Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation, Shasta and Tehama Counties, CA, 58744-58746 [05-20169]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Reclamation Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58744-58746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20169]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation, Shasta and Tehama 
Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and notice of public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Bureau of Reclamation proposes to prepare an EIS for the Shasta Lake 
Water Resources Investigation (SLWRI). Authorization for the 
investigation comes from Pub. L. 96-375, 1980; which directs the 
Secretary of the Interior to engage in feasibility studies related to 
enlarging Shasta Dam and Reservoir. Other directing legislation 
includes Title 34 of Pub. L. 102-575, the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act and Pub. L. 108-137, the Energy and Water Development 
Act. In addition, enlargement of Shasta Dam was identified in the 
CALFED Programmatic Environmental Impact Report/Statement and Record of 
Decision (ROD) and in Pub. L. 108-361, the CALFED Bay-Delta authority.

DATES: A series of public scoping meetings will be held to solicit 
public input on the scope of the environmental document, alternatives, 
concerns, and

[[Page 58745]]

issues to be addressed in the EIS. The meeting dates are as follows:

     October 24, 2005, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sacramento, CA.
     October 24, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Concord, CA.
     October 26, 2005, 1 to 4 p.m., Los Angeles, CA.
     November 1, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Fresno, CA.
     November 2, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Dunsmuir, CA.
     November 3, 2005, 6 to 9 p.m., Red Bluff, CA.
    Submit written comments on or before December 6, 2005 to the 
address provided below.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting locations are:

     Federal Building, 2800 Cottage Way, Rooms C-1001 and C-
1002, Sacramento, CA.
     Heald Conference Center, 5130 Commercial Circle, Concord, 
CA.
     Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 
North Alameda Street Room 1-102, Los Angeles, CA.
     Piccadilly Inn, 2305 West Shaw Avenue, in Fresno, CA.
     Dunsmuir Community Building, 4835 Dunsmuir Avenue in 
Dunsmuir, CA.
     Red Bluff Community Center, Auditorium, 1500 South 
Jackson.
    Written comments on the scope of the environmental document should 
be sent to: Ms. Sammie Cervantes, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage 
Way, MP-700, Sacramento CA 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Donna Garcia, Reclamation Project 
Manager, at the above address, at 916-978-5009, TDD 916-978-5608, or 
via fax at 916-978-5094 or e-mail at dgarcia@mp.usbr.gov. If special 
assistance is required, please contact Ms. Cervantes at 916-978-5189, 
TDD 916-978-5608, or via e-mail at scervantes@mp.usbr.gov no less than 
5 working days prior to the meetings. Further information on the 
investigation, including interim results, can be found on the SLWRI Web 
site at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/slwri or through the above contact 
persons.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Constructed from 1938 to 1945, Shasta Dam 
serves multiple purposes including flood control, irrigation and 
municipal and industrial water supplies, and hydropower generation. In 
addition, Shasta Lake significantly contributes to the regional economy 
through extensive recreational activities.
    Initial feasibility studies in partial response to Pub. L. 96-375 
culminated in a 1988 Wrap-Up Report which concluded that enlarging 
Shasta Dam and Reservoir could significantly increase water supply 
reliability, if and when water demands warranted the required 
financing. The current feasibility scope study primarily involving 
enlargement of Shasta Dam and Reservoir was reinitiated in 2000. 
Raising Shasta Dam is one of five surface water storage projects 
identified in the August 2000 CALFED ROD which includes North of Delta 
Off-Stream Storage, In-Delta Storage, Los Vaqueros Enlargement, and 
Upper San Joaquin River Basin Storage Investigation. These surface 
water storage projects are being developed further in separate 
feasibility studies.
    The primary study area for the SLWRI is Shasta Dam and Reservoir; 
tributary rivers and streams, including the upper reaches of the 
Sacramento River, McCloud River, Pit River, and Squaw Creek; and the 
Sacramento River downstream from Shasta Dam to about the Red Bluff 
Diversion Dam. Because of the potential influence of a Shasta Dam 
modification on natural resources along the Sacramento River and on 
programs and projects in the Central Valley, the extended study area 
includes other major tributaries to the Sacramento River, the 
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, San Joaquin River basin, and service 
areas of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project 
(SWP).
    Planning studies to date have focused on identifying water 
resources problems and needs in the primary study area, developing a 
set of planning objectives to help guide the remainder of the 
feasibility study, and formulating several initial alternatives. These 
three important elements of the study are summarized below.

Problems and Needs

    Major water and related resources problems and needs identified in 
the primary study area include:
     Anadromous Fish Restoration: The population of Chinook 
salmon has declined in the Central Valley. To address this salmon 
decline in the Sacramento River, various actions have been taken, 
ranging from establishing minimum flow requirements in the river to 
making structural changes at Shasta Dam. However, a need still exists 
for additional actions to benefit anadromous fish, especially in dry 
and critically dry water years.
     Water Supply Reliability: Demand for water in California 
exceeds available supplies. As the population of the Central Valley 
grows, the need to maintain a healthy and vibrant industrial and 
agricultural economy will increase while the demand for an adequate 
water supply becomes more acute.
     Other Resource Needs: Other identified problems and needs 
include the need for environmental restoration in the Shasta Lake area 
and downstream along the Sacramento River; the need for additional 
flood control along the upper Sacramento River; and growing demands for 
new energy sources in California and outdoor recreation in the primary 
study area.

Planning Objectives

    The Problems and Needs in the study area were translated into 
Primary and Secondary Planning Objectives.
     Primary Planning Objectives: Alternatives will be 
formulated to address the primary objectives. The primary objectives 
for the SLWRI are: (1) Increase the restoration of anadromous fish 
populations in the Sacramento River primarily upstream from the Red 
Bluff Diversion Dam and (2) increase water supplies and water supply 
reliability for agricultural, municipal and industrial, and 
environmental purposes to help meet future water demands, with a focus 
on enlarging Shasta Dam and Reservoir.
     Secondary Planning Objectives: Through pursuit of the 
primary planning objectives, the following secondary objectives will be 
met to the extent possible: (1) Preserve and restore ecosystem 
resources in the Shasta Lake area and along the upper Sacramento River, 
(2) reduce flood damages along the Sacramento River; (3) develop 
additional hydropower capabilities at Shasta Dam, and (4) preserve 
outdoor recreation opportunities at Shasta Lake.

Initial Alternatives

    From the Planning Objectives and a resulting planning constraints 
and criteria, a number of water resources management measures were 
identified. The most effective of measures were used to formulate a set 
of concept plans from which five initial alternatives were developed. 
Specific measures and combinations of measures in these initial 
alternatives will likely change in future studies and some may be 
combined with others or dropped from further consideration. In 
addition, other measures and combination of measures may emerge and 
warrant development into alternatives during the scoping process. These 
five initial alternatives are summarized below.
     No-Action (No Federal Action): Under the No-Action 
Alternative, the Federal Government would take no action toward 
implementing a specific plan to help increase anadromous fish survival 
opportunities in the upper

[[Page 58746]]

Sacramento River nor help address the growing water reliability issues 
in the Central Valley of California through the assistance of Shasta 
Dam and Reservoir.
     Increase Water Supply Reliability with Shasta Enlargement: 
The primary purpose of this initial alternative is to be consistent 
with the goals of the CALFED ROD, which focus on increasing CVP and SWP 
water supply reliability while contributing to increased anadromous 
fish survival. It includes raising Shasta Dam between 6.5 to 18.5 feet, 
which would increase storage space in Shasta Reservoir by 290,000 acre-
feet and 640,000 acre-feet, respectively. The increased pool depth and 
volume also could contribute to incidental benefits for flood control, 
hydropower, and outdoor recreation.
     Increase Water Supply Reliability with Shasta Enlargement 
and Conjunctive Water Management: The primary purpose of this initial 
alternative is to increase CVP and SWP water supply reliability through 
a combination of enlargement of Shasta Dam and Reservoir and 
conjunctive water management, consistent with the goals of the CALFED 
ROD. This plan is similar to the above initial alternative and includes 
raising Shasta Dam up to about 18.5 feet. It also includes implementing 
a conjunctive water management component consisting primarily of 
contract agreements between Reclamation and Sacramento River basin 
water users.
     Increase Anadromous Fish Habitat and Water Supply 
Reliability with Shasta Enlargement: The primary purpose of this 
initial alternative is to address both primary objectives with a focus 
on increasing anadromous fish habitat and enlarging Shasta Reservoir up 
to about 18.5 feet. In addition to increasing the cold water pool in 
Shasta Lake, this alternative includes restoring inactive gravel mines 
along the Sacramento River to help benefit anadromous fish.
     Multipurpose with Shasta Enlargement: This initial 
alternative also consists of raising Shasta Dam up to about 18.5 feet. 
In addition, to address the primary objectives, it includes conjunctive 
water management and restoring inactive gravel mines and floodplain 
habitat along the upper Sacramento River. Features that address the 
secondary objectives include constructing warm water fish habitat in 
the Shasta Lake area, restoring one or more riparian habitat areas 
between Redding and Red Bluff on the Sacramento River, and possibly re-
operating Shasta Dam for increased flood control.
    These and other possible alternatives will be considered and 
developed through comments received during the scoping process. During 
scoping, Reclamation will be seeking input about possible methods for 
evaluating water management that will meet the identified water 
resources problems and needs consistent with the planning objectives.
    Written comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, will be made available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that their home address be withheld from public 
disclosure, which will be honored to the extent allowable by law. There 
may be circumstances in which respondents' identity may also be 
withheld from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish to 
have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comment. All submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.

    Dated: August 26, 2005.
Michael Nepstad,
Deputy Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 05-20169 Filed 10-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P