3.14 LIGHTING
3.14.1 Existing Conditions
The beltway study area is in a rural setting with very little street lighting. The main exceptions are in the vicinity of the small cities, towns and villages, and at intersections along the state highways.
3.14.2 Impacts of the Four Finalist Alternatives
Lighting features will be determined during final design. Location and choice of specific lighting structures will likely be determined by surrounding land uses. It is expected that the beltway will only be lighted at the intersections and within the City limits, if it extends to the beltway at the time of construction. There are a wide variety of lighting options available to minimize light intrusion on adjacent properties.
3.14.3 Proposed Mitigation
To the extent possible, the location and choice of specific lighting structures will be designed to minimize light intrusion on adjacent properties. In addition, landscape treatments will be considered to screen lighting if sufficient right-of-way is included outside the lateral obstacle clearances.
3.14.4 No Build Alternative
The no build alternative will avoid the need for lighting structures within the beltway study area, and there will be no impact due to lighting.
3.15 WATER QUALITY
3.15.1 Existing Conditions
Groundwater. Groundwater in Lancaster County is very complex. Groundwater quantity, quality and the ability of the principal aquifer to yield water all vary markedly within the county (Lincoln-Lancaster County Ecological Advisory Committee, 1997). In the beltway area, the principal aquifer is composed of mostly fine-grained material, primarily glacial till, and well yields are generally low. Depth of the principal aquifer is generally within 30 m (100 ft), but closer to 60 m (200 ft) east of Stevens Creek. As a result, most of the beltway area is served by rural water districts. Local shallow water aquifers occur along the creek bottoms, and spring or seep areas are not uncommon.
It should be noted that the City of Lincoln obtains all of its drinking water from a recently constructed well field and treatment plant located near Ashland on the Platte River. Water is conveyed underground approximately 48 km (30 miles) from this site to the City.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in coordination with the Nebraska Health and Human Services manage the State Wellhead Protection Program. This program assists communities and other public water suppliers in establishing zones (wellhead protection areas (WHPA)) surrounding water supply wells which if contamination occurred in would impact the water quality in the well in 20 years or less. Participation in this program is voluntary and no state statutes require delineation of a WHPA. As such, there are no state statutes restricting land use in a designated WHPA. However, other state statutes do restrict certain land uses such as septic tanks, lagoons, and injection wells within 300 m (1,000 ft) of the well.
Two wellhead protection areas (WHPA) occur in the beltway study area, the City of Waverly and Firethorn Subdivision (Lincoln) WHPAs. The City of Waverly WHPA encompasses the City of Waverly and an area west-southwest of Waverly (see Figure 2.25). Each of the east alignments passes through the southwest portion of the Waverly WHPA. The two wells in this area are at approximately 47 m (155 ft) in depth and screened in the Dakota sandstone, with approximately 30 m (100 ft) of till and clay protecting the aquifer from any potential spills. Although the four wells which are located just south of the City are much shallower, the WHPA for these wells would not be affected by the beltway alignments. The Firethorn Subdivision WHPA encompasses an area which is bounded approximately by A Street on the north, 70th on the west, Old Cheney on the south, and South 112th on the east. The EC-1 alignment passes through the eastern portion of the Firethorn Subdivision WHPA. The two Firethorn wells are around 61 m (200 ft) in depth and screened in the Dakota sandstone, with approximately 30 m (100 ft) of till and clay protecting the aquifer from any potential spills. In Lancaster County, the overlying layers of glacial tills and clays act as an aquiclude and serves as a natural barrier for the transmission of groundwater.
Private wells in the beltway are both the deep Dakota type wells, and shallow wells in reliable alluvial sources near creeks or in coarse material filled fissures in the geologic profile. These aquifers should be fairly well protected from potential surface contamination, unless a well was improperly constructed allowing floodwaters to enter the aquifer around the well casing. Generally, there are no large contiguous aquifers in the project area, and the smaller drinking water sources are limited in extent and often well buffered from surface contamination by thick clay material.
Surface Water. There are two major streams in the south and east beltways study area: Salt Creek and Stevens Creek. Both have perennial flow through the study area. In addition, there are numerous tributaries to the creeks, and to the Little Nemaha River and Wagon Train Lake. These tributaries tend to have intermittent flow.
There has been limited surface water quality monitoring conducted for the stream segments within the south and east beltways study area. What data is available supports the beneficial use classifications identified by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) (Table 3.18). The beneficial use designations correlate with specific numerical criteria of the Nebraska Surface Water Quality Standards. Based on the classification, Salt Creek and Stevens Creek are designated as providing warmwater aquatic life, agricultural water supply, and aesthetic uses. The tributaries of the Little Nemaha River and Wagon Train Lake are not classified within the beltways study area.
Draft Environmental Impact Statement South and East Beltways
Project No. DPU-3300(1), Lincoln, Nebraska
| STREAM
SEGMENT |
SEGMENT
NO. |
USE CLASSIFICATION | Key Species | |||||||
| State Resource Water | Recreation | Aquatic Life1 | Water Supply3 | |||||||
| Coldwater | Warmwater | Public Drinking Water | Agricultural | Industrial | Aesthetics | |||||
| Salt Creek-Hickman Branch to Beal Slough | 30000 |
A2 | A | X | channel catfish, walleye | |||||
| Stevens Creek | 20200 | B | A | X | ||||||
1Warmwater Class A waters provide, or could provide, a habitat suitable for maintaining one or more key species on a year-round basis. These waters are capable of maintaining year-round populations of a variety of other warmwater fish and invertebrate organisms and plants. Warmwater Class B are waters where the variety of warmwater biota is presently limited by water volume or flow, water quality (natural or irretrievable human-induced conditions), substrate composition, or other habitat conditions. These waters are only capable of maintaining year-round populations of tolerant warmwater fish and associated vertebrate and invertebrate organisms and plants. Key species may be supported on a seasonal or intermittent basis (e.g., during high flows) but year-round populations cannot be maintained.
2 Site specific water quality criteria for un-ionized ammonia are assigned.
3 Agricultural Class A are waters used for general agricultural purposes (i.e., irrigation and livestock watering) without treatment; water quality criteria have been assigned for conductivity, nitrate and nitrite as nitrogen, and selenium. Agricultural Class B are waters where the natural background water quality limits its use for agricultural purposes; no water quality criterial are assigned to protect this use.
Source: Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
Title 117 - Nebraska Surface Water Quality Standards
Revised Effective Date: 3 March 1996
In regard to aquatic life uses, which relate most directly to fish and wildlife impacts, Salt Creek has been designated as Class A Warmwater stream; and Stevens Creek is designated as Class B Warmwater stream. Class A "waters provide, or could provide, a habitat suitable for maintaining one or more key species on a year-round basis. These waters are capable of maintaining year-round populations of a variety of other warmwater fish and invertebrate organisms and plants" (NDEQ, 1996). In contrast, Class B "are waters where the variety of warmwater biota is presently limited by water volume or flow, water quality (natural or irretrievable human-induced conditions), substrate composition, or other habitat conditions. These waters are only capable of maintaining year-round populations of tolerant warmwater fish and associated vertebrate and invertebrate organisms and plants. Key species may be supported on a seasonal or intermittent basis (e.g., during high flows) but year-round populations cannot be maintained" (NDEQ, 1996).
Because Nebraska is an agricultural state, NDEQ considers all streams to have agricultural water supply uses-regardless of actual or potential agricultural uses. All stream segments in the state are also considered to have aesthetic uses-regardless of actual physical appearance (personal communication between A. Zlotsky and John Bender, NDEQ, 12 March 1998). None of the streams provide public drinking water uses.
Wagon Train Lake, located approximately 4.8 km (3 mi) downstream of the beltway, has been included on the List of 303(d) Impaired Waters for Nebraska, as well as the Nebraska Priority Watersheds for Nonpoint Source Surface Water Quality Actions. The lake has been recently renovated.
3.15.2 Impacts of the Four Finalist Alternatives
Groundwater. None of the four alternatives will adversely affect groundwater.
Surface Water. The primary adverse impact on surface water quality would be limited to temporary construction effects of erosion and sedimentation, particularly during construction of the bridges and culverts. Construction impacts to surface waters are considered minor and temporary, and can be minimized through the use of temporary and permanent erosion control.
In addition, surface water impacts can be expected from wash off of accumulated pollutants from the road surface after construction; however, these are considered minimal and do not require mitigation.
Construction for the new bridges and culverts requires a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States and their adjacent wetlands. As part of this permit, the project requires Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. In addition, the project will require a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from NDEQ which is needed for all sites greater than 2 ha (5 ac) in size. The permit will require incorporation of erosion and sedimentation control measures during construction.
3.15.3 Proposed Mitigation
Groundwater. No mitigation is required. Roadway designers will consider storm water drainage patterns in the vicinity of the WHPAs; however, there are no land use restrictions in the areas except within 90 m (300 ft) of a well.
Surface Water. Mitigation measures will be implemented for construction-related erosion and sedimentation control and include, as appropriate, dikes, dams, sediment basins, fiber mats, temporary and permanent seeding, straw mulch, plastic liners, slope drains, and other devices which would intercept and trap transported sediments during construction. All heavy equipment will be refueled and serviced away from water courses to prevent accidental contamination of surface waters with petroleum products. Only clean fill material will be used in construction in the waters and wetlands. Special consideration will be given to erosion and sedimentation control measures in the vicinity of the tributary to Wagon Train Lake.
3.15.4 No Build Alternative
Groundwater. The no build alternative will have no impact on groundwater.
Surface Water.The no build alternative will have no impact on surface water, other than temporary increases in sedimentation during construction of the proposed future roadway network improvements.
| back | Federal-aid Index Page | Nebraska Division Home Page |