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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-210 Scenic Quality Impacts and Development Character Impacts on scenic quality on the south end in undeveloped areas would be low to moderate as the Route Segment NNR-3 would generally be compatible with the development character of the area. This route segment is predominantly low density residential and agricultural, but is heavily influenced by the I-82 corridor. Scenic quality impacts would be greater in the vicinity the Selah Canyon crossing. However, to the north in areas inventoried by the BLM as Class A, the route segment is visually influenced by the presence of the existing Pomona-Wanapum 230 kV transmission line and communication facilities located on Selah Butte. As a result, the route segment would be compatible with the landscape in those locations. Overall, there would be some degradation of scenery along the route segment paralleling the existing transmission line, but overall scenic quality impacts would be low. WSDOT conducted a visual quality evaluation of the I-82 Crossing #1 south of the eastbound Selah Creek Rest Area and from KOP 17 based on the FHWA’s Visual Impact Assessment for Highways methodology. At the highway crossing, existing visual quality, rated on a scale of 1 to 7, was rated as 4.08 (moderately high). With the implementation of the route segment at this location, the visual quality of the highway in the area of the highway would drop to 3.50 (average). At KOP 17, existing visual quality was rated 4.42 (moderately high). With the implementation of the route segment, visual quality from KOP 17 would drop to 3.67 (average). There would be some degradation of visual quality in the area of the transmission towers, but visual impacts would not reach a substantial level (WSDOT 2014). Sensitive Viewer Impact Impacts on moderately sensitive travelers using I-82 would generally be low due to the duration and distance of views, but would be moderate in the area of the Selah Creek Rest Area crossing as the Route Segment NNR-3 is viewed briefly in the immediate foreground. North of the Redmon Memorial Bridge, weak to moderate-weak contrasts would generally be intermittently seen in the middleground and background, causing low impacts on I-82 travelers. From the Selah Creek Rest Area overlook, impacts would be moderate to high depending on the viewing orientation of observers and the location of the transmission structures within the view. These observers primarily look down the canyon to the northwest. The visual simulations looking west and northwest from KOP 17 (Appendix C-4) show that the transmission line conductor wires would be lower than the line of sight. Although the existing Pomona-Wanapum 203 kV transmission line, Selah Butte communications facilities, the Redmon Memorial Bridge and I-82 corridor, and other infrastructure are within the overall viewshed from this location, the presence of the new transmission line conductor wires and structures would moderately degrade views of the canyon area. The implementation of RDF VIS-7, span matching with existing structures, would reduce the impacts of the line in this location. From DNR’s Selah Cliffs Natural Area Preserve (NAP) trail at the base of the canyon, views of the route segment would be from the inferior position. As described in Chapter 2, the crossing structure located on the immediate north side of the Selah Creek (refer the structure located at the bottom of the photo simulation, Appendix C-4, KOP 17-Northwest) would be near the bottom of the canyon and the most prominent in the viewshed. This portion of the route segment would create high visual impacts. Placing a structure in this location would require access from BLM- and WSDOT-managed lands on the north side of the canyon or from the NAP on the west. A Design Option for the route segment completely spanning the canyon was analyzed for visual resources. Completely spanning the canyon would eliminate the need for the transition structure located near the bottom of the canyon and the need for access from the west through the NAP or from the north through WSDOT and BLM land. This Design Option is shown in an alternative photo simulation for KOP 17 located in Appendix C4. As shown in the photo simulation, this would bring the transmission line conductor wires higher in the viewshed from the WSDOT Selah Cliffs Eastbound Rest Area Overlook and more in line with the direct line of sight through the canyon, causing slightly higher visual impacts.