9.7_-_BA_-_Murray_FINAL_Signed_8-26-10.pdf

Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108)

Seismic Retrofit Project

Biological Assessment

Murray Street Bridge

Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor City of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz County, CA Federal Project Number STPLX-5025 (048)

July 2010

For individuals with sensory disabilities, this document is available in Braille, large print, on audiocassette, or computer disk. To obtain a copy in one of these alternate formats, please call or write to Caltrans, Attn: Gary Ruggerone, Environmental Planning, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93401; (805) 549-3182 Voice, or use the California Relay Service TTY number, 1 (800) 735-2929.

Seismic Retrofit Project(# 36C-OI08)

Biological Assessment

Murray Street Bridge Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor

City of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz County, CA

Federal Project Number STPLX-5025 (048)

July 2010

Approved By: ~~V .••••••_~ -=-~---=l_~_·_..._Q-=j=-~-=- Date: g/u! 20) 0 Chr . Schneiter, Assistant Director Phone Number: 831-420-5422 Office Name: Department of Public Works District/Region: City of Santa Cruz

Approved By: Date: _ Gary Ruggerone, Senior Environmental Planner Phone Number: 805-549-3182 Environmental Planning Branch District 5, San Luis Obispo

Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Determinations

The existing Murray Street Bridge (Bridge # 36C-0108) crosses the Santa Cruz Small

Craft Harbor at the eastern edge of the City of Santa Cruz, California. Due to the structure’s seismic vulnerability, the City in conjunction with Caltrans has embarked upon development of retrofit design plans. The City also received approval from Caltrans to rehabilitate the bridge, including replacement of the deficient bridge barriers under the under the Highway Bridge Program (HBP).

The proposed project consists of a seismic retrofit of the existing Murray Street Bridge, which spans the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and additional minor modifications to replace deficient bridge barriers (widening shoulders to standard widths and replacement and improvement of sidewalks and railings). The seismic retrofit project will provide the bridge with additional vertical support and resistance to lateral seismic forces by installing additional pilings and supplemental structural elements. In order to provide sufficient area for construction operations, some boats, Harbor facilities, and commercial businesses will require temporary relocation.

Federally-listed species known from or with the potential to inhabit the project Biological

Study Area include steelhead trout, green sturgeon, and southern sea otter . The Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor is located within designated critical habitat for central California coast steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and the southern North American green sturgeon DPS.

The proposed project would result in a permanent alteration of 430 square feet critical habitat for steelhead and green sturgeon with installation of 24 30-inch steel casing piles within the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor to support and reinforce the bridge design.

Although this alteration would be permanent, it would not appreciably diminish the value of critical habitat for both the survival and recovery of the species and is therefore not likely to adversely modify designated steelhead and green sturgeon critical habitat. The pile installation would not result in obstruction to fish passage or migration.

The proposed project is unlikely to result in direct mortality of listed fish species, but construction activities may result in harassment in the form of disorientation, decreased predator and prey detection, or temporary avoidance of habitat.

With implementation of avoidance and minimization measures, the project is not likely to adversely affect federally listed steelhead and green sturgeon species.

The proposed project may disrupt foraging activities or movement of southern sea otters within the Harbor waters. This temporary harassment would be a direct project impact.

With implementation of avoidance and minimization efforts, potential effects on the federal listed southern sea otter and marine mammals will be minimized; however, temporary harassment may occur.

Avoidance and minimization measures include:

i ii

Conducting in-water pile driving construction activity between July 1 and mid-November, outside the steelhead migration period, unless otherwise permitted by the National Marine Fisheries Service. This applies to all pile driving activity, including installation of permanent bridge piles, harbor berth replacement piles, and temporary piles for a construction trestle, if one is utilized, as well as removal of existing berth piles and removal of temporary trestle piles, if a construction trestle is erected. Criteria for extension of pile driving would include consideration of weather conditions. For example a low rainfall period in November and December could warrant extension to the beginning of January.

Implementation of measures to reduce underwater sound pressure levels to the greatest extent feasible.

Implementation of a marine mammal mitigation plan, including monitoring and establishment of a buffer-safety zone.

Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project Chapter 1 Introduction

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. Project History

1.2. Project Description

1.3. Summary of Consultation to Date

1.4. Document Preparation History

Chapter 2. Study Methods

2.1. Listed and Proposed Species Potentially in the Biological Study Area

2.1.1. Potential Occurrence of Federally Listed Plants

2.1.2. Potential Occurrence of Federally Listed Wildlife

2.2. Studies Required

2.2.1. Botany

2.2.2. Wildlife

2.2.3. Recovery Plans

2.3. Personnel and Survey Dates

2.4. Agency Coordination and Professional Contacts

2.5. Limitations That May Influence Results

2.5.1. Botany

2.5.2. Wildlife

Chapter 3. Results: Environmental Setting

3.1. Description of the Existing Biological and Physical Conditions

3.1.1. Botany

3.1.2. Wildlife

Chapter 4. Results: Biological Resources, Discussion of Impacts and Mitigation

4.1. Federally-Listed/Proposed Plant Species

4.2. Federally-Listed or Proposed Animal Species Occurrences

4.2.1. Steelhead

4.2.1.1. Survey Results

4.2.1.2. Critical Habitat

4.2.1.3. Avoidance and Minimization Efforts

4.2.1.4. Project Effects

4.2.1.5. Modifications to the Project to Mitigate Effects

4.2.1.6. Cumulative Effects (FESA)

4.2.2. North American Green Sturgeon

4.2.2.1. Survey Results

4.2.2.2. Critical Habitat

4.2.2.3. Avoidance and Minimization Efforts

4.2.2.4. Project Effects

4.2.2.5. Modifications to the Project to Mitigate Effects

4.2.2.6. Cumulative Effects (FESA)

4.2.4. Southern Sea Otter

4.2.4.1. Survey Results

4.2.4.2. Critical Habitat

4.2.4.3. Avoidance and Minimization Efforts

4.2.4.4. Project Effects

4.2.4.5. Modifications to the Project to Mitigate Effects

4.2.4.6. Cumulative Effects (FESA)

Chapter 5. Conclusions and Determination

5.1. Conclusions

5.2. Determination

Murray Street Bridge Project

Murray Street Bridge Project

5.2.1. Steelhead

5.2.2. Steelhead Critical Habitat

5.2.3. North American Green Sturgeon

5.2.4. North American Green Sturgeon Critical Habitat

5.2.5. Southern Sea Otter

Chapter 6. References

Appendix A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Species List Appendix B Marine Mammal Mitigation Plan

List of Figures

Figure 1. Vicinity of the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA

Figure 2. Aerial Photo of Area Surrounding the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) and Area of Potential Impact, in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA

Figure 3. Cross Section of the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA

Figure 4. Biological Study Area and Surroundings……………………………………………28 Figure 5. Habitat Types………………………………………………………………………...29

List of Tables

Table 1. Murray Street Bridge Retrofit Project: Construction Phasing & Approximate Schedule. 10 Table 2. Status, distribution and habitat of federally-listed, proposed, and candidate plants with potential to occur in the vicinity of the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project area, Santa Cruz, California…

Table 3: Federally-listed, Proposed and Candidate Wildlife Species Potentially Occurring or Known to Occur in the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project area, Santa Cruz, California.16

List of Abbreviated Terms ACOE Army Corps of Engineers Caltrans California Department of Transportation CCC California Coastal Commission CDFG California Department of Fish and Game CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database CNPS California Native Plant Society CRLF California red-legged frog dB decibels DPS Distinct Population Segment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Federal Endangered Species Act FHWA Federal Highway Administration ft foot/feet FWS Fish and Wildlife Service HBP Highway Bridge Program KP kilometer post LCP Local Coastal Program m meter(s) mi mile(s) MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NPPA Native Plant Protection Act NTU nephlometric turbidity units PM post mile UCSC University of California Santa Cruz

Murray Street Bridge Project i

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. Project History

The existing Murray Street Bridge (Bridge # 36C-0108) crosses the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor in the City of Santa Cruz, California (Figure 1). Due to the structure’s seismic vulnerability, the City in conjunction with Caltrans has embarked upon development of retrofit design plans. The City also received approval from Caltrans to rehabilitate the bridge, including replacement of the deficient bridge barriers under the under the federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP), formerly the Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation program. In order to bring the bridge up to current standards, the narrow shoulders will be widened as part of the project.

1.2. Project Description

The proposed project is located at the eastern edge of the City of Santa Cruz in the County of Santa Cruz.

The project area includes the Murray Street Bridge which spans the Santa Cruz Harbor, portions of lands within the Santa Cruz Port District harbor area, portions of the harbor waters, and the area along the Murray Street road right-of-way, west of Lake Avenue (Figure 2). The area north of bridge includes portions of harbor paths that would be temporarily disrupted during construction.

The proposed project consists of a seismic retrofit of the existing Murray Street Bridge, which spans the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and additional minor modifications to replace deficient bridge barriers (widening shoulders to standard widths and replacement and improvement of sidewalks and railings). The seismic retrofit project will provide the bridge with additional vertical support and resistance to lateral seismic forces by installing additional pilings and supplemental structural elements. In order to provide sufficient area for construction operations, some boats, Harbor facilities, and commercial businesses will require temporary relocation.

Bridge Seismic Retrofit. The nine-span bridge is supported by two abutments (identified as Abutments 1 and 10, located at the western and eastern ends of the bridge, respectively) and 8 “bents” (identified as Bents 2 through 9, located at 60-foot intervals between the abutments. Figure 3 provides a cross section showing the abutment and bents and proposed improvements. The seismic retrofit project consists of the following basic elements:

(1) Installation of concrete infill walls at Bents 2, 3, 4, and 9. These walls will span the voids between the existing concrete support columns and will be anchored to the columns with bonded dowels.

(2) Installation of shear keys and seat extenders at Abutment 1 and Bents 2 through 9.

(3) Retrofit of foundations with 16-inch diameter CISS (cast-in-steel-shell) piles at Bent 9 and Abutment 10. These piles will extend to depths of approximately –55 feet to –85 feet at Bent 9 and to depths of approximately –30 feet to –50 feet at Abutment 10.

(4) Retrofit abutment with two 96-inch CIDH piles behind Abutment 10 to a depth of -50 feet.

(5) Retrofit of both outriggers and bents with 30-inch diameter CISS piles at Bents 6, 7, and 8 and 30-inch diameter CIDH (cast-in-drilled-hole) piles at Bent 5. These piles will extend to depths of approximately -55 feet to -80 feet at Bent 5 and at approximately –85 feet to –110 feet at Bents 6-8.

(6) Installation of fenders to protect new piles.

Murray Street Bridge Project 1

The installation of new piles at Abutment 10 and Bents 5 through 9 will include two piles on each side for a total of 24 piles. Both the CISS piles and the CIDH piles will be installed at 1:12 angles.

Additional Bridge Improvements. The project also includes replacement of deficient bridge barriers. In order to bring the bridge up to current standards, the narrow shoulders will be widened to provide standard 5-foot shoulders. The shoulder widening will consist of approximately an additional 2 feet on the north side of the bridge and 5-6 feet on the south side of the bridge. It is not anticipated that any work other than an overhang extension will be required on the north side widening. In addition, the construction of new bridge railings is required to conform to current codes. Roadway lane widths will remain the same as currently exists.

The proposed project will include the following improvements:

(1) Removal of existing curbs, sidewalks, and barrier railings on the bridge.

(2) Installation of new girders, road foundations, and road surfacing along the entire southern edge of the bridge, providing 5.5 feet of additional width. (The girders will be supported by the new 30-inch piles at Bents 5 through 8 and the 16-inch piles at Abutments 1 and 10 and at Bents 2, 3, 4, and 9.

(3) Installation of a new cantilevered extension along the entire northern edge of the bridge, providing approximately two feet of additional width. (This will not require additional foundation work.)

(4) Repaving of the bridge surface, and construction of a new 7-foot, 6-inch wide sidewalk on the south side of the bridge. Class 2 bike lanes will be provided in the roadway shoulders.

(5) Installation of new metal bridge railings on both the southern and northern sides of the bridge.

Harbor Berth Removal and Replacement . A total of 12 recreational boat berths will be removed during construction, which includes removal of 2 berths from dock T with replacement at the end of Phase 2 and removal of 10 berths from dock FF. To accommodate the removed berths, 11 new berths will be constructed on the west side of the harbor at Docks A through F. A temporary dock FF--with fewer berths—will be constructed at the southern end of the dock, which will accommodate 6 boats during construction. (Affected portions of Dock FF will be restored at the end of Phase 4.) Additionally, the berth for the commercial “Chardonnay” boat will be temporarily unavailable for a period of approximately two weeks during Phase 4 construction.

Although design plans have not yet been completed for the reinstalled berths, it is expected that the docks would be plastic, wood or concrete over polyethylene floats and would be anchored with pilings. Piles would be drilled into the harbor floor by mechanical hammer. Estimates provided by the Santa Cruz Port District indicate that the removal of berths will require the removal of 23 pilings. A total of 35 berth pilings will be installed for the new berths at docks A through F and replacement berths at the docks T and FF (see Table 1 for schedule). There would be no dredging or placement of fill in Harbor waters with reinstallation of docks and both berths.

Description of Construction Activities

Construction Schedule and Phasing. The Murray Street Bridge Retrofit project is tentatively proposed for construction in five partially overlapping phases. Generally, work will begin on the eastern side of the Harbor and progress to the western side. The timing of each phase and a brief description of work to be performed during each phase is provided in Table 1. Overall, the seismic retrofit work will be executed over a period of approximately 18 months within four construction phases as described in Table 1. The

Murray Street Bridge Project 2 additional bridge improvements will be constructed over a period of approximately 6 months as part of Phase 5 of the construction. Due to need for large construction equipment and harbor access, as described in Table 1, there will be traffic control on Murray Street to include various measures such as temporary lane closures, temporary one-way traffic movement, and detours.

Construction Methods and Equipment. The proposed project includes the following construction activities and associated equipment.

Demolition and Harbor Berth Removal/Replacement: The primary demolition activities include the removal of pilings at Bent 6, the temporary removal of the gangway under Bent 4, the removal of existing sidewalks and railings along the entire length of the bridge, the removal of pavement at both ends of the bridge, and the temporary removal of two berths at Dock T and 10 berths at the FF dock; approximately 17 piles will be removed.. To accommodate removed boat berths, 11 new berths will be constructed on the west side of harbor with 12 associated piles, and 6 temporary berths with 6 piles will be relocated at Dock FF.

Equipment: Demolition will require the use of equipment such as cranes, excavators, front-end loaders, dump trucks, concrete saws, and jackhammers. The dock piles will either be driven in with a vibratory pile driver or a pile driver if needed.

Work Platforms within the Waterway: Work within the waterway will require either the use of barges or construction of trestles to provide work platforms. If barges are utilized, prefabricated modular units may be brought to the site and locked together. This type of platform can be installed, reconfigured, and removed relatively quickly, but the system is not suitable for areas that are too narrow to accommodate the modules. For example, footings from the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge to the north and footings from the Murray Street Bridge appear too close together to allow use of a modular barge between footings. In these areas, a trestle likely will need to be constructed.

Construction of a trestle could vary depending on materials available to contractors. One possible trestle configuration would be 60-foot long steel girders over the Harbor navigation channel. The spans would be supported on falsework bents, perhaps constructed of steel piles which are a fairly common falsework material. Piles would be driven in the water by a crane sitting over the land.

Preliminary estimates by the project engineer indicate that up to 120 12-inch steel beams would be required for a trestle spanning the bridge; vibratory drivers would be used.

Approximately 6-8 of these small size piles could be installed per day. All piles would be removed at the end of construction. The trestle could be made of “Bailey Bridge” panels that can be used to provide bents or towers. The deck might be made of heavy timbers or open-grid panels with a safety railing to keep people and materials on the deck.

Pile Installation within the Waterway: The CISS piles at Bents 5 through 8 will be installed within the waterway by driving 30-inch steel casings either to refusal at rock or into a shaft drilled within rock (depending on the location). The shaft and/or casing will be dewatered and concrete will be poured into the casings, which will be left in place. The 30-inch CIDH piles at Bent 5 will also be constructed by pouring concrete into permanent steel casings; dewatering is not expected to be achievable at this location, and a “wet” installation is planned.

The installation of new piles at Bents 5 through 8 will include two piles on each side for a total of 16 piles. Both the CISS piles and the CIDH piles will be installed at 1:12 angles. Overall the installation of piles is expected to take approximately 2 days for each pile. The pile driving is not expected to occur concurrently.

The design calls for Cast-In-Steel-Shell Concrete (CISS) in which the shell is driven into the ground by a pile driven where the pile hammer is moved away and an auger is twisted into the shell to remove the native material from within the shell. When the auger is full, it is raised up above the top of the shell and the entire crane boom and drilling equipment is rotated to the left or

Murray Street Bridge Project 3

Murray Street Bridge Project 4 right away from the hole, lowered back to just above the deck, and then the auger is spun to remove the materials from the auger. The spoils would be deposited in a truck or trucks on the trestle, Harbor lands or Murray Street, which may entail deposition into a steel box that is lifted to the trucks. The materials are not expected to be hazardous, and the contractor is responsible for disposal at an approved disposal site.

Equipment: The installation of these piles requires the use of a crane(s), a drilling rig, a pile driver, excavation and earthmoving equipment, concrete trucks and pumps, concrete vibrators, supply trucks, welding equipment, and other machinery. The piles will either be driven in with a pile driver or a vibrator.

Pile and Anchor Installation outside the Waterway: The CISS piles at Bent 9 and Abutment 10 will be installed by driving 16-inch steel casing to depths of approximately –30 to –85 feet and filling them with concrete. These piles will be installed perpendicular to the ground surface. The 96-inch diameter anchor pile for Abutment 10 will require excavation and installation of a temporary steel casing, which will be filled with concrete. The anchor pile excavation will be dewatered by pumping, if necessary.

The installation of new piles at Bent 9 and Abutment 10 include two piles on each side for a total of 8 piles. Overall the installation of piles is expected to take approximately 2 days for each pile.

The pile driving is not expected to occur concurrently.

Equipment: The installation of these piles will require the use of excavation equipment, soil tamper equipment, and the other construction equipment described above for installing piles within the waterway.

Construction of Concrete Infill Walls, Shear Keys, Bent Caps, etc.: This part of the project will include the installation and construction of various project features below the bridge road surface and above the piles. Concrete forms will be constructed on the new footings.

Equipment: Equipment required for this part of the project would include concrete trucks and pumps, supply trucks, welding equipment, and other machinery.

Construction of Concrete Pile Caps, Infill Walls, Shear Keys, Bent Caps, etc.: This part of the project will include the installation and construction of various project features below the bridge roadway surface and above the piles. Sheet piling will be placed around the piles, the area dewatered and pile caps formed. Wooden forming supported from the piling would be placed for the pile caps. Wooden forming will be placed on existing footings to place infill walls. Forms would be placed atop pile caps for columns, and attached to the tops of columns for bent caps and shear keys.

Equipment: Equipment required for this part of the project would include a crane to place sheet piling, a pumps for dewatering, light duty equipment to place wooden forming, concrete trucks and a concrete pump to place concrete, welding equipment, supply trucks and other machinery/equipment.

Figure 1. Vicinity of the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA.

Murray Street Bridge Project 5

Murray Street Bridge Project 6

Figure 2. Aerial Photo of Area Surrounding the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) and Area of Potential Impact, in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA.

SOURCE: TRC Engineers

SOURCE: TRC Engineers

Figure 3. Cross Section of the Murray Street Bridge (# 36C-0108) in the City of Santa Cruz, County of Santa Cruz, CA.

Murray Street Bridge Project 7

Roadway Approach Construction: Excavation of existing road approaches will be performed.

Gravel base and asphalt concrete will be placed to match the new widened bridge deck. The roadway approach work will be limited to less than 200 feet from each end of the bridge.

Sidewalks, guardrails and streetlights will be constructed.

Equipment: Equipment used will be typical paving equipment including graders, loaders, bulldozers, sheep's-foot rollers, dump trucks, and a paving machine.

Contractor Staging. Contractor staging activities for Phases 1 and 2 of the project will take place in an approximately 8,000 square-foot portion of an existing boat yard beneath the eastern edge of the bridge.

At the end of Phase 2, the boat yard will be restored. Contractor staging activities for Phases 3, 4, and 5 of the project will take place in the northern portion (approximately 11,000 square feet) of a parking lot situated at the western edge of the bridge. Adjacent existing offices, bathroom facilities, and storage areas will be relocated, as described below. The access ramp to Dock FF will be temporarily closed (replaced by a temporary ramp at the southern end of the dock). Additionally, the pedestrian path beneath the bridge and the concrete stairway beneath the western edge of the bridge will be temporarily closed. This staging area will be used through the end of Stage 5, when original facilities will be restored.

Temporary Harbor Facility Relocation. The temporary use of portions of the eastern harbor boat yard and the western parking lot for contractor staging as described above, in combination with provision of construction access to the bridge from the waterway, will result in temporary disruptions of harbor activities including boat berths, boat storage, buildings, and businesses. As discussed above, 12 recreational boat berths will be removed and replaced. The contractor staging area on the east side of the Harbor will require that nine boats in the boat yard be temporarily relocated to boat storage for approximately four months. On the west side, 60 rowing boats stored under the existing Murray Street bridge will be temporarily relocated to a recently constructed onland dry boat storage facility near docks A and B. An additional 200+ square feet of storage area would be constructed to accommodate the temporary row boat storage. Row boats stored under Span 2 and UCSC Rowing Facility boats under Span 1 will be temporarily relocated to the US Coast Guard parking lot and fenced.

Existing offices, bathroom facilities, and storage areas located north of the western staging area (and within the City’s right-of-way) will be displaced during Phases 3, 4, and 5 of the project. These facilities include: the UCSC storage building, the Lighthall Yacht Charters office, rowing equipment storage, the Santa Cruz Rowing Club Oar House, the Chardonnay Sailing Charters office, the Pacific Yachting Sailing School Charters office, and men’s and women’s restrooms. The buildings will be protected during construction, and a temporary 600 square foot facility (modular) will be installed on the US Coast Guard parking area for a period of approximately six months, which will temporarily house these businesses. An existing memorial bench and plaque will be removed, properly stored, and reinstalled in the West Harbor upon completion of construction.

An existing pedestrian path is located adjacent to the project site on both the east and west sides of the harbor, which is used by pedestrians, bicyclists and kayakers. The path is located on lands owned by the Santa Cruz Port District, and use and management is under the Port District’s jurisdiction. The existing path would be temporarily blocked during some periods of construction due to construction staging activities during Phases 1 and 2 on the east side and during Phases 3,4, and 5 on the west side. The northern limits of these paths are shown in the area north of the bridge on Figure 2. The City intends to keep trails open during non-construction periods. However, there will be periods when construction staging on either side of the harbor will require temporary path closure due to safety during construction equipment use and when the stairway on the west side is replaced. A detour plan has been prepared.

In addition, as indicated above, traffic on Murray/Eaton will be subject to temporary controls. A portion of Lake Avenue may be also be subject to temporary traffic controls during setup of the construction

Murray Street Bridge Project 8

Murray Street Bridge Project 9 staging area on the east side of the Harbor. The existing pedestrian path on both sides of the Harbor, the western concrete stairway, and the access ramp to Dock FF also will be closed during certain phases of construction. Approximately 30-50 Harbor parking spaces (for permit users) on the west side of the Harbor will be temporarily unavailable when the construction staging area is setup in that location.

Railroad Right-of-Way Encroachment. The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) maintains a bridge and track located approximately 20 to 30 feet north of the Murray Street Bridge (as measured from edge of deck to edge of deck, with the distance increasing west to east). Construction on the northern side of the bridge will require railroad flaggers for the protection of workmen and railroad traffic. The Union Pacific Railroad tracks and right-of-way border Murray Street on the north and are within the Area of Potential Impact. It appears that a northwestern sliver of Murray Street is within the railroad right-of-way. Any encroachment into the right-of-way during project construction will need to be coordinated with and approved by Union Pacific and potentially the California Public Utilities Commission.

Table 1. Murray Street Bridge Retrofit Project: Construction Phasing & Approximate Schedule.

Work Tasks Effects on Harbor and Road Operations Phase 1: Construction in East Zone 2 months (May-July) [1]

* Temporarily relocate overhead utilities north of bridge * Install traffic control system with alternating 1-way traffic

* Prepare construction staging area (8,000 sq.ft.) at harbor boat yard * Close Murray for 7 days for driving anchor piles

* Retrofit Bent 9 & Abutment 10; install anchor piles * Temporary relocation (dry storage) of 9 dry-docked boats from boat yard

* Erect Girder Span 9 * Traffic controls along Lake Avenue during construction staging area setup

* Remove existing south rail * Close east walkway under bridge

* Close bridge sidewalk Phase 2: Construction in Eastern Waterway 5 months (July-December)

* Construct new berths (8) at ends of docks A through F * Temporary relocation of 2 boats from Dock T to AA or new dock N-Q

* Remove berths (12) at docks T and FF * Temporary closure of East Drive & part of harbor boat yard

* Construct work platform(s) (trestle or barge) for Stage 2 work [2] * Availability of only one boat channel under the bridge for 6 non-consecutive half-days

* Retrofit Bents 7 & 8 (includes installing anchor piles at Bents 7 & 8)

* Erect Girder Spans 7 & 8 and construct Deck Spans 7, 8, & 9

* Construct north and south rails (optional) [3]

* Restore boat yard; reopen pedestrian path

* Remove east work platform

* Replace berths (2) at Dock T upon construction in the eastern waterway and only between July and mid-November Phase 3: Construction in West Zone 6 months (December-May)

* Install row boat storage at docks A/B & USCG area * Closure of West Path, western concrete stairway and access ramp to Dock FF

* Install temporary building at USCG area * Temporary relocation of affected facilities (offices, storage, restrooms, etc.)

* Temporarily relocate existing offices and row boats to above [2]

* Close portion of western parking lot [2]

* Construct temporary access ramp to Dock FF

* Retrofit Abutment 1 and Bents 2, 3, & 4

* Erect Girder Spans 1, 2, & 3 [and construct Deck Spans 1, 2, & 3]

Murray Street Bridge Project 10

Murray Street Bridge Project 11

Phase 4: Construction in Western Waterway 5 months (May-October)

* Construct modifications to Dock FF; move 7 boats to new Dock FF * Closure of West Path, western concrete stairway and access ramp to Dock FF

* Construct work platform(s) (trestle or barge) for Stage 4 work * Temporary relocation of affected facilities (offices, storage, restrooms, etc.)

* Retrofit Bents 5 & 6 (including installation of anchor piles) * Temporary relocation of 8 boats from Dock FF

* Erect Girder Spans 4, 5, & 6 [and construct Deck Spans 4, 5, & 6] * Availability of only one boat channel under the bridge for 6 non-consecutive half-days

* Construct north and south rails [3]

* Remove work platform(s) Phase 5: Construction of Superstructure and Barrier Rails [no timing provided]

* Remove sidewalks & temporary barrier rails

* Construct new barrier rails

* Restore Dock FF, parking lot, existing offices and related facilities

* Restore all remaining facilities to original condition

* Repair deck Footnotes:

[1] Note that construction phases overlap; the sum of the construction periods specified is therefore greater than the total period indicated by start and finish dates.

[2] These tasks could be initiated and/or completed during the prior stage.

[3] [These tasks could be completed either in Phase 2 or 4.

[4] Temporary closure of Murray Street bridge roadway to all traffic is possible during any phase for a short duration. The alternating one-way traffic with sign control will occur during the construction, but not during the full duration of construction activities.

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.3. Summary of Consultation to Date

No consultations have taken place to date.

1.4. Document Preparation History

The Biological Assessment was completed in conjunction with biological studies conducted for the Natural Environment Study and the Initial Study that was prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The study participants include:

Caltrans District 5, Cathy Stettler and Tom Edell City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department, Chris Schneiter and Josh Spangrud Consultants:

EcoSystems West Consulting Group, Bill Davilla and Erin McGinty Strelow Consulting, Stephanie Strelow

Staff that conducted, prepared and supplied survey or other data but who did not assist in the assembly of the BA are identified in section 2.3.

Documents that have been prepared to date and include biological resource data include:

“Mitigated Negative Declaration / Initial Study, Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project,” November 2007 and Response to Comments, January 10, 2008. Prepared by Strelow Consulting with assistance of EcoSystems West Consulting Group and Hagar Environmental Science.

Prepared for TRC Engineers and City of Santa Cruz Public Works Department.

“Murray Street Bridge (#36C-0108) Seismic Retrofit Project Natural Environment Study,” November 2007; revised November 2008 and January 2010. Prepared by EcoSystems West Consulting Group.

Murray Street Bridge Project 12

Chapter 2 Study Methods

Chapter 2. Study Methods

2.1. Listed and Proposed Species Potentially in the

Biological Study Area

Tables 2 and 3 list all plant and wildlife species (respectively) under federal jurisdiction which have the potential to occur in the vicinity of the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project area. The text that follows the tables describes the likelihood of occurrence and a rationale for this determination. The “Biological Study Area” for the project was defined by the “Area of Potential Impact”, including access, staging areas, roadways, and waterways, and where feasible, the addition of a buffer to address potential impacts (in particular, noise-related impacts) of 300 feet from the work area for nesting birds and of 500 feet for marine mammals.

2.1.1. Potential Occurrence of Federally Listed Plants

No habitat exists for any of the plant species listed in Table 2 due to the highly disturbed nature of the project site. No plants with federal jurisdiction are expected to occur.

2.1.2. Potential Occurrence of Federally Listed Wildlife

Several wildlife species listed in Table 3 have potential or are known to occur in the vicinity of the project area, as described in the sections below:

Zayante Band-winged Grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantillis). No suitable habitat occurs for the Zayante band-winged grasshopper in the study area. The area lacks Zayante sands and does not occur in habitat associated with the Zayante Sandhills (Bowman and Estrada 1980;

USFWS 2000a,b; Mc Graw 2004). The nearest population of ZBG occurs near the community of Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz County approximately 4 miles north of the study area (CNDDB 2007).

Ohlone Tiger Beetle (Cidindela ohlone). No suitable habitat occurs for the tiger beetle in the project area due to lack of coastal prairie or annual grassland. The Ohlone tiger beetle has been known to occur in Pogonip Park, on Moore Creek Preserve (R. Arnold pers. comm.

2007) and on UCSC campus lands.

Mt. Hermon June Beetle (Polyphylla barbata). No suitable habitat occurs for the Mt.

Hermon june beetle in the study area. The area lacks Zayante sands and does not occur in habitat associated with the Zayante Sandhills. The nearest population of Mt. Hermon june beetle occurs near the community of Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz County approximately 4 miles north of the study area (CNDDB 2007).

Murray Street Bridge Project 13

Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project Chapter 3 Results: Environmental Setting

Table 2. Status, distribution and habitat of federally-listed, proposed, and candidate plants with potential to occur in the vicinity of the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project area, Santa Cruz, California.

Species Common Name1

USFWS

Listing2

State Status3

CNPS

Status4 Habitat Type5

Distribution by County6

Flowering Period7

Arenaria paludicola marsh sandwort Endangered Endangered List 1B.1 Freshwater marshes SBD*, SCR*, SFO*, SLO, Washington* May-August

Chorizanthe pungens var.

hartwegiana

Ben Lomond spineflower Endangered None List 1B.1

Inland marine sands in chaparral, closed-cone coniferous forest, sand parkland, sandhill ponderosa pine forest

SCR April-July

Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens Monterey spineflower Threatened None List 1B.2

Sandy soil, maritime chaparral, cismontane woodland, coastal dunes, coastal scrub, valley and foothill grassland

MNT, SCR, SLO April-June (July)

Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii Scotts Valley spineflower Endangered None List 1B.1 Meadows, grasslands in sandy or mudstone soil SCR April-July

Chorizanthe robusta var. robusta robust spineflower Endangered None List 1B.1

Coastal dunes, coastal scrub, openings in cismontane woodland, in sandy or gravelly soil

ALA*, MNT, MRN?,

SCL*, SCR, SFO, SMT* April-September

Cupressus abramsiana Santa Cruz cypress Endangered Endangered List 1B.2

Closed-cone coniferous forest, chaparral, sandhill ponderosa pine forest on sandstone or granitic substrate

SCR, SMT N/A

Erysimum teretifolium Santa Cruz wallflower Endangered Endangered List 1B.1

Inland marine sands in chaparral, closed-cone coniferous forest, sand parkland, sandhill ponderosa pine forest

SCR March-July

Holocarpha macradenia Santa Cruz tarplant Threatened Endangered List 1B.1

Coastal prairie, valley and foothill grassland, coastal scrub, often in clay or sandy soils

ALA*, CCA*, MNT,

MRN*, SCR, SON* June-October

Lupinus tidestromii Tidestrom's lupine Endangered Endangered List 1B.1 Coastal dunes MRN, MNT, SON April-June

Murray Street Bridge Project 14

Murray Street Bridge Project 15

Species Common Name1

USFWS

Listing2

State Status3

CNPS

Status4 Habitat Type5

Distribution by County6

Flowering Period7

Pentachaeta bellidiflora white-rayed pentachaeta Endangered Endangered List 1B.1 Valley and foothill grassland, coastal scrub, coastal prairie MNT, MRN*, SCR*, SMT March-May

Polygonum hickmanii Scotts Valley polygonum Endangered Endangered List 1B.1 Valley and foothill grassland SCR May-August

1Nomenclature follows Hickman (1993); Tibor (2001); California Native Plant Society (2007).

2U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (2008a, b, c).

3Section 1904, California Fish and Game Code (California Department of Fish and Game 2007).

4Tibor (2001); California Native Plant Society (2007).

CNPS Lists: List 1B: Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and elsewhere. List 2: Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, more common elsewhere. List 3: Plants about which more information is needed. List 4: Plants of limited distribution: a watch list.

Threat Code extensions: .1: Seriously endangered in California. .2: Fairly endangered in California. .3 Not very endangered in California.

5Thomas (1960); Munz and Keck (1973); Hickman (1993); Tibor (2001); Morgan et. al. (2005); California Native Plant Society (2007); and unpublished information.

6Tibor (2001); California Native Plant Society (2006); and unpublished information; counties abbreviated by a three-letter code (below); occurrence in other states as indicated.

7Munz and Keck (1973); Tibor (2001); California Native Plant Society (2007).

ALA: Alameda CCA: Contra Costa MNT: Monterey MRN: Marin SBD: San Bernardino SCL: Santa Clara SCR: Santa Cruz SFO: San Francisco SLO: San Luis Obispo SMT: San Mateo SON: Sonoma

* Presumed extinct in these counties or states.

Table 3: Federally-listed, Proposed and Candidate Wildlife Species Potentially Occurring or Known to Occur in the Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit project area, Santa Cruz, California.

Species Name Status:

Federal/State/Other Habitat Characteristics Occurrence

Potential

Invertebrates

Zayante band-winged grasshopper Trimerotropis infantillis

FE/ -/- Restricted to Santa Margarita sandstone (Zayante sands) of the

Zayante sandhills in Santa Cruz County. Associated with open, sunny areas and require bare, loose soils to lay their eggs. Adults take flight between late May and early August, moving no more than a few feet.

A

Ohlone tiger beetle Cidindela ohlone FE/-/-

The Ohlone tiger beetle is associated with coastal prairie, although it has also been found in degraded prairie remnants that are characterized by a mix of annual grasses and other ruderal plants. The beetle often occurs on Watsonville loams (Bowman et al.1980). Other factors that influence habitat suitability include soil particle size, moisture, and depth (D. Arnold pers. comm.

2006).

A

Mt. Hermon june beetle Polyphylla barbata FE/-/-

Restricted to habitats of Santa Margarita sandstone (Zayante sands) of the Zayante sandhills in Santa Cruz County. Adults take flight between late May and July.

A

Fish

Steelhead (Central California Coast DPS) Oncorhynchus mykiss FT/-/-

Permanent ponds, pools, and streams. Spends the first few years of its life in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. Adults will later return to the freshwater location where they were spawned to breed.

HP, P, CH

Tidewater goby Eucyclogobius newberryi FE/CSC/AFS-E

Coastal lagoons and creeks; found up to 3 miles upstream in slow-moving water. Sandbar formation is required for the establishment of a resident population.

A

North American green sturgeon (Southern DPS)

Acipenser medirostris

FT/CSC/-

Spend the majority of their lives in nearshore oceanic waters, bays, and estuaries. Spawning and early life-history stages (less than 4 years old) occurs in fresh water systems from the Central Valley northward.

HP, CH

Murray Street Bridge Project 16

Species Name Status:

Federal/State/Other Habitat Characteristics Occurrence Potential

Amphibians/Reptiles

California tiger salamander Ambystoma californiense FT/CSC/-

Restricted to vernal pools, seasonal ponds, and stockponds in grassland, oak savannah, scrub or chaparral. Significantly associated with active fossorial mammal burrows. May migrate up to 1 mile from upland sites to breeding aquatic sites. Breeding occurs from first fall-winter rains to April. Occupy upland burrow sites for up to 2-5 years before returning to aquatic sites to breed

(USFWS 2003).

A

Santa Cruz long-toed salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum FE/SE, CFP/-

Require shallow ponds with emergent and submerged vegetation for cover during the aquatic phase of their life. In the terrestrial phase, woodlands with a dense understory and abundant burrows are required for continued survival. May migrate over 1 mile to reach breeding ponds (USFWS 1996).

A

California red-legged frog (CRLF) Rana aurora draytonii FT/CSC/-

Occupies and breeds in marshy habitats, springs, natural and artificial ponds, and slack water pools of rivers and streams (Stebbins 1985). Known to occur and reproduce in tidally-influenced coastal marshes under certain conditions (Reis 1999).

Requires the presence of surface water until mid to late summer for reproduction Upland habitat includes leaf litter and small mammal burrows; adults are known to travel over 2 miles overland between aquatic sites.

A

San Francisco garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia FE/ SE, CFP/-

Highly associated with mostly freshwater marshes, ponds, reservoirs, and slow moving streams in San Mateo County and northern Santa Cruz County. Preferred food sources include the California red-legged frog and Pacific tree frog. Utilizes dense cover in upland habitat near aquatic sites and small burrows for refuge and aestivation.

A

Birds (rookeries, nesting, and/or wintering )

Murray Street Bridge Project 17

Murray Street Bridge Project 18

Species Name Status:

Federal/State/Other Habitat Characteristics Occurrence

Potential

California clapper rail Rallus longirostris obsoletus FE/SE, CFP/-

Requires emergent coastal wetlands, tidal sloughs, and brackish areas with shallow water and mudflats for foraging, with adjacent higher vegetation for cover during high water. Highly associated with emergent wetland dominated by pickleweed and cordgrass, and brackish emergent wetland with these two species and bulrush. In saline emergent wetlands, nests mostly where cordgrass is abundant. In fresh or brackish water, builds nest in dense cattail or bulrush.

A

Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus FC/SE/-

Breeding habitat consists of riparian areas with a cottonwood-willow, and/or alder-willow component. They breed later than most migrant species, beginning in June and continuing through September. Highly secretive.

A

Least Bell’s vireo Vireo bellii pusillus FE/SE/-

Restricted to early successional riparian habitat during breeding.

Inhabits structurally diverse woodlands along watercourses, including cottonwood-willow forests, oak woodlands along coastal California. Wintering grounds may include mesquite scrub vegetation in arroyos hedgerows associated with agricultural fields and rural residential areas (USFWS 1998 & 2006b)

A

Mammals

Southern sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis FT/CFP/MMPA

Inhabits nearshore coastal waters, bays, harbors, and estuaries along the central California coast, and are often associated with rocky substrate. Most remain inshore of the outer kelp edge, and foraging activity is generally restricted to water depths of 75 feet or less .

HP, P

Murray Street Bridge Project 19

Notes:

Federal:

FE = Listed as “Endangered” under federal Endangered Species Act.

FT = Listed as “Threatened” under federal Endangered Species Act.

FC = Candidate for Listing under federal Endangered Species Act.

State:

SE = Listed as “Endangered” under California Endangered Species Act.

CSC = Considered a California “Species of Special Concern” by the California Department of Fish and Game; roosts, nests, rookeries, and wintering areas are recognized as significant biotic features.

CFP = “California Fully Protected” species; individuals may not be possessed or taken at any time.

Other:

AFS-E = American Fisheries Society categorizes as “Endangered” under a set of criteria utilized to determine global extinction.

CNDDB: S1 = State ranking - Extremely endangered.

S2 = State ranking - Endangered.

S3 = State ranking - Restricted range, Rare; based on the number of individuals per area of occupied habitat.

(CDFG 2006b)

MMPA = Marine Mammal Protection Act protects all marine mammals and haul out sites (NOAA NMFS 2004).

[A] – Absent - no habitat present and no further work needed.

[HP] - Habitat Present - habitat is, or may be present. The species may be present.

[P] – Present- the species is present.

[CH] - Critical Habitat - project footprint is located within a designated critical habitat unit, but does not necessarily mean that appropriate habitat is present.

Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The Harbor and Arana Gulch are federally designated critical habitat for the central California coast steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS).

Steelhead have been found within Harbor waters and upstream Arana Gulch that discharges into the Upper Harbor has supported steelhead passage in the past. Surveys conducted by D.W. Alley & Associates (2000) recorded an extremely small steelhead population in the lowest reach of Arana Gulch Creek and attributed these low densities to extremely poor spawning habitat conditions and limited rearing habitat (cover and food) (D.W. Alley & Associates 2000). The lower reach of Arana Gulch is characterized as a tidal channel that extends approximately 1,500 feet upstream to the four 72-inch culverts connected to the Upper Harbor. Tidal effects result in a static backwater environment that causes settling of fine sediment onto the streambed that covers potential spawning gravels and aquatic insects (Ibid.).

The upper reaches of Arana Gulch are also characterized by areas of erosion and steelhead migrational barriers (Ibid.). The Arana Gulch Watershed Alliance (AGWA) is actively seeking to restore the gulch for steelhead habitat.

Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi). Tidewater gobies are adapted to coastal lagoons and the uppermost brackish zone of larger estuaries, rarely invading marine or freshwater habitats. The species is typically found in water less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep and salinities of less than 12 parts per thousand (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, December 7, 2005).

A letter from the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to the Santa Cruz Port District dated March 1993 stated that, as of that time, the tidewater goby had not been collected or observed…