SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected EnvironmentThe Canon Dam and its upstream reservoir first appear on maps of SBER from 1943. It is locatedwithin training area ER–12. The reservoir is formed by a concrete dam with a 20- to 30-foot widenon-operational spillway. The area was field-verified to contain all three requirements of a regulatedwetland. However, the presence of flowing water and steep confined banks characterize the feature asa stream rather than a regulated wetland.The wetland area called Frog Pond is located on the southeast side of Wintera Trail in training areaER–12 in SBER. The area is a trapped water body caused by a clogged culvert that runs under WinteraTrail. Runoff draining the adjacent steep banks is the suspected hydrological source as no streamsfeed into the area. Field verification did not identify sufficient vegetation to meet the criteria of aregulated wetland (USACE 2005c).The Sedge Pond wetland is located approximately 750 feet southeast of the Wintera Trail in trainingarea ER–12 of SBER. The area is surrounded by steep slopes with natural drainage providing the hydrologyfor the wetland. Field verification found the wetland to be heavily vegetated with wetlandspecies, including wetland obligates. Soils were saturated, very soft thick mud. Because all three wetlandcriteria are present, Sedge Pond is considered a regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).The Bowl wetland was identified from USGS maps, and is located at the base of a ravine northeast ofthe Sedge Pond. Field visits verified the presence of all three wetland criteria; therefore, the area isconsidered a regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).The KimChiMizu water body was located during helicopter reconnaissance of the installation’sstreams and tributaries near the Koolau summit. There was no nearby area to land the helicoptersafely, but observations from the air included low-lying vegetation and standing water. A follow-upground survey was not conducted because of the remoteness of the site and the very low likelihood ofpotential disturbance. Hydric parameters could not be verified, and therefore no determination couldbe made regarding the site’s status as a regulated wetland (USACE 2005c).Noxious WeedsHawaiian ecosystems are threatened by the introduction of invasive species, that is, nonnative speciesthat compete with and often replace native species and native communities. Noxious weeds are thosespecies that have been declared as such by the State. Noxious weeds and other highly invasive plantstargeted for control or eradication around rare plants and communities on SBMR include oriental vesselfern (Angiopteris evecta), satinleaf (Chrysophyllum oliviformes), ginger (Hedychium spp.), andJuniperus spp. Current control efforts have focused on strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum), ginger,and Koster’s curse (Clidemia hirta) (USARHAW and 25th ID [L] 2001a). Invasive plants thatoccur on SBER and that are targeted for control where they threaten rare or endangered species includemoho (Heliocarpus popayensis), cat’s claw (Caesalpinia decapetala), treedaisy (Montana hibiscifolia),false meadowbeauty (Pterolepis glomerata), Christmas berry (Schinus terebenthifolius),and Sacramento bur (Triumfetta semitriloba) (USARHAW and 25th ID [L] 2001a; Pacific CooperativeStudies Unit [PCSU] 2001).The Army seeks to preserve and expand the populations of federally listed plants on lands under itsmanagement. The pest management and natural resource management programs overlap to reduce thenegative impacts of introduced species on the landscape (USARHAW and 25th ID [L] 2001a). Controlof noxious weeds is required by the State of Hawaii Noxious Weed Rules, and is supported byAR 200–5, the Army’s pest management regulations (HQDA 1999).February 2008 3–61 2/25th SBCT Final EIS