Essential Fish Habitat Assessment This assessment of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for the Port of Los Angeles Channel Deepening Project is being provided in conformance with the 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act (see FR 62, 244, December 19, 1997). The 1996 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Act set forth a number of new mandates for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), eight regional fishery management councils (Councils), and other federal agencies to identify and protect important marine and anadromous fish habitat. The Councils, with assistance from NMFS, are required to delineate EFH for all managed species. Federal action agencies which fund, permit, or carry out activities that may adversely impact EFH are required to consult with NMFS regarding the potential effects of their actions on EFH, and respond in writing to the fisheries service's recommendations. The Southwest Region of NMFS has requested an assessment of the Channel Deepening Project which is located within an area designated as EFH for the Coastal Pelagics and Pacific Groundfish Management Plans. Proposed Action The Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the Los Angeles Harbor Department are examining the feasibility of deepening the Inner Harbor channels and turning basins of the Port of Los Angeles to accommodate the most modern vessels in the commercial container fleet. In 1992 the Corps of Engineers approved the Deep Draft Navigation Improvements Project to optimize navigation channels in the Outer Los Angeles Harbor and use the dredge material to create approximately 562 acres of new land (Pier 400). That project is presently under construction. In January 1998, the Port approved the Channel Deepening Project to deepen the Main Channel and associated channels and turning basins from the existing -45 ft. MLLW to -50 ft. MLLW to accommodate new container vessels with a -46 foot draft. Since the approval of this project, new ships in the world container fleet and pending ship orders indicate that container vessels with a draft of -52 feet are being planned which would require a need for navigational channel as deep as -55 ft. MLLW with a two-foot overdraft. As a result, the Corps of Engineers with the Los Angeles Harbor Department as the local sponsor, is conducting a Feasibilty Study to determine the federal interest in the deepening of the Main Channel of the Port of Los Angeles to accommodate existing and future commercial container vessels. Project Objectives The primary objective of the project is to provide adequate navigational channels for the most modern container vessels that will be calling at the Port of Los Angeles. Secondary objectives include maximizing the beneficial uses of dredge material at the Port of Los Angeles and minimizing the amount of materials for offshore disposal. Description of the Project The proposed project would result in dredging between 3.6 and 7.8 million cubic yards (mcy) (2.7 - 6.0 million cubic meters [mcm]) of sediment from the Los Angeles Main Channel, West Basin, East Channel, East Basin and Cerritos Channel. The amount of dredge material is dependent on the approved project depth identified through the feasibility process. Dredging will cover approximately 670 acres of harbor bottom. For Feasibility purposes, depths are being considered in one foot increments between -50 ft. MLLW, and -55 ft. MLLW. Three depth scenarios and sediment quantities are provided in Table 1. Table 1. Alternative channel depths and approximate sediment quantities (mcy).
*Two additional feet of over depth is allowed for in each dredging depth. The majority of channel dredging will be done using an electrified hydraulic dredge. Berth and utility work and removal of any contaminated sediments may require other types of dredges (e.g., clamshell dredges) and power sources. Dredging is tentatively scheduled 24 hours per day. To accommodate the dredging, up to eight utility crossings of the main channels must be relocated or removed prior to completion of the project. At a project depth of -52 ft. MLLW or shallower these include the removal of a 36" Mobil Oil Line, a 20" Department of Water & Power (DWP) waterline, a DWP power line, a 30" Department of Public Works (DPW) sewer force main. These lines will be replaced with a 24" DWP waterline crossing by directional drilling, a new power line crossing by directional drilling, and a 30" sewer force main crossing by microtunneling. If dredging is to -55 ft. MLLW, three additional utility lines will require relocation. They are: 2-20" sewer force main crossings, a 30" sewer force main crossing, and a 24" waterline crossing. Channel dredging to project depth will be restricted to an area no closer than twenty-five feet to the existing pierhead line. The exception will be selected vessel berthing areas which will be dredged to project depth up to the pierhead line. Wharf modifications to these selected vessel berthing areas would consist of installation of up to 12,000 feet of underwater sheetpile bulkhead walls. Disposal Alternatives A number of dredge material disposal alternatives are being considered either separately or in various combinations depending on the final proposed project and design considerations.
Schedule Dredging is expected to begin approximately January of 2001 and be completed by July of 2002. Wharf upgrades would be on going, during and after the dredging project. Effects of the Proposed Action on EFH The ichthyofauna in the area of the proposed project has been extensively studied (Soul and Oguri 1976, 1980; Chamberlain 1973; Long Beach Harbor Consultants 1976; Horn and Allen 1981; Brewer 1976; Atlantis Scientific 1979; Ware 1979; Southern California Ocean Studies Consortium 1980, 1982 (81,83?); Los Angeles Harbor Department 1981, 1984; MBC Applied Environmental Sciences 1974, 1980, 1988; Reish 1971, Environmental Quality Analysts and Marine Biological Consultants 1978; Hill and Reish 1975; Lio 1981; MEC Analytical Systems Inc., 1988, 1999). The most recent comprehensive studies are those of MBC (1984) and MEC (1988). Recently, studies for the Channel Deepening Project were conducted by MEC (1999) to compare various habitats in the Outer Los Angeles Harbor. Over 130 species of fish are found in the Los Angeles Harbor (MEC 1988; COE and LAHD 1992). As general rules, the abundance of fish within the federal breakwater is higher than outside the breakwater and the diversity and abundance of fish decline as one proceeds into the Inner Harbor, especially into the blind slips. Over the years, there has been an improvement of the harbor's water quality and areas in the main channels and basins of the Inner Harbor, which historically were less valuable to fishes, have become more like areas of the deep Outer Harbor (MEC 1988). An estimate of total fish abundance shows that the Outer Harbor contains, at any one time, approximately 15 million fish (MEC 1988). Three species, the Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax), the northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), and the white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) make up approximately 90% of the fish in the Outer Harbor (MEC 1988). The proposed project is located within an area designated as EFH for two Fishery Management Plans (FMP), the Coastal Pelagics and Pacific Groundfish Management Plans (NMFS 1997). Of the 86 species which are federally managed under these plans, twelve are known to occur in the Los Angeles Harbor and could be affected by the proposed project (Table 2). Table 2. Fisheries management plans (FMP) and managed species affected by the Channel Deepening Project.
Four of the five species in the Coastal Pelagics FMP are well represented in the Project area. In particular, the northern anchovy is the most abundant species in Los Angeles Harbor, representing over 80% of the fish caught (MEC 1988, 1999), and larvae of the species are also a common component of the ichthyoplankton (MEC 1988). It is generally held that this species spawns outside the harbor. There is a commercial bait fishery for northern anchovy in the Outer Los Angeles Harbor. The Pacific sardine is at times one of the most common species in the harbor ranking second behind northern anchovy at some locations (MEC 1988). In a recent survey, sardines were a less significant component of the fish caught (MEC 1999). This species is not known to spawn in the harbor. Sardines are also a component of the commercial bait fish harvest in the harbor. Both these species are important forage for piscivorous fish. The two other Coastal Pelagic species, the Pacific and jack mackerals are common but not overly abundant as adults in the harbor. The Pacific mackeral's main forage fish in the harbor is very likely nothern anchovy. Of the seven species present from the Pacific Groundfish FMP, only two, the olive rockfish and the scorpion fish could be considered common in the harbor. The olive rockfish has been found largely as juveniles associated with the kelp growing along the inner edge of the federal breakwater (MEC 1988). The scorpion fish is not a major component of the fish present in the harbor (MEC 1988) but may be under represented in the catch due to its' nocturnal habits. A direct and cumulative assessment of the effects of similar project activities have been assessed in the Deep Draft Navigation Project EIS/EIR (COE and LAHD 1992) and the Channel Deepening Project EIR (LAHD 1997). Likely project activities that would directly affect the identified FMP species include: deepening of the channels, turbidity caused by dredging activity, suspension of contaminants from the sediments during dredging and dredge disposal, and construction of submerged fill or landfill associated with dredge material disposal (Table 3). Project activities will not have any significant effect on the FMP species that do not occur in the Harbor or are rare or uncommon in the harbor (i.e., English sole, Pacific sanddab, bocaccio and cabezon). The significant effect of the proposed project is the loss of habitat resulting from the construction of either 40 or 80 acres of fill in Outer Harbor shallow water at disposal sites 1 and 35 acres of Inner Harbor slip habitat at disposal site 4. There is also a potential degradation of water quality in the Pier 300 Shallow Water Habitat as a result of construction of disposal site 1 which would require mitigation. Table 3. Effects of the proposed project activities on FMP species.
Proposed Mitigation Impacts to water quality associated with dredging activites are considered temporary and would be minimized through implementation of requirements associated with established Waste Discharge Requirements/410 Certification of the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Of the activities identified above, the loss of general marine resources due to construction of land as disposal sites for dredge material (sites 1 and 4) is considered a significant adverse impact requiring mitigation. The appropriate mitigation has, in the past, been determined in coordination with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) through agreed-upon mitigation policy. The goal established in the Deep Draft Navigation Project (COE and LAHD 1992) and elsewhere, is "no net loss of in-kind habitat value, where in-kind refers to marine tidal water of value to fish and birds." Due to the infeasibility of undertaking any significant on-site mitigation except for limited creation of shallow water, and the public interest mandate of accomodating maritime cargo conferred upon the Port by the California Coastal Act, off-site mitigation is allowed between Pt. Conception and the Mexican border (area of ecological continuity). Implementation of mitigation measures shall occur prior to or concurrent with project impact. The preferred mitigation is the restoration of coastal embayment habitat or possibly construction of artificial reefs pending additional studies on their mitigation value. The habitat valuation performed for evaluating mitigation opportunities includes marine fish resources and therefore accounts for FMP species present. The mitigation proposed for the Channel Deepening Project would include use of mitigation credit present in the Port's existing Bolsa Chica Mitigation, Outer Harbor Mitigation Bank, and Inner Harbor Mitigation Bank (Table 4). While there is mitigation available for construction of fill associated with disposal site 4, there is probably not enouth mitigation available for construction of an 80 acre fill at disposal site 1 (Pier 300 Shallow Water Habitat). Any deficit in mitigation would be made up in accordance with procedures identified in Measure 4D-1 of the Deep Draft Navigation Project and would be required prior to project construction. Table 4. Mitigation available for the Channel Deepening Project disposal sites 1 (Shallow Outer Harbor) and 4 (Inner Harbor).
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