Work Plan - Final - Maricopa County Department of Transportation

3.2 DrainageThe Hidden Waters Corridor crosses numerous well defined tributary washes thatgenerally run from north to south. As such, there are many opportunities to reducestructure costs and minimize floodplain impacts by developing landform-sensitivealignments that minimize the number and length of potential drainage crossings.Numerous ephemeral washes and several major drainages, including Jackrabbit Wash,Daggs Wash and Star Wash are likely to be considered Waters of the United States.Efficient corridor alignments could also reduce the amount of permitting that is required,by limiting the number of jurisdictional Waters of the US that are crossed.3.3 UtilitiesThere are a number of large utility corridors that have the potential to affect alignmentalternatives. Those of major significance include a WAPA 345 kV power transmissionline, the WAPA 500 kV transmission line, the APS 500 kV power transmission line andthe proposed APS high voltage transmission line (all as shown on Figure 3-1). Theexisting CAP Canal is another significant utility corridor that will affect the parkwayalignment. The greatest utility constraint likely occurs at the location where the WAPA345 kV transmission line and the WAPA 500 kV transmission line are converging(approximately 1/2 mile separation) at the crossing of the CAP canal. Review of aerialphotographs indicate that transmission towers are likely in direct conflict with theproposed 200' wide parkway corridor proposed as part of the Belmont DMP.3.4 EnvironmentalA preliminary review of the study area indicates that there is potentially suitable habitatpresent for state-listed species such as the western burrowing owl and the lesser longnosed bat. The northern portion of the study corridor also passes through BLMdesignatedCategory 2 and Category 3 desert tortoise habitats. It will be important toidentify potential locations for wildlife crossings associated with long-term wildlifemovement corridors and to coordinate with the Arizona Game and Fish Department(AGFD) to obtain their input during the development of strategies for addressing habitatconnectivity.Cultural resource research will be compiled from several sources including MCDOT, theState Historic Preservation Office, the National Register Information Systems database,and AZSITE, the state's electronic inventory of cultural resources. Although cultural fieldreviews will not be included in the scope of this feasibility study, previous researchwould indicate a great potential for discovering a high density of prehistoric sites. Thedata compiled from the Environmental Overview (EO) will be used to map and avoidany known environmental "fatal flaws" within the corridor.A review of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Well Registryidentified over 50 ground water wells in the project corridor. Alternative corridors shouldbe developed to avoid or limit impact to these water resources.Hidden WatersFinal Work PlanCorridor Feasibility Study April, 2011Maricopa County Department of Transportation 6 EPS Job No. 10-092