ARCHIVED REPORTS LEC APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION

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5.2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES intermixed with riparian habitats along natural levees. Large-scale reclamation of the Delta began in 1850 with the passage of the Arkansas Act (Swampland Act) which ceded nearly 500,000 acres of federal marshland to the state. By 1930,nearly 1,150 square miles of public and private lands consisting of 57 islands or tracts had been created through the construction of over 1,100 miles of levees.The majority of the land is in agricultural production. Principal crops grown in the Delta include corn, alfalfa, grain,hay,asparagus, sugar beets,safflower, and fruits. Much of the land not in active cultivation is used for irrigated pasture for cattle and sheep ranching. Incorporated cities in the Delta include Isleton,Antioch,Pittsburg, Brentwood, and Tracy. Approximately 136,000 acres of the Delta consist of undeveloped lands and open water. 5.2.1.1.2 San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley extends from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta south to the Tehachapi Mountains. It is bordered to the west by the coast range and to the east by the Sierra Nevada foothills. Extensive areas of the valley have been converted to agriculture, including over 800,000 acres of San Joaquin County. Principal crops include fruit,nuts, grain crops,alfalfa, and hay.Land not in active cultivation is used for dairy farming,cattle ranches,and sheep ranches. 5.2.1.1.3 Wetlands and Water Resources The LEC project area is on the northeast side of San Joaquin Delta Hydrologic Unit (Hydrologic Unit Code 18040003),which encompasses approximately 433,300 acres. Major waterways include the San Joaquin,Mokelumne,Old,and Middle rivers,as well as Bear Creek. Drainage is generally to the west from the Sierra Nevada Foothills and then to the north into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 5.2.1.1.4 Significant Biological Resources in the Project Vicinity There are no significant biological resource areas in the immediate project vicinity. Regionally significant areas include the Cosumnes River Preserve located approximately 6.5 miles northwest of the site,the California Department of Fish and Game's (CDFG) White Slough and Lower Sherman Island Wildlife Areas located approximately 4 miles northwest and 22 miles west of the LEC project site,respectively, and the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve located approximately 5 miles to the north (Figure 5.2-2). 5.2.1.2 Habitats and Vegetation Communities The LEC project site is within a 1,040-acre parcel owned by and incorporated into the City of Lodi. The LEC site would occupy approximately 4.4 acres and is adjacent to the City of Lodi s White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) to the east,treatment and holding ponds associated with the WPCF to the north,the existing Northern California Power Agency Combustion Turbine Project#2 (STIG plant) to the west, and the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control facility to the south. The majority of the proposed LEC site (approximately 3.4 acres) has previously been graded and is largely devoid of vegetation with the exception of scattered weedy species such as perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium),Russian thistle (Salsola tragus),and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). A paved access road for the STIG plant cuts across the south end of the site and a gravel access road is adjacent to the western side of the proposed LEC site. The area to the north of the paved access road is currently being used as a laydown and storage area for ongoing construction at the WPCF.The area south of the paved road 5.2-2 SAC/371322/082330001(LEC_5.2_BIOLOGICAL_RESOURCES.DOC)