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5.2 Biological Resources <br /> The purpose of this section is to describe sensitive biological resources in the Lodi Energy <br /> Center (LEC) project area,potential impacts to those resources associated with construction <br /> and operation of the project, and measures identified to mitigate these impacts to a level of <br /> less than significant. Section 5.2.1 discusses the affected environment,including a regional <br /> overview of biological resources,vegetation, sensitive plant communities,wetlands,wildlife, <br /> and special-status species. Section 5.2.1 also discusses methods and results of biological field <br /> surveys at the LEC. Section 5.2.2 discusses the environmental consequences the LEC project <br /> may have on special-status plant and animal species and sensitive habitats. Section 5.2.3 <br /> evaluates any potential cumulative effects to biological resources in the project vicinity, and <br /> Section 5.2.4 addresses proposed mitigation measures that would avoid,minimize,or <br /> compensate for adverse impacts. Section 5.2.5 presents applicable laws,ordinances, <br /> regulations and standards (LORS).Section 5.2.6 presents agency contacts and Section 5.2.7 <br /> presents permit requirements. Section 5.2.8 provides the references used to prepare this <br /> section. <br /> 5.2.1 Environmental Setting <br /> Biological resources potentially affected by the proposed LEC project include vegetation <br /> communities and associated wildlife habitats of the northern San Joaquin Valley. The <br /> following sections provide a general overview of the region. Detailed information in the <br /> immediate vicinity of the proposed project is provided in Section 5.2.1.2. <br /> 5.2.1.1 Regional Overview <br /> The proposed LEC project site is at the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley in the Delta <br /> Basins subsection of the Great Valley Ecoregion(Miles and Goudey, 1998). This region <br /> includes the nearly level basins and floodplains on late Quaternary alluvium derived <br /> predominantly from granitic rock sources associated with the Mokelumne,Calaveras and <br /> Cosumnes rivers. Topography throughout the region is nearly level with elevations ranging <br /> from sea level to 50 feet. The regional climate is characterized by cool,wet winters and hot, <br /> dry summers. Average annual temperatures range from a low of 36 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) <br /> in December to a high of 91°F in July. Average annual precipitation is 29 inches,with most <br /> of the rainfall occurring between November and March(National Resources Conservation <br /> Service [NRCS] Climate Analysis for Wetlands Database [WETS] 2008). <br /> A regional overview of the area surrounding the site was conducted to describe the <br /> environmental features near the proposed project (see Figure 5.2-1). The study area is near <br /> the border of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the northern San Joaquin Valley. Land <br /> use throughout these areas is predominantly agriculture with urban areas concentrated <br /> around the communities of Lodi and Stockton. Major roadways through the area include <br /> Interstate 5,State Highway 12,and State Highway 4. The following sections describe the <br /> general regional setting. <br /> 5.2.1.1.1 Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta <br /> The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an expansive complex of river deltas and estuaries <br /> covering approximately 738,000 acres that formed at the confluence of the Sacramento and <br /> San Joaquin Rivers. Historically the Delta was a large tidally influenced marshland <br /> SAC/371322/082330001(LEC_5.2_BIOLOGICAL_RESOURCES.DOC) 5.2-1 <br />