Orono_Route_Permit_Application - Docket # W002/TL-11-223

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6.0 LAND USE, RECREATION, AND HISTORIC AND NATURAL RESOURCES 6.1 Description of Environmental Setting The approximate 16 acre Orono Substation site is located in an open upland area adjacent to and south of BNSF railroad, a Metropolitan Council sewer line and, west of County Road 6 and east of the HFA residential subdivision in the City of Orono, Hennepin County, Minnesota (see Figure 1 and Appendix B). Typical lots sizes in this subdivision range from 2 to 4 acres. The HFA, comprised of landowners within the subdivision, also owns approximately 64 acres of undeveloped land surrounding the residential lots. HFA land generally consists of wetland areas and is no longer under agricultural use. Three Rivers Park District's Baker Park Reserve is located north of U.S. Highway 12, the Metropolitan Council sewer line and the BNSF railroad. The replacement of the existing Orono Substation located on the previously discussed 16 acre substation site is part of the overall proposed transmission line Project and is discussed in Section 4.4.1. This portion of the Project includes replacing the existing 69 kV substation with a 115 kV substation facility that is being constructed to provide a more reliable system to those areas served by transmission Line 0831. The existing fenced area of the substation site comprises approximately 0.1 acres. The new substation fenced area will comprise approximately 1.2 acres. A portion of the Proposed Route (866 feet) for construction of the new transmission line is located in upland and wetland areas within the 16 acre Orono Substation site. Xcel Energy put great emphasis on utilizing this site to the greatest extent possible when reviewing potential routes for the Project. By utilizing the existing substation site property, Xcel Energy was able to directly route the transmission line to an existing transportation corridor to minimize impacts to the neighboring properties. Upon exiting the proposed substation replacement area, the Proposed Route takes a direct path to the western property line and follows the property line north to the existing BNSF right-of-way. Together, the Proposed Route follows the existing BNSF right-of-way and is within Xcel Energy owned property for 85 percent of the Route. While the route parallels the BNSF right-of-way it will be within the HFA subdivision. The proposed interconnection point with Xcel Energy's existing 115 kV transmission Line 0831 is also located within a wooded upland area on HFA land. See Appendix B-2. Approximately 1,795 feet (57 percent) of the Proposed Route parallels the BNSF railroad and will not conflict with current land use. The Project is located within the Minnesota and Northeast Iowa Morainal Section (222M), a section within the biogeographic province known as the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province under the Ecological Classification System ("ECS") developed by the Minnesota Department of National Resources ("MnDNR") and the United States Forest Service ("USFS") (MNDNR, 2010). The Project Area is further located within the Big Woods subsection of the Minnesota and Northeast Iowa Morainal Section. See Appendix B-1. The Big Woods subsection generally consists of circular, level topped hills bounded by smooth side slopes. The Mississippi River runs along the eastern border of this subsection. The other major rivers within this subsection are the Minnesota and Crow Rivers and over 100 lakes greater than 160 acres in size exist within the Big Woods subsection. The area was previously occupied by oak woodland and basswood forest, with characteristic trees being elm, basswood, sugar maple and bur Orono Project June 7, 2011 MPUC Docket No. E002/TL-11-223 38