Reclamation’s NEPA Handbook

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | January 31st, 2012

This edition of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Handbook has been developed in response to the Council on Environment

This edition of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Handbook has been developed in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (Interior) implementing regulations on NEPA. These regulations state that each agency will interpret the provisions of NEPA as a supplement to its existing authority and as a mandate to view its policies and missions in the light of its national environmental objectives. This handbook has been designed as a guidance tool for use by all Reclamation staff. It should also be useful to applicants, contractors, tribal representatives, the general public, and others who may be involved in Reclamation’s NEPA process, or those who develop environmental reports for Reclamation’s use in preparing NEPA documents. This handbook describes Reclamation guidance for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321, et seq.), CEQ’s Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500–1508), Interior’s NEPA Regulations (43 CFR Part 46), and the Departmental Manual (DM) Chapter 516. This handbook draws these requirements together and provides guidance on how to apply them to Reclamation programs and activities. The Reclamation Manual NEPA Policy (ENV P03) refers to this handbook as the source of additional information on NEPA compliance for Reclamation. The handbook also presents and summarizes other related environmental laws and Executive orders (EO) which should be addressed during NEPA compliance. This handbook provides an overview of NEPA in chapter 2. Chapter 3 contains a general description of the requirements and procedures of NEPA. Chapter 4 provides information on integrating NEPA with other Reclamation activities. Specific information on categorical exclusion checklists (CEC), environmental assessments (EA), and environmental impact statements (EIS) can be found in chapters 5, 6, and 7, respectively. This organizational structure has been selected to allow the user to quickly locate specific, step-by-step information on the different levels of NEPA compliance. Chapter 8 addresses EIS content, and chapter 9 discusses the requirements of a record of decision (ROD). Chapters 10 and 11 present other information that can be useful in the various situations that arise in applying NEPA to Reclamation’s Federal actions. Chapter 12 concludes the handbook with information on gaining additional assistance on NEPA issues. In addition, various issues and special problems are discussed throughout the handbook. Where possible, solutions that have worked historically, or approaches that seem most reasonable, are recommended.

Reconciling fish and farms: Methods for managing California rice fields as salmon habitat

PLOS | February 24th, 2021

Rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California, the southernmost portion of their range, has drastically declined throughout the pa

Rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California, the southernmost portion of their range, has drastically declined throughout the past century. Recently, through cooperative agreements with diverse stakeholders, winter-flooded agricultural rice fields in California’s Central Valley have emerged as ecologically functioning floodplain rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook Salmon. From 2013 to 2016, we conducted a series of experiments examining methods to enhance habitat benefits for fall-run Chinook Salmon reared on winter-flooded rice fields in the Yolo Bypass, a modified floodplain managed for flood control, agriculture, and wildlife habitat in the Sacramento River Valley of California. Investigations included studying the effect of 1) post-harvest field substrate; 2) depth refugia; 3) duration of field drainage; and 4) duration of rearing occupancy on in-situ diet, growth and survival of juvenile salmon. Post-harvest substrate treatment had only a small effect on the lower trophic food web and an insignificant effect on growth rates or survival of rearing hatchery-origin, fall-run Chinook Salmon. Similarly, depth refugia, created by trenches dug to various depths, also had an insignificant effect on survival. Rapid field drainage yielded significantly higher survival compared to drainage methods drawn out over longer periods. A mortality of approximately one third was observed in the first week after fish were released in the floodplain. This initial mortality event was followed by high, stable survival rates for the remainder of the 6-week duration of floodplain rearing study. Across years, in-field survival ranged 7.4–61.6% and increased over the course of the experiments. Despite coinciding with the most extreme drought in California’s recorded history, which elevated water temperatures and reduced the regional extent of adjacent flooded habitats which concentrated avian predators, the adaptive research framework enabled incremental improvements in design to increase survival. Zooplankton (fish food) in the winter-flooded rice fields were 53-150x more abundant than those sampled concurrently in the adjacent Sacramento River channel. Correspondingly, observed somatic growth rates of juvenile hatchery-sourced fall-run Chinook Salmon stocked in rice fields were two to five times greater than concurrently and previously observed growth rates in the adjacent Sacramento River. The abundance of food resources and exceptionally high growth rates observed.

Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) | September 23rd, 2013

The Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California features five endangered species: two endangered animals, California clapper rail (Rallus

The Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California features five endangered species: two endangered animals, California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) and salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) and three endangered plants, Cirsium hydrophilum var. hydrophilum (Suisun thistle), Chloropyron molle ssp. molle (soft bird’s-beak), and Suaeda californica (California sea-blite). The biology of these species is at the core of the recovery plan, but the goal of this effort is the comprehensive restoration and management of tidal marsh1 ecosystems. This recovery plan is an expansion and revision of The California Clapper Rail and Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1984). The historic distribution of the California clapper rail encompasses major tidal marshes between Humboldt Bay and Morro Bay, defining the approximate geographic scope of this recovery plan. In addition to the California clapper rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse, the plan also covers three focal listed plant species that were listed as federally endangered in the 1990s and the northernmost population of an additional plant species. Two of the species, Cirsium hydrophilum var. hydrophilum and Chloropyron molle ssp. molle (this species’ former name is Cordylanthus mollis ssp. mollis which is how it appears on the List of Threatened and Endangered Species, but we use the currently accepted name here), are restricted to the northern reaches of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. The other endangered tidal marsh plant, Suaeda californica, historically occurred in both San Francisco Bay and Morro Bay but, except for three reintroductions to San Francisco Bay, is now restricted to Morro Bay. Another federally listed plant, Chloropyron maritimum ssp. maritimum (salt marsh bird’s-beak; formerly Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus), has its northern range limit in Morro Bay. Morro Bay was omitted from the Salt Marsh Bird’s-beak Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1985a) because the taxonomic interpretation at the time classified this population in another subspecies that is not federally listed. Current taxonomic interpretation considers the Morro Bay population as Chloropyron maritimum ssp. maritimum. It is included in this recovery plan due to its co-location with Suaeda californica in Morro Bay. Though recovery strategies and actions are provided for the Morro Bay population of C. maritimum ssp. maritimum, recovery criteria are not, therefore, the species should not be considered covered by the recovery portion of the document. In addition, this recovery plan addresses 11 species or subspecies of concern. These include the salt marsh wandering shrew (Sorex vagrans halicoetes), Suisun shrew (Sorex ornatus sinuosus), San Pablo vole (Microtus californicus sanpabloensis), California black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus), three song sparrow subspecies of the San Francisco Bay Estuary (Alameda song sparrow [Melospiza melodia ssp. pusillula], Suisun song sparrow [M.m. maxillaris] and San Pablo song sparrow [M.m. samuelis]), saltmarsh common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas sinuosa), old man tiger beetle (Cicindela senilis senilis), Lathryrus jepsonii ssp. jepsonii (delta tule pea), and Spartina foliosa (Pacific cordgrass). These species occur in a variety of tidal marsh habitats where they are limited by the requirements of moisture, salinity, topography, soil types, and climatic conditions. Adjacent uplands and ecotone areas are also crucial habitats for many of these species. Primary threats to all the listed species include historical and current habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development, agriculture, and diking related to duck hunting; altered hydrology and salinity; non-native invasive species; inadequate regulatory mechanisms; disturbance; contamination; risk of extinction due to small population size; and the most central threat, sea level rise due to climate change.

Reducing Methylmercury Accumulation in the Food Webs of San Francisco Bay and Its Local Watersheds

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | April 8th, 2014

San Francisco Bay (California, USA) and its local watersheds present an interesting case study in estuarine mercury (Hg) contamination. This review focuses on the most pr

San Francisco Bay (California, USA) and its local watersheds present an interesting case study in estuarine mercury (Hg) contamination. This review focuses on the most promising avenues for attempting to reduce methylmercury (MeHg) contamination in Bay Area aquatic food webs and identifying the scientific information that is most urgently needed to support these efforts.

Reforming Watershed Restoration: Science in Need of Application and Applications in Need of Science (The H.T. Odum Synthesis Essay)

Estuaries and Coasts (Springer) | December 23rd, 2008

Coastal and inland waters are continuing to decline in many parts of the world despite major efforts made to restore them. This is due in part to the inadequate role that

Coastal and inland waters are continuing to decline in many parts of the world despite major efforts made to restore them. This is due in part to the inadequate role that ecological science has played in shaping restoration efforts. A significant amount of fundamental ecological knowledge dealing with issues such as system dynamics, state changes, context-dependency of ecological response, and diversity is both under-used by managers and practitioners and under-developed by ecologists for use in real-world applications. Some of the science that is being ‘used’ has not been adequately tested. Thus, restoration ecology as a science and ecological restoration as a practice are in need of reform. I identify five ways in which our ecological knowledge should be influencing restoration to a far greater extent than at present including a need to: shift the focus to restoration of process and identification of the limiting factors instead of structures and single species, add ecological insurance to all projects, identify a probabilistic range of possible outcomes instead of a reference condition, expand the spatial scale of efforts, and apply hierarchical approaches to prioritization. Prominent examples of restoration methods or approaches that are commonly used despite little evidence to support their efficacy are highlighted such as the use of only structural enhancements to restore biodiversity. There are also major gaps in scientific knowledge that are of immediate need to policy makers, managers, and restoration practitioners including: predictive frameworks to guide the restoration of ecological processes, identification of social-ecological feedbacks that constrain ecosystem recovery and data to support decisions of where and how to implement restoration projects to achieve the largest gains. I encourage ecologists to respond to the demand for their scientific input so that restoration can shift from an engineering-driven process to a more sustainable enterprise that fully integrates ecological processes and social science methods.

Regulatory steps needed to protect and conserve wetlands not subject to the Clean Water Act

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | November 17th, 2003

This report responds to legislative direction to describe the steps and resources needed to protect California wetlands and other waters that are not covered by the feder

This report responds to legislative direction to describe the steps and resources needed to protect California wetlands and other waters that are not covered by the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). It gives special attention to "isolated" waters removed from CWA jurisdiction by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2001 decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC). Wetlands and riparian areas support extraordinary biodiversity and are uniquely important in sustaining the hydrologic, chemical, and ecological integrity of broader aquatic systems. However, for physical and legal reasons, they present special management challenges. Neither CWA nor the state Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Porter-Cologne) were designed to conserve wetlands, and their regulatory protection is therefore often problematic and incomplete.

Relationship between wetland size and CRAM condition scores for depressional wetlands

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | March 28th, 2016

Report on Salton Sea Projects

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | April 8th, 2016

Formed in 1905 when Colorado River flood waters breached an irrigation diversion structure and caused the river to temporarily flow into the then-dry Salton Sink, todayâ€

Formed in 1905 when Colorado River flood waters breached an irrigation diversion structure and caused the river to temporarily flow into the then-dry Salton Sink, today’s Salton Sea is only the latest in a long succession of waterbodies to occupy the area. At 350 square miles, California’s largest lake is hydrologically connected to the Colorado River system and has been largely maintained since the 1905 event by irrigation water from agricultural production in the Imperial Valley. The historic Quantification Settlement Agreement (2003) provided California the means to implement water transfers and supply programs that allowed the state to live within its 4.4 million acre-foot basic annual apportionment of Colorado River water. Though long plagued by problems associated with its terminality—and resultant accumulation of salts, nutrients, and other impurities—the water transfers contained in the QSA meant a hastening of its ecological decline. Mitigation waters were provided for the Sea in the agreement, but are set to expire in 2017.  In response to growing concern about the impending and current deterioration of conditions at the Salton Sea, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in May 2015 created the Salton Sea Task Force to rapidly evaluate and take action to bring certainty to the Sea’s future and develop a series of findings that would guide further action at the lake. To coordinate and facilitate the actions the Governor also created the position of Assistant Secretary for Salton Sea Policy within the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA).  The Salton Sea Task Force issued their findings in November 2015, which called for the development of a Salton Sea Management Program that covered three major elements: sustainable habitat; air quality and potential private sector energy development. The Task Force also acknowledged that a successful program depends on the following three principles: 1) strong state, federal, and local partnerships; 2) clear and achievable milestones with state directed plans to achieve them; and 3) committed participation from all stakeholders who share the goals of protecting air quality, reducing habitat impacts, and maintaining a secure Colorado River Water Supply. Task Force findings also contained a series of actions for implementation by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) that included the development of a Salton Sea Management Plan with short and midterm goals for habitat and dust suppression projects, an improved public awareness and local partnerships program and an accelerated implementation of planning, permitting and construction. 

Residential irrigation as a driver of urban bird communities

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | August 17th, 2009

The demand for fresh water has largely outpaced supply both globally and locally with current water management policies unable to meet the needs of urban, agricultural, a

The demand for fresh water has largely outpaced supply both globally and locally with current water management policies unable to meet the needs of urban, agricultural, and industrial activities. Irrigation is one of the many anthropogenic uses of water and is arguably the most important maintenance factor in a landscape. This is particularly true in an arid climate, such as the Central Valley of California. Urban residents' decisions about the design and maintenance of their landscapes affect bird species richness. Published research indicates that these decisions are also affected by the residents' socioeconomic status. However, the driver of this relationship remains unknown. This paper uses data from the Fresno Bird Count, a citizen science organization, to test the hypothesis that neighborhood socioeconomic status influences residential irrigation regimes, which influences plant cover, in turn influencing bird diversity and abundance. A random sampling grid containing 460 points are used as locations for five minute point counts for the Fresno Bird Count ("fresnobirds.org":http://fresnobirds.org/). Socioeconomic data has been obtained from the U.S. Census and irrigation regimes from the city of Fresno. Aerial imagery and ground sampling on point count locations are used for characterizing habitat. Preliminary analysis of the first year of data (2008) supports this hypothesis and reveals a north/south gradient of bird diversity paralleling the socioeconomic gradient of Fresno. This paper will present results from a more comprehensive analysis of data including the spring 2009 bird census. Policies in the U.S. regarding the distribution and cost of water are changing in response to increased water demands, and the city of Fresno is about to undergo such a change. In 2013 a policy of metered water is scheduled to begin, which is predicted to increase water conservation by residents due to an increase in it overall cost. In addition to examining coupled socio-ecological drivers of urban diversity, this study will be the first part of a Before After Control Impact experiment taking advantage of the planned implementation of metering the cost of water use. The results can help guide the city in improving its management of urban habitat and biodiversity.

Response in the water quality of the Salton Sea, California, to changes in phosphorus loading: an empirical modeling approach

Hydrobiologia (Springer) | January 10th, 2008

Salton Sea, California, like many other lakes, has become eutrophic because of excessive nutrient loading, primarily phosphorus (P). A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

Salton Sea, California, like many other lakes, has become eutrophic because of excessive nutrient loading, primarily phosphorus (P). A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is being prepared for P to reduce the input of P to the Sea. In order to better understand how P-load reductions should affect the average annual water quality of this terminal saline lake, three different eutrophication programs (BATHTUB, WiLMS, and the Seepage Lake Model) were applied. After verifying that specific empirical models within these programs were applicable to this saline lake, each model was calibrated using water quality and nutrient-loading data for 1999 and then used to simulate the effects of specific P-load reductions. Model simulations indicate that a 50% decrease in external P loading would decrease near-surface total phosphorus concentrations (TP) by 25– 50%. Application of other empirical models demonstrated that this decrease in loading should decrease near-surface chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl a) by 17–63% and increase Secchi depths (SD) by 38–97%. The wide range in estimated responses in Chl a and SD were primarily caused by uncertainty in how non-algal turbidity would respond to P-load reductions. If only the models most applicable to the Salton Sea are considered, a 70–90% P-load reduction is required for the Sea to be classified as moderately eutrophic (trophic state index of 55). These models simulate steady-state conditions in the Sea; therefore, it is difficult to ascertain how long it would take for the simulated changes to occur after load reductions.