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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-282 associated with agricultural ponds, persistent and ephemeral wetlands, Lower Crab Creek, and a persistent wetland located within JBLM YTC’s cantonment area. Lacustrine refers to fresh water lakes or reservoirs greater than 20 acres in size, with less than 30 percent of the surface covered by emergent vegetation. The plants found in lacustrine wetlands will be influenced by the climate of the area. Lacustrine wetlands within the Project study area are associated with Priest Rapids Reservoir and the Yakima and Columbia Rivers. Lacustrine wetlands are also associated with Lower Crab Creek. The Riverine System includes all wetlands and deepwater habitats contained in natural or artificial channels which, periodically or continuously, contains flowing water or which forms a connecting link between the two bodies of standing water. Upland islands or Palustrine wetlands may occur in the channel, but they are not part of the Riverine System. Within the Project study area, a Riverine System is associated with Lower Crab Creek. Perennial Streams/Creeks The primary surface water features found within the Project study area include the Columbia River in the eastern portion of the Project study area and the Yakima River in the western portion. In addition to the Columbia River, Lower Crab Creek, Lmuma, Burbank, Johnson, Foster, and Selah Creeks are present within the Project study area and contain perennial flow for much of their length. Lmuma and Selah Creeks are crossed by the NNR Alternative and flow to the Yakima River, while Johnson and Foster Creeks, located outside of the right-of-way (ROW) of the proposed Project, flows to the Columbia River. Lower Crab Creek discharges into the Columbia River. For perennial streams within the Project study area, water often flows below the surface through coarse gravel prior to discharging into the Yakima and Columbia Rivers (JBLM YTC 2002). Intermittent Drainage Courses With the exception of the perennial streams and rivers mentioned above, water in the Project study area is scarce. Streams are generally unnamed, small, and intermittent or ephemeral, flowing for a short period of time in spring or in response to a large storm event. Named intermittent drainages in the Project study area include Hanson, Alkali Canyon, Dry, Coyote Springs, Coral Canyon, Sourdough Canyon, Cold, Scorpion Coulee, and Badger Creeks. Seeps and Springs There are over 200 seeps/springs documented within the JBLM YTC. Seeps and springs on JBLM YTC are located primarily in the bottoms of drainages or on the sides of hills. Groundwater seeps and springs are known to occur within the Project study area, primarily associated with Johnson and Foster Creeks (JBLM YTC 2002). Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Facility Operation Grant County PUD owns two large hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River - Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams. These facilities, licensed together as the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project, make up the second largest non-federal hydroelectric project in the country. These facilities produce nearly 2,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power the city of Seattle. The Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project provides power to Grant County and millions of homes and businesses in the Northwest. On October 21, 1954, the Federal Power Commission (now FERC) issued a permit to Grant County PUD authorizing the construction of the Priest Rapids Project. Priest Rapids Dam began operation in 1959 and Wanapum Dam went on-line in 1963. In 2008, Grant County PUD received a new long-term license to operate Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams through 2052. The terms of the license direct the utility to provide protection to aquatic and terrestrial resources and cultural resources, including constructing and