75B - PH ADOPT RESO FOR PR NO 15-6827

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NT MENTS INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FAIRVIEW BPIOGE REVLACEM REST TO STREET BEET) PROJECT L S A MAY 2020 (9Tx STREET To ANTx STREET) L, OLEGT SANTA ANAL CALIFOPHIA The BSA is almost entirely developed with residential, commercial, and transportation uses. Vegetation within the BSA primarily consists of ornamental trees and shrubs, lawns, and several disturbed and barren areas. Fairview Triangle Park contains ornamentally planted native trees and shrubs, and is located in the central portion of the BSA adjacent to the Santa Ana River. Elevations range from approximately 80 to 95 ft above mean sea level (amsl) across the entire BSA. The topography of the BSA gently slopes downhill from east to west. The climate is classified as Mediterranean (i.e., arid climate with hot, dry summers and moderately mild, wet winters), with the average annual precipitation being 13.6 inches. Although most of the precipitation occurs from November through March, thunderstorms may occur at other times of the year and can cause high precipitation rates. On average, monthly high temperatures range between 69 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and 85°F, and monthly low temperatures range between 46°F and 64°F. The proposed Project is located within the Santa Ana River Watershed, which covers an area of approximately 210 square miles (sq mi) in Orange County. The headwaters of the entire 2,650 sq mi Santa Ana River Watershed begin in the San Bernardino Mountains and cross Riverside and Orange Counties before ultimately entering the Pacific Ocean. Flows within the Santa Ana River can be attributed to storm water runoff, urban runoff, and treated wastewater. 3.4.1.1 Biological Conditions in the Study Area The primary vegetation/land cover type in the BSA is classified as developed with four subtypes, including flood control channel, transportation, ornamental landscaping, and disturbed or barren. The BSA is located within urban portions of Santa Ana with no connection to undisturbed or natural lands. 3.4.1.2 Habitats and Natural Communities of Concern Jurisdictional Waters.Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 1602 of the California Fish and Game Code regulate activities affecting resources under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), respectively. "Waters of the United States" under the jurisdiction of USACE include navigable coastal and inland waters, lakes, rivers, and streams and their tributaries; interstate waters and their tributaries; wetlands adjacent to such waters; intermittent streams; and other waters that could affect interstate commerce. The BSA contains one jurisdictional drainage feature (the Santa Ana River), as discussed in further detail in the corresponding Jurisdictional Delineation Report (Appendix D of the NES). Special -Status Plant Species.Plant species are considered to be of special concern based on the following: (1) federal, State, or local laws regulating impacts to them; (2) limited distributions; and/or (3) the presence of habitat required by the special -status plants occurring in the vicinity of the BSA. One plant species (Ventura marsh milk -vetch), which is federally and State -listed as endangered, was identified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as potentially occurring within the vicinity of the BSA, although there are no known nearby occurrence records. The CDFW California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) indicated three additional special -status plant species (Gambel's water cress, salt spring checkerbloom, and chaparral sand -verbena) with R:\WKE1702\ISMND\Fina1 ISMND\Fairview Street Bridge Final ISMND7,05RIM3 3-19