Area of impacts to Wetlands A & B are reduced • Regulated buffer impacts still likely • Project construction may cost more due to longer roadway, however costs can be offset by decreased amount of mitigation

  37. SP Wetland A Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Bug Lake Sunset Pond Staging Area

  38. SP Wetland A Wetland C Squalicum Creek Wetland B Bug Lake New Study Area Sunset Pond Staging Area

  39. KEY POINT • Avoiding impacts through project design can save time and money in the long run • Be proactive in determining potential ways to help out your project team • Thoroughly document any changes made to the project design to avoid impacts • Some impacts cannot be avoided through design

  40. Avoidance Measures During Construction • Requiring Best Management Practices • Flagging sensitive areas prior to construction commencing • Ensuring Environmental Commitments are clear and easy to understand • Walk through site with foreman and key staff • On-site Compliance Inspectors

  41. Mitigation • Mitigation is required when project effects cannot be offset through project design • Mitigation can occur on- or off-site • Mitigation requirements are usually identified as part of local government codes; However, state and federal agencies also have the power to determine if mitigation is adequate

  42. Mitigation Opportunities for Our Project • Enhancing existing wetlands and wetland buffers • Creating a new wetland area near the project site • NOTE: this could change the study area • Pay for mitigation through a mitigation bank or other fee in-lieu of mitigation • Non-native species removal (including bass)

  43. Unavoidable Adverse Effects Are there any adverse effects that cannot be avoided? In this case, No. However, if you run into a project that will, more thought should be put in as to how this can be offset through project design and mitigation.

  44. References • Citations are critical • People reviewing your DR will want to know where you obtained your information • Cites, cites, cites… • Personal contacts • Fieldwork • Documents • Exhibits • Any other source that you used to document the resources in or impacts from a project

  45. Questions?

More Related