PACIFICGASANDELECTRICCOMPANY.doc

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY Kilarc-Cow Creek Hydroelectric ProjectFERC Project No. 606 Biological Evaluation August 2009 ?2009, Pacific Gas and Electric Company  PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY Kilarc-Cow Creek Hydroelectric Project FERC Project No. 606 Biological Evaluation August 2009 ?2009, Pacific Gas and Electric Company  KILARC-COW CREEK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTFERC Project No. 606 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 Introduction 1-1 1.1 Regulatory Overview 1-2 1.2 Project History 1-2 1.3 Federal Action History 1-4 SECTION 2.0 Description of the Action and Action Area 2-1 2.1 Federal Action 2-1 2.2 Project Purpose and Objectives 2-1 2.3 Project Description 2-1 2.3.1 Cow Creek Development 2-2 2.3.2 Kilarc Development 2-16 2.3.3 General Avoidance and Minimization Measures 2-26 2.3.4 Operational Characteristics of the Proposed Project 2-28 2.3.5 Mitigation Required under Other Federal, State, or Local Permits 2-29 2.3.6 Underlying Action/Broader Context/Interdependent and Interrelated Actions 2-29 2.4 Known Ongoing and Previous Projects in the Action Area 2-29 2.4.1 Hydropower 2-29 2.4.2 Fish Management 2-29 2.4.3 Fish Planting 2-30 2.4.4 Timber Harvest and Cattle Grazing 2-30 2.5 “Project Area” and “Action Area” Defined 2-31 2.5.1 Project Footprint and All Areas Potentially Affected 2-31 2.5.2 HUC, Watershed, Township, Range, Section 2-32 2.5.3 Quantification of Area Potentially Affected 2-32 2.6 Maps of Project Area and Action Area 2-32 SECTION 3.0 Status of Listed Species and Critical Habitat in the Action Area 3-1 3.1 Species Lists from the Services 3-1 3.1.1 Identification of Listed Species 3-1 3.1.2 Identification of Designated Critical Habitat 3-1 3.2 Description of Species 3-2 3.2.1 Central Valley Winter-Run Steelhead 3-2 3.2.2 Central Valley Spring-Run Chinook Salmon 3-8 3.3 Critical Habitat Designation 3-14 3.3.1 Spawning Habitat 3-15 3.3.2 Freshwater Rearing Habitat 3-15 3.3.3 Freshwater Migration Corridors 3-16 3.3.4 Estuarin