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Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.H-22 Forward Inc. Landfill Expansion Project • Provide grading details, analysis of site hydrology and its ability to support the proposed riparian vegetation, location and quantities of all plant materials to be installed,native seed mixes to be used on all bare ground surfaces, monitoring procedures and schedules, tr identification of remedial measures, and performance criteria to be used by the agencies to j.11 assess success or failure of the mitigation effort. • Long-term monitoring of at least five years shall be funded by the Project Sponsors, subject to approval by the regulatory agencies. • Annual monitoring reports shall be submitted to each permitting agency. • A wetland delineation and habitat map shall be prepared during the final year of monitoring and included in the final annual report. • Subject to review and modification by the regulatory agencies, specified success standards shall call for, at a minimum, 8017o survival of all container plantings and 75% total vegetative cover. These mitigation measures would reduce potential impacts to the Creek to less than significant levels. This plan also would be consistent with the wetland mitigation goals outlined in the SJMSCP (SJCOG 1999) and the San Joaquin County General Plan 2010. Impact H.2. Loss of Chinook Salmon and Steelhead. If the relocated channel is opened up immediately prior to a significant rainfall event and/or a significant release of irrigation water, a sediment plume could attract Chinook salmon and/or steelhead from the San Joaquin River into the channel and cause potential mortality to the fish. This is a potentially significant impact. In the long term, restoration of this branch of the creek will provide habitat for some semi- aquatic and riparian wildlife species,but is not expected to provide suitable habitat for salmonids due to low flows and the highly modified flow regime (pers. comm. Sydney Temple, Questa Engineering Corporation). Mitigation Measure H.2. Water should be released into the restored South Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek gradually to avoid creating a sediment plume downstream that could attract Chinook salmon or steelhead from the San Joaquin River to enter the channel. After the relocation of the channel is completed and is ready convey water, initial flows will be released at approximately 2 cfs (cubic feet/second), and shall be monitored to insure that water is released gradually through the channel for the first week after re-opening. The restored channel shall not be opened prior to or during a significant rainfall event, and initial releases into the channel shall be coordinated with the Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District to insure no significant releases are scheduled during the initial opening of the channel. Implementation of this mitigation measure would reduce salmon/steelhead impacts to a less than significant level. Impact H.3. Potential "Take" of Giant Garter Snake. Although the study area does not provide suitable habitat for giant garter snake, the species has been recorded in the watershed within eight miles of the study area. In addition, portions of the Stockton Diverting Canal, {� Littlejohn's Creek, Lone Tree Creek, and French Camp Slough are considered to have habitat elements for the species (SJCOG 2000). If the species were present in the South Branch of the South Fork of Littlejohn's Creek during construction, a "take" of giant garter snake could occur. This is a potentially significant impact. In the long term, restoration of the South Branch of the Creek, proposed as part of this project, will enhance habitat for some semi-aquatic and riparian wildlife species, and may improve conditions for giant garter snake by creating more vegetative refugia for the species.