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San Joaquin County Community Environmental Setting,Impacts,and Mitigation Measures Development Department Aesthetics Joaquin River Delta(Delta),west of the project site, is an integral part of the region's visual character. Connected to the Delta are many rivers,creeks, sloughs, and bays that strongly influence local land use patterns. East of the — Delta, open agricultural land is dotted with rural development that becomes increasingly urbanized near the city limits of Stockton and other smaller cities and towns in the region. — Agricultural land in the region,planted predominantly with orchard and row crops, stretches for miles. A patchwork of fields separates cities within the region from one another. These fields offer expansive views,which extend over the valley floor to the east and Diablo Range to the west when haze is at a minimum. These landscape views are strongly characteristic of the Sacramento Valley and have contributed to the regional identity. — Development radiating out from the urban cores is reducing the amount of agricultural land in parts of the region and closing the gap between larger and — smaller outlying cities. This is beginning to change the visual character from rural to suburban. The smaller cities,including Tracy,are typified by a growing core of residential,commercial, and some industrial land uses with agricultural _ fields surrounding the city outskirts. A mix of agricultural,developed,and natural landscapes characterizes the project — region. The landscape pattern is influenced by development spreading from existing city cores and the major roadways in the region. Water features in the greater region include the Sacramento,Tuolumne,and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries, numerous Sacramento River—San Joaquin River Delta sloughs, Delta-Mendota Canal, California Aqueduct, and smaller local irrigation ditches. Visual Character of Project Vicinity For the purposes of the visual analysis,the project vicinity is defined as the area — within 0.5 mile of the project site. The site is currently in agricultural use, primarily almond production. Agriculture in the form of orchards and row crops is the primary land use surrounding the site. In addition to agricultural land uses, — there are a small number of farm-related and rural residences in the immediate vicinity of the site and several mining operations located south and west of the site(Figure 2-5). A seasonal fruit/vegetable stand is located on an agricultural property- 1-5 runs north-south just west of the site, and SR 132 runs east-west just north of the site. The two highways are main thoroughfares through the vicinity. Several smaller local roads (Vernalis,Koster,and Blewett Roads)provide access to the larger roadways and are local travel routes within the vicinity. The Delta- Mendota Canal, the major waterway in the vicinity, and its levees run along the western border of the site. The segment of I-580 from Alameda/San Joaquin County border to I-5 south of — Tracy and I-5 from I-580 to the Stanislaus County line,both approximately DeSilva Gates Quarry Project Draft Environmental Impact Report 3.A4 ass 0105.05