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Figure 3.8-2. Seminoe Reservoir Ice Fishing Areas
Final License Application – Exhibit E Seminoe Pumped Storage Project
Figure 3.8-2. Seminoe Reservoir Ice Fishing Areas
January 2023 | 291
Overall, Seminoe Reservoir is relatively remote and does not see as much foot traffic as other similar reservoirs in the area. Other popular ice fishing reservoirs in Wyoming include Boysen Reservoir, Pathfinder Reservoir, Glendo Reservoir, Keyhole Reservoir, and Alcova Reservoir. Many of these reservoirs host ice fishing tournaments, unlike Seminoe Reservoir. Anglers may prefer to ice fish on Seminoe Reservoir since it can have better ice formation and be safer, there is an on-duty ranger, there is less crowding, and it is close for locals. For non-locals, it is a remote location and is not near any other facilities (hotels, restaurants, stores). Winter camping facilities are available at Seminoe State Park which is where most non-local ice anglers stay when fishing the Reservoir. In addition to locals, the Reservoir draws anglers from Laramie, Cheyenne, and Casper. About 30 percent of the ice anglers are estimated to have traveled 4 to 5 hours from Colorado.
Seminoe Boat Club
The private Seminoe Boat Club (Club) is located adjacent to the Sand Mountain Day Use Area. Seminoe Boat Club, Incorporated (SBC) is the owner and operator of the Club facilities (SBC 2021). SBC is a non-profit organization that promotes seasonal recreation at Seminoe Reservoir. The SBC provides lot and non-lot memberships at the Club, in which there are 89 leased lots, one general store and café, and one overnight camping area, as well as a parking area for boat trailers.
The store and café provide apparel, supplies, gas, wood, propane exchange, ice, and more and also serve breakfast and lunch (SBC 2021). The store and café as well as the parking area are open from May through September. The Club is not accessible in winter because there is no snow removal maintenance of the turn off road to the Club off County Road 351. The store lessee also operates the overnight campground, in which full hook-ups and campsites are available. The store manager also collects boat ramp fees for non-club member access. The campground and boat launch are open to non-members for a fee.
Needs Identified in Wyoming’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP)
The 2019 Wyoming SCORP is intended to serve as a guide for local, state, and federal agencies in the development and provision of future outdoor recreation opportunities (SPCR 2019). Surveys of both recreation providers and users were conducted to gather information about outdoor recreation opportunities, facilities, programs, uses, needs, and desires (SPCR 2019). In addition, since the 2014 SCORP, the state created the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office (OREC); its mission is “to enhance and expand the outdoor recreation industry and improve outdoor recreation infrastructure/access within the beautiful state of Wyoming.”
The survey of recreation providers was an e-mail survey of public recreation organizations throughout the state, including various municipalities ranging in size from small to large. The top three issues identified by Wyoming recreation providers pertain to maintenance of existing facilities, personnel needs, and restoration of existing facilities (SPCR 2019).
Overall, concern about public access and the preservation of public lands was the most commonly identified issue by Wyoming recreation users, while the second most common concern was about the maintenance of both facilities and natural settings.
Using the results from the recreation provider and recreation user surveys, the 2019-2023 Wyoming SCORP identified three major issues related to outdoor recreation in Wyoming:
1. Land Use Management, 2. Facilities, and 3. Funding and Cost.
Based on these results, the 2019 SCORP provided a list of relevant recommendations to meet the needs of the user and ensure that the current recreational needs of the population are met. The SCORP also identified a list of priority projects to receive funding, which was developed using information from the user survey, provider survey, prior Wyoming SCORPs, and new facility trends.
3.8.1.5 Specially Designated Recreation Areas Nationwide Rivers Inventory
No portion of the proposed Project will be located on or in the vicinity of rivers included within the Nationwide Rivers Inventory (National Park Service [NPS] 2021).
America’s Scenic Byways
No portion of the proposed Project will be located in any of America’s Byways designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation (U.S. Department of Transportation undated). The Seminoe-Alcova Backcountry Byway is located in the immediate vicinity of the Footprint of Potential Disturbance (Figure 3.8-1). Attractions along the 64-mile route include Alcova and Pathfinder Reservoirs, Seminoe Reservoir, Seminoe and Pedro Mountains, and Seminoe State Park (BLM undated-b). There is also a Seminoe Dam and Reservoir Overlook located along the byway.
It is possible that construction staging areas may be located off the Seminoe-Alcova Backcountry Byway. Potential impacts to the Seminoe-Alcova Backcountry Byway are discussed in Section 3.8.2.
National Trails System and Wilderness Areas
No portion of the proposed Project will be located within or adjacent to the National Trails System or within any designated Wilderness Area (NPS 2020b; Wilderness Connect undated).
Wild and Scenic Rivers
No portion of the proposed Project will be located on an area designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system (National Wild and Scenic River System undated).
3.8.1.6 Nationally and Regionally Significant Recreation Areas Seminoe State Park
Potential construction staging areas in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance will be located on federal lands of Seminoe State Park which are administered by Wyoming State Parks. The Park is located across Seminoe Reservoir from the proposed Project underground powerhouse and lower reservoir intake structure. The Park is open year-round and offers camping, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, bird watching, and ATV touring (WY 2020). Several developed recreation facilities within Seminoe State Park were assessed in the Recreation Resources Study (HDR 2022g).
Morgan Creek Wildlife Management Area
Morgan Creek Wildlife Management Area is located approximately 2 miles west of the proposed Footprint of Potential Disturbance, near Seminoe Dam, and is managed by the WGFD. The 4,597-acre public access area is open from May 1st to October 31st annually and offers a variety of hunting and hiking opportunities in the rugged Seminoe Mountains (WGFD 2019b).
Bennett Mountains Wilderness Study Area
The Bennett Mountains WSA is introduced above in Section 3.8.1.1. Additional information on the Bennett Mountains WSA was obtained through correspondence with the BLM.21 The Bennett Mountains WSA is approximately 6,000 acres and is closed to all motorized vehicle use. The WSA is a destination for scenic vistas, quiet landscapes, and numerous recreational opportunities, such as hiking and exploration, photography, horseback riding, dispersed camping, antler collecting, hunting, bird watching, and rock climbing.
Most recreation in the Bennett Mountains WSA occurs in the summer months.22 Motorized vehicles and other motorized equipment are prohibited in the WSA. However, visitors may access by 4-wheel drive from unimproved roads and two-tracks in the vicinity of the WSA. The area is prone to summer lightning strikes and occasional wildfires that may cause recreational closures.
The Bennett Mountains WSA is within a one-hour drive of several communities.23 The recreational users of the WSA come from a variety of demographics. The area is popular with local users from Carbon County from the towns and communities of Hanna, Medicine Bow, Saratoga, Rawlins, and Elk Mountain. Out-of-state users tend to come from Colorado or Utah and spend a weekend or more in the area. Residents of Wyoming communities in Natrona, Albany, and Laramie Counties also recreate in this area.
21 Personal communication with A. Williams, Rawlins BLM Field Office, December 6, 2021.
22 Ibid.
23 Ibid.
Miracle Mile
The Miracle Mile is a popular fishing area, extending about 5.5 miles from the tailrace of Kortes Dam to the boundary of the southern management unit of the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge. The Miracle Mile is accessed at several locations by Seminoe Road from the southwest, Kortes Road from the northeast, and by a network of smaller roads.
Amenities at the Miracle Mile are owned and operated by Reclamation and include numerous dispersed camping sites throughout the area, which are not delineated and do not require reservations. There are five picnic shelters and 57 picnic tables, benches, fire rings and grills, nine vault restrooms, and an ADA-compliant fishing dock. Trails in the area include one ADA-compliant trail with a ramp for viewing the North Platte River.
The facilities are unstaffed and open year-round. Access roads and parking areas are not plowed in winter (Reclamation 2021, WGFD 2019a). Use of the area has increased over the last 5 years (WGFD 2021b).
3.8.2 Direct and Indirect Environmental Effects – Recreation
This section presents information available at this time about potential direct and indirect effects of the proposed Project on recreation.
Several recreation areas are located adjacent to the Footprint of Potential Disturbance, including Bennett Mountains WSA and Morgan Creek WHMA. The Project is located on lands administered by the Reclamation and BLM as well as private lands. No portion of the Project is located within the Bennett Mountains WSA or Morgan Creek WHMA. The Footprint of Potential Disturbance is located partially within Seminoe State Park, on federal lands administered through an agreement with Wyoming State Parks.
Construction staging, marine works, and spoil areas may be located on lands associated with Seminoe State Park, although not within the developed recreation areas. A marine works area to access the proposed lower reservoir intake structure locations on Seminoe Reservoir by boat is proposed just north of the North Red Hills Area. This area will be used for several construction seasons and subsequently vacated and restored to pre-existing conditions. Use of land within and adjacent to Seminoe State Park is not expected to directly impact recreation use of the facilities within Seminoe State Park, such as the boat launches or campgrounds. However, short-term impacts associated with these staging areas include increased vehicle traffic, noise, dust, and lighting. All areas used for construction staging or spoil disposal will be restored.
Construction of the Project may temporarily impact recreation in the Project vicinity. Construction of the Project is expected to last five years, with the most intense aboveground work likely to occur during years one through three. Construction impacts include noise, lighting, dust, and increased traffic, which have the potential to impact nearby recreation. Hunting and wildlife viewing may be temporarily impacted as access may be restricted to some areas during some phases of construction, and wildlife may be
disturbed due to noise and human activity. Fishing and boating in the Project vicinity may also be temporarily impacted.
Construction of the Project may result in temporary impacts on roadways due to the movement and delivery of equipment, material, and workers. At peak construction, approximately 1,000 workers would be driving to construction sites via the road network spread out over approximately 120 miles. In addition to the construction workforce, the delivery of construction equipment and materials to the Project could temporarily congest existing traffic.
The temporary increase in traffic is expected to occur near the Seminoe tailrace for bridge and access road construction. The area to be impacted would be the Seminoe tailrace, at the upstream extent of the Kortes Reservoir, approximately 300 feet south of the Footprint of Potential Disturbance. The primary recreation activity to be impacted includes angling, specifically shoreline angling. The popular fishing spots along the Miracle Mile on the North Platte River will not be impacted. As described in Exhibit C, it is expected that the bridge over the Seminoe tailrace will be completed within the first year of construction. Once construction of the bridge is complete, most of the recreational impacts at this location will be minimized. There are no alternative access routes proposed at this time since the construction is temporary and short-term and there are numerous, similar recreation opportunities in the vicinity that will not be affected by construction.
The Project is unlikely to have detrimental effects to boat launches or other public access locations on Seminoe Reservoir. As discussed in Section 2.1.1.2, Project operations are predicated to have a daily surface water fluctuation of 6.4 inches under normal operating headwater elevation of 6,357 feet. Any change in Seminoe Reservoir elevation due to Project operations will be within the historic range of Seminoe Reservoir water levels and, therefore, any impacts would occur in areas where Seminoe Reservoir has operated historically. Project effects on Seminoe Reservoir water level and surface area will occur within a band where wave action has historically altered water levels.
Federal lands managed by the BLM in the vicinity of the Project are open to hunting. Lands in the vicinity of the Project are designated as yearlong and crucial winter range for pronghorn antelope and mule deer, important bighorn sheep habitat, and adjacent to and within Greater Sage-grouse core area, according to the WGFD. During construction, big game are expected to be temporarily displaced from the area to other habitat surrounding the Footprint of Potential Disturbance, such as the Bennett Mountains. Hunting pressure in the vicinity of the Project may be temporarily reduced during active construction due to both a reduction in number of hunters interested in hunting in the area and a reduction in the number of animals present due to temporary displacement. Hunting opportunities and population management through hunting will be available in adjacent areas during construction. Following construction, it is expected that hunting activity and habitat use by bighorn sheep would return to near pre-construction levels. Potential Project effects on wildlife, game species, and game management are discussed in Section 3.7, Wildlife Resources.
While there are no scenic byways in the vicinity of the Project, the Seminoe-Alcova Backcountry Byway is located in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance where construction staging areas are proposed. Short-term impacts to the byway are the same as those discussed above for Seminoe State Park. However, no long-term impacts on the byway are expected. Potential Project effects on visual and scenic resources are discussed in Section 3.11, Aesthetic Resources.
There are no National Trails, designated Wilderness Areas, designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers, or rivers listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory within 10 miles of the Project.
Ice Formation
As discussed in Section 3.8.1.4, ice fishing is a popular activity on Seminoe Reservoir. Based on stakeholder interviews, there was consensus that ice formation on Seminoe Reservoir was reliable enough to allow for ice fishing every year. The Reservoir freezes over every year and the ice has been thick enough to allow for ice fishing (averaging 12 inches or greater). Seminoe Reservoir is generally frozen over consistently from midDecember to mid-March with ice thick enough for ice fishing. Ice formation and break up vary year to year, sometimes starting in mid-November and extending into late March. Ice fishing season largely mirrors that of ice formation; starting in mid-December and ending in mid-March with the potential to start in November and extend later in March.
Stakeholders noted that pressure ridges can form near the shorelines of the Reservoir, as seen with many of the other reservoirs in the area. There have been soft spots observed near the shorelines, and in the “canyon” immediately upstream of Seminoe Dam (Figure 3.8-2). The shoreline soft spots are usually present during the start of ice formation and just before ice break up when the ice is generally thinner and temperatures are warmer. One stakeholder from Seminoe State Park noted that the center of the Reservoir will occasionally breakup and expose open water. The stakeholder hypothesized that this is due to the center of the Reservoir having deep water and a stronger current than in other areas. The breakup does not stay open for long, but he noted that the center of the Reservoir can be a dangerous area to ice fish.
As discussed in Section 3.4.1.5, Black Canyon developed a CE-QUAL-W2 (W2) model for Seminoe Reservoir to further investigate potential Project effects on water temperature and ice formation. The W2 model is a two-dimensional, longitudinal/vertical, hydrodynamic and water quality model. The model is best suited for the Project given the relatively long and narrow characteristics of Seminoe Reservoir, which exhibits longitudinal and vertical gradients. The W2 model is the reservoir model of choice throughout the U.S. and many other countries and serves as the two-dimensional, longitudinal/vertical, hydrodynamic model of choice for Reclamation (USACE undated-a). The W2 model provided information about water temperatures, currents, and stratification under existing conditions and with proposed pumped storage operations.
The results of the W2 model suggest that the timing of ice formation and thawing will be generally the same under Project operations, with ice forming in late November and early
December, and thawing in early March. The model indicated that the area in the immediate vicinity of the inlet/outlet structure is unlikely to form ice throughout the winter season due to Project operations. Project-related upwelling is projected only occur in this area, and not, for instance, the upstream portion of Seminoe Reservoir that is frequently used for ice fishing. Based on information from local stakeholders, the vicinity of the inlet/outlet structure (in the “canyon”) is not generally used for ice fishing, as the ice is often unstable or with soft spots. However, ice formation on the remainder of Seminoe Reservoir is not expected to be impacted. Therefore, Project operations are not expected to detrimentally affect recreational uses of Seminoe Reservoir in the winter.
Other pumped storage projects in the region, such as Mt. Elbert in Colorado, are compatible with ice fishing activities. Mt. Elbert pumped storage project is located approximately 15 miles south of Leadville, Colorado. The project includes the Mt. Elbert forebay (upper reservoir) and the Twin Lakes Reservoir (lower reservoir). Fluctuations on Twin Lakes Reservoir are the result of inflows, calls for water, and pumped storage operations. A majority of Twin Lakes Reservoir freezes over in winter and is used for an Annual Ice Fishing Derby. The two-day Annual Ice Fishing Derby typically occurs in midFebruary each year with prizes for mackinaw, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout. Fluctuations on the lower reservoir are not significant and therefore have minimal impacts on ice formation and are compatible with ice fishing. Additionally, there is a portion of water near the inlet/outlet of the Mt. Elbert pumped storage facility that remains unfrozen year round, yet the rest of the lower reservoir remains accessible for winter recreation.
As noted in Table 3.2-1, the geographic scope for recreation is lands within 2 miles of the Footprint of Potential Disturbance. Impacts on public recreation areas would be restricted to construction workspaces and adjacent landscapes. As detailed in Table 3.2-2, there are three projects that occur within the geographic scope for recreation: 1) WPCI Project, 2) Gateway West Transmission Line Project, and 3) Gateway South Transmission Line Project. Cumulative effects related to aesthetic resources, air, and noise are discussed in Section 3.12.3, Section 3.15.3, and Section 3.16.3; respectively.
Issues Identified for Analysis
Almost all parks, preservation, and recreation areas in the geographic scope have been affected by development from past and present actions. However, the natural environmental has been altered in a manner that allows for past and present recreation actions as well as recreational uses (recreational infrastructure, trails, etc.) to occur.
Reasonably foreseeable future actions with potential to impact affect recreation include any development that would involve industrial infrastructure that would affect influence existing recreational experiences. This could include visual contrast and noise from infrastructure construction and subsequent operation that affect user groups for which a quiet environment and undisturbed viewsheds are an important part of the recreation experience. Reduced wildlife utilization areas in proximity to development could also affect
recreation activities such as hunting and wildlife viewing. The degree of impacts may vary and would depend on current level of disturbance and number and type of reasonably foreseeable actions in proximity to areas with recreation activities that depend upon undisturbed landscape and wildlife and which experience high visitation.
Results
The Project’s Footprint of Potential Disturbance does not include public recreational facilities or designated recreation areas. Cumulative impacts effects within 2 miles of the Footprint of Potential Disturbance would consist of only temporary and intermittent traffic and access changes during construction. No long-term adverse cumulative effects are expected on recreation as a result of Project construction and operation.
While there are no recreation facilities associated with the Project, recreation facilities in the larger geographic scope include: Reclamation’s boat ramp and parking area below Seminoe Dam, Bennett Mountains WSA, Seminoe Reservoir, Miracle Mile, Seminoe State Park (North Red Hills Area, South Red Hills Area, Sunshine Beach, Sand Mountain Day Use Area), Seminoe Reservoir Main Overlook, Kortes Reservoir Facilities. The following text summarizes the cumulative effects on recreational uses and resources in the geographic scope.
Reclamation’s Boat Ramp and Parking Area
The Project would not contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Reclamation’s Boat Ramp and Parking Area since the Project design will be finalized to maintain or enhance public access and use of this area. Past and present actions have already cumulatively impacted affected the area since the area has secondary roads and man-made infrastructure. Short-term cumulative effects would include increased noise and air emissions (including dust), increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction. Long-term cumulative effects on Reclamation’s Boat Ramp and Parking Area are not anticipated because no Project components will affect it following construction and no foreseeable projects.
Bennett Mountains WSA
The Project would not contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on the Bennett Mountains WSA, as the Project’s Footprint of Potential Disturbance and the boundaries of the other reasonably foreseeable future actions do not overlap with this area from a recreational perspective. For example, the Gateway West and Gateway South project only overlap with the Project at the Aeolus substation, which is well-removed from the Bennett Mountains WSA and provides no recreational opportunities; additionally, these projects do not share a construction window with the Project. There are no present or future project proposed in the WSA. Project construction would potentially limit and/or hinder access to the WSA and increase noise and air emission (including dust) during construction, but not in association with other projects. Similarly, hunting and wildlife viewing may also be impacted due to restricted access during construction and wildlife may be disturbed due
to increased noise and human activities, but not as a cumulative effect in association with other projects.
Seminoe Reservoir
The Project would contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Seminoe Reservoir since the reservoir will serve as the lower reservoir of the Project, thus adding a new use in addition to past and present actions. Past and present actions impacting Seminoe Reservoir include the development of Seminoe State Park, Seminoe Reservoir Main Overlook, and various boat ramps and camping facilities. Short-term cumulative effects would include increased noise and air emissions (including dust), increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction. The long-term cumulative effects would be additional industrial use of Seminoe Reservoir resulting in visual impacts to nearby recreators (see Section 3.12.3).
Miracle Mile
The Project would not contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Miracle Mile as the Project, nor the other projects within the geographic scope, are proposed to overlap with this recreational area. Short term effects on the Miracle Mile may include increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction actions. There are no longterm cumulative effects anticipated on Miracle Mile from the construction or operation of the Project.
Seminoe State Park
The Project would not contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Seminoe State Park. There are no proposed development projects for Seminoe State Park. Short-term cumulative effects would include increased noise and air emissions (including dust), increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction. There are no long-term cumulative effects anticipated for Seminoe State Park from the construction or operation of the Project.
Seminoe Reservoir Main Overlook
The Project would contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Seminoe Reservoir Main Overlook since construction of the Project would be visible at this vantage point. Past and present actions impacting Seminoe Reservoir Main Overlook include the development of the overlook and Seminoe Dam and tailrace and Seminoe forebay. Short-term cumulative effects would include increased noise and air emissions (including dust), increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction. The longterm cumulative effects would be additional man-made structures resulting in visual impacts to nearby recreators (see Section 3.12.3).
Kortes Reservoir Facilities
The Project would not contribute incrementally to cumulative effects on Kortes Reservoir facilities as the Project, nor the other projects within the geographic scope, are proposed
to overlap with this recreational area. Short term effects on the Kortes Reservoir Facilities may include increased traffic, potential delays for users, and/or detours during construction actions. There are no long-term cumulative effects anticipated on Kortes Reservoir Facilities from the construction or operation of the Project.
As described in Section 3.8.2, the Footprint of Potential Disturbance partially overlaps Seminoe State Park. Also within the geographic scope are several recreation areas including Bennet Mountains WSA and Morgan Creek WHMA. In addition, federal lands managed by the BLM are open to hunting. Cumulative impacts on recreation from the Project and other projects in the geographic scope could occur due to construction activities including increased noise, lighting, dust, and traffic.
3.8.4.1 Agency Consultation
The NOI and PAD for the proposed Project were filed with the FERC on April 20, 2020. Comments were received from several agencies including BLM and WGFD, and individual stakeholders. Black Canyon held a virtual joint public-agency meeting on July 21, 2020, and has continued consultation with stakeholders since that time. Black Canyon distributed its proposed resource study plans for the Project on August 3, 2020, and March 23, 2021. Black Canyon distributed the DLA on June 6, 2022. Responses to stakeholder comments and Black Canyon’s Record of Consultation are provided in Appendix A. BLM, WGFD, and Reclamation provided comments on recreation resources in their comments on the DLA. Responses to comments on the DLA are provided in Appendix L.
3.8.4.2 Applicant Recommendations
As described in Table 2.1-5, the following PM&Es are applicable to recreation:
• Public Access: Black Canyon proposes to manage lands over which it has control in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance for appropriate public access. • Traffic Management Plan: Black Canyon will develop and implement a Traffic
Management Plan prior to construction.
3.9 Land Use
Public land within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance is administered by the BLM, Reclamation, and Wyoming State Parks. Most public land in the Project vicinity is managed for agricultural uses and grazing and recreation is another common use of the Project vicinity such as in Seminoe State Park, Seminoe Reservoir and the North Platte River, and the Bennett Mountains WSA.
The BLM administers over two million acres of public land in Carbon County, which is available for livestock grazing, mineral production, recreation, and wildlife habitat (City of Rawlins undated). Major economic uses of public land in Carbon County include commercial wind power, raising sheep and cattle, mining, and natural gas production (Van Pelt 2014).
3.9.1 Affected Land Use Environment
Lands surrounding the Platte River are used primarily for agriculture, oil and gas development, mining, and recreation (Ostlind 2014). The North Platte River Basin contains some of the most remote land in the country (Ostlind 2014). Seminoe State Park, located south of the Project vicinity on the shores of Seminoe Reservoir, provides year-round camping, boating, and hiking (Hein 2014). Recreational uses in the Project vicinity are described in Section 3.8 Recreation.
Land use in the vicinity of the Project includes primarily undeveloped private and BLMmanaged public lands. Land in the Project vicinity includes portions of Seminoe State Park (approximately 345 acres) as well as land administered by the BLM or private land (Figure 3.1-3). Land ownership within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance is summarized in Table 3.1-1. Within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance, most land cover is woodland, desert scrub, or shrubland (USGS 2016). There is little developed land in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance.
Most land use within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance is comprised of ‘exempt’ land (2,135 acres, 70.3%), which refers to federal land administered by the BLM or Reclamation. Other land uses in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance include agricultural land (876.5 acres, 28.8%) and a residential area (28 acres, 0.9%). Agricultural land within the boundary is generally used for grazing (Carbon County Board of Commissioners 2012). Table 3.9-1 provides a summary of land uses in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance and Figure 3.9-1 shows land uses in the Project vicinity.
The Bennett Mountains WSA is located adjacent to the Footprint of Potential Disturbance in the vicinity of the proposed upper reservoir and transmission corridor. The Bennett Mountains WSA is considered a special designation/management area by BLM in order to protect or preserve its use and value as wilderness, including for wildlife habitat and recreation (BLM 2008a). The Bennett Mountains WSA is discussed in detail in Section 3.8 Recreation.
Table 3.9-1. Land Use in the Footprint of Potential Disturbance Land Use Type Acres within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance Percent (%) Staging Areas
Agricultural
Exempt
Residential 176.4 5.8
Project Works Area (including Upper Reservoir)
Agricultural Exempt 768.0
Residential 25.3
Land Use Type Acres within the Footprint of Potential Disturbance Percent (%) Transmission Corridor
Agricultural Exempt Residential 876.5
1190.6
28.4
Footprint of Potential Disturbance Total
Agricultural 876.5 Exempt 3,135.0
Residential 28.4
Total 3,039.9
Source: Carbon County undated-d. 28.8
39.2
0.9
28.8
70.3
0.9
100.0
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