Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a Permit Application for the Carryover Storage and San Vicente Dam Raise Project, San Diego County, CA, 59499-59501 [E6-16590]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 10, 2006 / Notices
potential near shore hard bottom
resources identified by the side scan
sonar survey, and (d) beach profile
surveys. The boundaries of the borrow
area will take into consideration the
location and extent of hard bottom
resources identified by side scan sonar
and seismic surveys and in-water
observations conducted in connection
with the planning and design of the
northern 7.25 mile beach nourishment
project. A magnetometer survey will be
conducted in the borrow area. Any
historically significant archaeological
artifacts located by the magnetometer
surveys and verified through field
investigations will be avoided. A final
compatibility analysis of the material in
the borrow area with the native beach
material will be performed following the
refinement of the boundaries of the
borrow area.
3. Issues. There are several potential
environmental issues that will be
addressed in the EIS. Issues initially
identified as potentially significant
include:
a. Potential impact to marine
biological resources (benthic organisms,
passageway for fish and other marine
life) and Essential fish Habitat,
particularly Hard Bottoms.
b. Potential impact to threatened and
endangered marine mammals, birds,
fish, and plants.
c. Potential impacts to water quality.
d. Potential increase in erosion rats to
adjacent Onslow Beach.
e. Potential effects on military training
on U.S. Marine Corps Camp Lejeune
Base.
f. Potential impacts to Navigation,
commercial and recreational.
g. Potential impacts to the long-term
management of New River Inlet.
h. Potential impacts to private and
public property.
i. Cumulative impacts of Inlet and
Inlet channel relocations throughout
North Carolina.
j. Cumulative impacts for using inlets
as sand source in nourishment projects.
k. Potential impacts on public health
and safety.
l. Potential impacts to recreational
and commercial fishing.
m. The compatibility of the material
for nourishment.
n. Potential economic impacts.
4. Alternatives. Several alternatives,
including various borrow areas, are
being considered for the 11.1 miles of
shoreline. These alternatives are being
further formulated and developed
during the scoping process and an
appropriate range of alternatives,
including the no federal action
alternative, will be considered in the
EIS.
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5. Scoping Process. A public scoping
meeting was held on June 7, 2005, and
Project Delivery Team (PDT) meetings
are continuing on a periodic basis. The
release of the Draft EIS is expected
sometime in early 2007.
The COE will also be consulting with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under
the Endangered Species Act and the
Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and
with the National Marine Fisheries
Service under the Magnuson-Stevens
Act and Endangered Species Act.
Additionally, the EIS will assess the
potential water quality impacts
pursuant to Section 401 of the Clean
Water Act, and will be coordinated with
the North Carolina Division of Coastal
Management (DCM) to determine the
projects consistency with the Coastal
Zone Management Act. The COE will
closely work with DCM through the EIS
to ensure the process complies with all
State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
requirements. It is the COE and DCM’s
intentions to consolidate both NEPA
and SEPA processes to eliminate
duplications.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS. The
Draft EIS is expected to be published
and circulated sometime in early 2007,
and a public hearing will be held after
the publication of the Draft EIS.
Dated: October 6, 2006.
John E. Pulliam, Jr.,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 06–8562 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 3710–GN–M
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for
a Permit Application for the Carryover
Storage and San Vicente Dam Raise
Project, San Diego County, CA
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps), Los Angeles District,
has received an application for a
Department of the Army permit under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act from
the San Diego County Water Authority
(Water Authority) to construct the San
Vicente Carryover Storage Project
(Proposed Action). As part of the permit
process, and in conjunction with the
Water Authority, the Corps is evaluating
the environmental effects associated
with raising San Vicente Dam beyond
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59499
the permitted height of the Emergency
Storage Project (ESP), to provide
additional reservoir capacity for
carryover storage.
The primary Federal involvement
associated with the Proposed Action is
the discharge of fill materials (including
permanent inundation) within Federal
jurisdictional areas and waters of the
United States. In addition, the Proposed
Action could have potential significant
effects on the human environment.
Therefore, the Corps will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to
render a final decision on the Water
Authority’s permit application. The
Corps decision will be to either issue or
deny a Department of the Army permit
for the Proposed Action. The EIS will be
prepared as a joint document. Pursuant
to the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA), the Water Authority will
serve as Lead Agency for the
preparation of an Environmental Impact
Report (EIR). The Corps and Water
Authority have agreed to jointly prepare
a Draft EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action
to optimize efficiency and avoid
duplication. The Draft EIS/EIR is
intended to be sufficient in scope to
address Federal, state, and local
requirements and environmental issues
concerning the Proposed Action and
permit approvals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the Proposed Action
and Draft EIS/EIR can be answered by
Mr. Robert R. Smith, Corps Regulatory
Project Manager, by telephone at (858)
674–6784 or by e-mail at
robert.r.smith@usace.army.mil. Written
comments should be addressed to both
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Rancho Bernardo Branch Office, Attn:
File Number 200601015–RRS, 16885
West Bernardo Drive, Suite 300A, San
Diego, CA 92127, and to Ms. Kelley
Gage, Senior Water Resources
Specialist, San Diego County Water
Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San
Diego, CA 92123. Information about the
Proposed Action and Draft EIS/EIR can
also be obtained from the Water
Authority’s Web site at https://
www.sdcwa.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Site and Background
Information. The Proposed Action is
located at the existing San Vicente
Reservoir in the unincorporated area of
San Diego County, north of Lakeside.
The site is within the USGS 7.5’ San
Vicente Reservoir Quadrangle, Sections
13, 14, 25, and 36, Township 14 South,
Range 1 West; and Sections 16–20, 23,
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24, and 29–31, Township 14 South,
Range 1 East.
(a) Background. In August 1996, the
Water Authority approved the
Emergency Storage Project (ESP) to
provide local water storage to meet
emergency needs within the Water
Authority’s service area. The ESP
includes expansion of the existing San
Vicente Reservoir by raising the existing
San Vicente Dam by 54 feet, providing
approximately 52,100 acre-feet of
emergency storage capacity, and
construction of associated pipelines,
pump stations, and ancillary structures.
The Corps issued the Record of Decision
for the Final EIS for the ESP on August
4, 1997. The ESP was permitted by the
Corps on August 18, 1997 (No. 95–
2009200–DZ).
As part of its water planning efforts,
the Water Authority completed a
Regional Water Facilities Master Plan
(Master Plan) in December 2002. The
Master Plan contains an evaluation of
the facilities and resources the Water
Authority will need to fulfill its mission
of providing a safe and reliable supply
of water to its member agencies through
the year 2030. The Master Plan
identified an immediate need for
additional carryover storage for the
region, and identified an additional
expansion of San Vicente Reservoir to
include 100,000 acre-feet of carryover
storage as a component of each
alternative. The Water Authority further
refined its water supply and demand
mix in its 2005 Urban Water
Management Plan (UWMP) update. The
UWMP confirmed the need for 100,000
acre-feet of carryover storage and
identified the need for additional
carryover storage above and beyond the
100,000 acre-feet addressed in the
Master Plan.
(b) Purpose and Need. The overall
project purpose is to substantially
increase the reliability and flexibility of
the regional water supply by providing
the Water Authority with facilities to
accumulate and store approximately
100,000 acre-feet of water. During dry
weather periods, increased regional
demand for water may exceed local
supplies resulting in potential water
shortages. Through the use of carryover
storage, water can be accumulated
during wetter years/seasons, when
supplies are greater, and used in drier
years/seasons or during droughts, when
supplies are in higher demand. In order
to accomplish this purpose, the
following objectives must be met:
• Provide approximately 100,000
acre-feet of readily available, locally
stored water for distribution to the
Water Authority’s member agencies
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16:42 Oct 06, 2006
Jkt 211001
during supply shortages by the year
2011;
• Increase system reliability and
operation flexibility;
• Locate new facilities in a manner
that reduces the need for additional
improvements to the Water Authority’s
infrastructure network;
• Minimize environmental and social
impacts, and;
• Minimize costs.
(c) Dam Raise Construction. The
existing San Vicente Dam is 220 feet
high and the capacity of the reservoir is
approximately 90,000 acre-feet. The
Proposed Action would raise the dam
an additional 63 feet beyond the
approved ESP dam raise, increasing the
overall dam height by up to 117 feet (or
a total dam height of up to 337 feet).
This would increase the total usable
capacity of the reservoir by
approximately 152,100 acre-feet. The
elevation of the spillway crest would be
raised from 650 to 766 feet above mean
sea level (AMSL). Total storage capacity
and surface area at Maximum Normal
Pool (MNP) of the expanded reservoir
would be 247,100 acre-feet and 1,700
acres, respectively.
Two options are being evaluated for
the provision of aggregate to produce
the concrete material for dam
construction: (1) Extraction and
processing of aggregate at an on-site
quarry within City of San Diego
property south of San Vicente Dam; and
(2) hauling of aggregate to the site from
an offsite location.
Concurrent with the dam raise,
construction of a new inlet/outlet
facility would require a cofferdam to
create a dry working area on the
upstream (water) side of the dam. The
proposed increase in reservoir capacity
and elevation would also require the
construction of two saddle dams to the
west of the main dam, relocation of the
San Vicente Marina, and relocation of
the marina access road. New marina
facilities, to replace the existing marina
that would be inundated by the ESP
dam raise, were included as part of the
ESP. The marina facilities would be
shifted west of the ESP planned location
as part of the Proposed Action. The
Proposed Action also includes
installation of a bypass pipeline
extending from the easterly saddle dam
to the First Aqueduct Diversion
Structure north of the proposed marina.
(d) Reservoir Lowering/Raising. As
addressed in the Corps permit for the
ESP, the water in the San Vicente
Reservoir would be lowered prior to
construction of the cofferdam. The total
time required to lower the reservoir,
maintain the reservoir at the lowered
water level during construction of the
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dam raise, and refill the reservoir to the
new water level would be
approximately eight years, depending
on the rate of imported water and local
watershed inflows. Of these eight years,
approximately 18 to 24 months would
be attributed to the construction and
filling activities for the Proposed
Action.
(e) Determination of Ordinary High
Water Mark (OHWM). For the Proposed
Action, the Corps has determined that
the jurisdictional OHWM for the
reservoir is the existing San Vicente
Dam spillway at 650 feet AMSL.
2. Alternatives. Alternatives to the
Proposed Action initially being
considered include:
(a) Construction of a new dam and
reservoir at Moosa Valley in the Valley
Center area, to provide 100,000 acre-feet
of carryover storage capacity.
(b) A reduced dam raise at San
Vicente Reservoir to provide 50,000
acre-feet of carryover storage capacity,
combined with the construction of a
new dam and reservoir at Moosa Valley
in the Valley Center area, to provide an
additional 50,000 acre-feet of carryover
storage capacity.
(c) No Project.
(d) No Permit Issued.
(e) Other new or expanded surface
reservoirs, reoperation of existing local
reservoir storage, local or out-of-region
groundwater basin storage, and other
alternatives that have been considered
but rejected.
3. Draft EIS/EIR Scoping Process.
(a) The Corps is furnishing this notice
to: (1) Advise other Federal and state
agencies, affected Tribes, and the public
of our intentions; (2) announce the
initiation of a 30-day scoping period;
and (3) obtain suggestions and
information on the scope of issues and
alternatives to be included in the Draft
EIS/EIR. The Corps and the Water
Authority invite comments from all
interested parties to ensure that the full
range of issues related to the permit
request is addressed and that all
significant issues are identified. We will
accept written comments until 30 days
after the date of publication of this
notice.
(b) Significant issues to be analyzed in
the Draft EIS/ EIR include:
(1) Aesthetics/visual quality;
(2) Agricultural resources;
(3) Air quality;
(4) Biological resources;
(5) Cultural resources;
(6) Cumulative impacts;
(7) Energy;
(8) Environmental justice;
(9) Geology/soils;
(10) Growth inducement;
(11) Land use/planning;
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(12) Mineral resources;
(13) Noise/vibration;
(14) Paleontological resources;
(15) Population/housing;
(16) Public safety/hazardous
materials;
(17) Public services/utilities;
(18) Recreation;
(19) Socioeconomics;
(20) Traffic/circulation; and
(21) Water resources.
(c) The Corps and the Water Authority
will conduct an environmental review
of the Proposed Action in accordance
with the requirements of NEPA, 1969 as
amended, (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
its implementing regulations (40 Code
of Federal Regulations, Section 1500 et
seq.), Corps Procedures for
Implementing NEPA (33 Code of
Federal Regulations, Section 230 et
seq.), and with other appropriate
Federal laws and regulations, policies,
and procedures of the Corps for
compliance with those regulations; and
with CEQA (Public Resources Section
21000, et seq.), State of California CEQA
Guidelines (California Code of
Regulations, Section 15000 et seq). The
Proposed Action, through the Corps
permit process, will require
consultation under the federal
Endangered Species Act and Section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
(d) Written comments should be
addressed to both the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Rancho Bernardo Branch
Office, Attn: File Number 200601015–
RRS, 16885 West Bernardo Drive, Suite
300A, San Diego, CA 92127, and to Ms.
Kelley Gage, Senior Water Resources
Specialist, San Diego County Water
Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San
Diego, CA 92123. Information about the
Proposed Action and Draft EIS/EIR can
also be obtained from the Water
Authority’s Web site at https://
www.sdcwa.org.
4. Scoping Meeting. A public scoping
meeting will be held on the Proposed
Action on November 1, 2006, 6:30 p.m.,
at the San Diego County Water
Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San
Diego, CA 92123. This meeting will give
agencies and the public an opportunity
to receive more information on the
Proposed Action and to provide
comments and suggestions on the scope
of the EIS/EIR.
5. Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR.
The Corps and Water Authority expect
the Draft EIS/EIR to be made available
to the public in the Spring 2007. A joint
public hearing will be held during the
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17:52 Oct 06, 2006
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public comment period for the Draft
EIS/EIR. Written comments will be
accepted at the meeting.
Mark Durham,
Chief, South Coast Section, Regulatory
Branch.
[FR Doc. E6–16590 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–KF–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket Nos. CP06–463–000]
ANR Storage Company; Notice of
Application
October 2, 2006.
Take notice that on September 21,
2006, ANR Storage Company (ANR
Storage), 1001 Louisiana, Houston,
Texas 77002, filed in docket CP06–463–
000 an application pursuant to section
7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as
amended, for authority to abandon by
sale to ANR Pipeline Company (ANR
Pipeline) an ownership interest in the
Cold Springs 12 Lateral that ANR
Storage owns in Kalkaska County,
Michigan, all as more fully set forth in
the application which is on file with the
Commission and open to public
inspection. This filing may also be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket
number, excluding the last three digits,
in the docket number field to access the
document. For assistance, call (202)
502–8659 or TTY, (202) 208–3676.
Any questions regarding this
application should be directed to Dawn
McGuire, Attorney, ANR Pipeline
Company, 1001 Louisiana, Houston,
Texas 77002, or call (713) 420–5503 or
fax (713) 420–1601.
There are two ways to become
involved in the Commission’s review of
this project. First, any person wishing to
obtain legal status by becoming a party
to the proceedings for this project
should, on or before the comment date
stated below, file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
a motion to intervene in accordance
with the requirements of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211)
and the Regulations under the NGA (18
CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party
status will be placed on the service list
PO 00000
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59501
maintained by the Secretary of the
Commission and will receive copies of
all documents filed by the applicant and
by all other parties. A party must submit
14 copies of filings made with the
Commission and must mail a copy to
the applicant and to every other party in
the proceeding. Only parties to the
proceeding can ask for court review of
Commission orders in the proceeding.
However, a person does not have to
intervene in order to have comments
considered. The second way to
participate is by filing with the
Secretary of the Commission, as soon as
possible, an original and two copies of
comments in support of or in opposition
to this project. The Commission will
consider these comments in
determining the appropriate action to be
taken, but the filing of a comment alone
will not serve to make the filer a party
to the proceeding. The Commission’s
rules require that persons filing
comments in opposition to the project
provide copies of their protests only to
the party or parties directly involved in
the protest.
Persons who wish to comment only
on the environmental review of this
project should submit an original and
two copies of their comments to the
Secretary of the Commission.
Environmental commentors will be
placed on the Commission’s
environmental mailing list, will receive
copies of the environmental documents,
and will be notified of meetings
associated with the Commission’s
environmental review process.
Environmental commentors will not be
required to serve copies of filed
documents on all other parties.
However, the non-party commentors
will not receive copies of all documents
filed by other parties or issued by the
Commission (except for the mailing of
environmental documents issued by the
Commission) and will not have the right
to seek court review of the
Commission’s final order.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filings of comments, protests
and interventions via the Internet in lieu
of paper. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii)
and the instructions on the
Commission’s Web site (https://
www.ferc.gov) under the ‘‘e-Filing’’ link.
Comment Date: October 23, 2006.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6–16620 Filed 10–6–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59499-59501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16590]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a Permit Application for the
Carryover Storage and San Vicente Dam Raise Project, San Diego County,
CA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Los Angeles
District, has received an application for a Department of the Army
permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act from the San Diego
County Water Authority (Water Authority) to construct the San Vicente
Carryover Storage Project (Proposed Action). As part of the permit
process, and in conjunction with the Water Authority, the Corps is
evaluating the environmental effects associated with raising San
Vicente Dam beyond the permitted height of the Emergency Storage
Project (ESP), to provide additional reservoir capacity for carryover
storage.
The primary Federal involvement associated with the Proposed Action
is the discharge of fill materials (including permanent inundation)
within Federal jurisdictional areas and waters of the United States. In
addition, the Proposed Action could have potential significant effects
on the human environment. Therefore, the Corps will prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to render a final decision on the Water
Authority's permit application. The Corps decision will be to either
issue or deny a Department of the Army permit for the Proposed Action.
The EIS will be prepared as a joint document. Pursuant to the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Water Authority will
serve as Lead Agency for the preparation of an Environmental Impact
Report (EIR). The Corps and Water Authority have agreed to jointly
prepare a Draft EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action to optimize efficiency
and avoid duplication. The Draft EIS/EIR is intended to be sufficient
in scope to address Federal, state, and local requirements and
environmental issues concerning the Proposed Action and permit
approvals.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the Proposed Action
and Draft EIS/EIR can be answered by Mr. Robert R. Smith, Corps
Regulatory Project Manager, by telephone at (858) 674-6784 or by e-mail
at robert.r.smith@usace.army.mil. Written comments should be addressed
to both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rancho Bernardo Branch
Office, Attn: File Number 200601015-RRS, 16885 West Bernardo Drive,
Suite 300A, San Diego, CA 92127, and to Ms. Kelley Gage, Senior Water
Resources Specialist, San Diego County Water Authority, 4677 Overland
Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123. Information about the Proposed Action and
Draft EIS/EIR can also be obtained from the Water Authority's Web site
at https://www.sdcwa.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Project Site and Background Information. The Proposed Action is
located at the existing San Vicente Reservoir in the unincorporated
area of San Diego County, north of Lakeside. The site is within the
USGS 7.5' San Vicente Reservoir Quadrangle, Sections 13, 14, 25, and
36, Township 14 South, Range 1 West; and Sections 16-20, 23,
[[Page 59500]]
24, and 29-31, Township 14 South, Range 1 East.
(a) Background. In August 1996, the Water Authority approved the
Emergency Storage Project (ESP) to provide local water storage to meet
emergency needs within the Water Authority's service area. The ESP
includes expansion of the existing San Vicente Reservoir by raising the
existing San Vicente Dam by 54 feet, providing approximately 52,100
acre-feet of emergency storage capacity, and construction of associated
pipelines, pump stations, and ancillary structures. The Corps issued
the Record of Decision for the Final EIS for the ESP on August 4, 1997.
The ESP was permitted by the Corps on August 18, 1997 (No. 95-2009200-
DZ).
As part of its water planning efforts, the Water Authority
completed a Regional Water Facilities Master Plan (Master Plan) in
December 2002. The Master Plan contains an evaluation of the facilities
and resources the Water Authority will need to fulfill its mission of
providing a safe and reliable supply of water to its member agencies
through the year 2030. The Master Plan identified an immediate need for
additional carryover storage for the region, and identified an
additional expansion of San Vicente Reservoir to include 100,000 acre-
feet of carryover storage as a component of each alternative. The Water
Authority further refined its water supply and demand mix in its 2005
Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) update. The UWMP confirmed the need
for 100,000 acre-feet of carryover storage and identified the need for
additional carryover storage above and beyond the 100,000 acre-feet
addressed in the Master Plan.
(b) Purpose and Need. The overall project purpose is to
substantially increase the reliability and flexibility of the regional
water supply by providing the Water Authority with facilities to
accumulate and store approximately 100,000 acre-feet of water. During
dry weather periods, increased regional demand for water may exceed
local supplies resulting in potential water shortages. Through the use
of carryover storage, water can be accumulated during wetter years/
seasons, when supplies are greater, and used in drier years/seasons or
during droughts, when supplies are in higher demand. In order to
accomplish this purpose, the following objectives must be met:
Provide approximately 100,000 acre-feet of readily
available, locally stored water for distribution to the Water
Authority's member agencies during supply shortages by the year 2011;
Increase system reliability and operation flexibility;
Locate new facilities in a manner that reduces the need
for additional improvements to the Water Authority's infrastructure
network;
Minimize environmental and social impacts, and;
Minimize costs.
(c) Dam Raise Construction. The existing San Vicente Dam is 220
feet high and the capacity of the reservoir is approximately 90,000
acre-feet. The Proposed Action would raise the dam an additional 63
feet beyond the approved ESP dam raise, increasing the overall dam
height by up to 117 feet (or a total dam height of up to 337 feet).
This would increase the total usable capacity of the reservoir by
approximately 152,100 acre-feet. The elevation of the spillway crest
would be raised from 650 to 766 feet above mean sea level (AMSL). Total
storage capacity and surface area at Maximum Normal Pool (MNP) of the
expanded reservoir would be 247,100 acre-feet and 1,700 acres,
respectively.
Two options are being evaluated for the provision of aggregate to
produce the concrete material for dam construction: (1) Extraction and
processing of aggregate at an on-site quarry within City of San Diego
property south of San Vicente Dam; and (2) hauling of aggregate to the
site from an offsite location.
Concurrent with the dam raise, construction of a new inlet/outlet
facility would require a cofferdam to create a dry working area on the
upstream (water) side of the dam. The proposed increase in reservoir
capacity and elevation would also require the construction of two
saddle dams to the west of the main dam, relocation of the San Vicente
Marina, and relocation of the marina access road. New marina
facilities, to replace the existing marina that would be inundated by
the ESP dam raise, were included as part of the ESP. The marina
facilities would be shifted west of the ESP planned location as part of
the Proposed Action. The Proposed Action also includes installation of
a bypass pipeline extending from the easterly saddle dam to the First
Aqueduct Diversion Structure north of the proposed marina.
(d) Reservoir Lowering/Raising. As addressed in the Corps permit
for the ESP, the water in the San Vicente Reservoir would be lowered
prior to construction of the cofferdam. The total time required to
lower the reservoir, maintain the reservoir at the lowered water level
during construction of the dam raise, and refill the reservoir to the
new water level would be approximately eight years, depending on the
rate of imported water and local watershed inflows. Of these eight
years, approximately 18 to 24 months would be attributed to the
construction and filling activities for the Proposed Action.
(e) Determination of Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM). For the
Proposed Action, the Corps has determined that the jurisdictional OHWM
for the reservoir is the existing San Vicente Dam spillway at 650 feet
AMSL.
2. Alternatives. Alternatives to the Proposed Action initially
being considered include:
(a) Construction of a new dam and reservoir at Moosa Valley in the
Valley Center area, to provide 100,000 acre-feet of carryover storage
capacity.
(b) A reduced dam raise at San Vicente Reservoir to provide 50,000
acre-feet of carryover storage capacity, combined with the construction
of a new dam and reservoir at Moosa Valley in the Valley Center area,
to provide an additional 50,000 acre-feet of carryover storage
capacity.
(c) No Project.
(d) No Permit Issued.
(e) Other new or expanded surface reservoirs, reoperation of
existing local reservoir storage, local or out-of-region groundwater
basin storage, and other alternatives that have been considered but
rejected.
3. Draft EIS/EIR Scoping Process.
(a) The Corps is furnishing this notice to: (1) Advise other
Federal and state agencies, affected Tribes, and the public of our
intentions; (2) announce the initiation of a 30-day scoping period; and
(3) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues and
alternatives to be included in the Draft EIS/EIR. The Corps and the
Water Authority invite comments from all interested parties to ensure
that the full range of issues related to the permit request is
addressed and that all significant issues are identified. We will
accept written comments until 30 days after the date of publication of
this notice.
(b) Significant issues to be analyzed in the Draft EIS/ EIR
include:
(1) Aesthetics/visual quality;
(2) Agricultural resources;
(3) Air quality;
(4) Biological resources;
(5) Cultural resources;
(6) Cumulative impacts;
(7) Energy;
(8) Environmental justice;
(9) Geology/soils;
(10) Growth inducement;
(11) Land use/planning;
[[Page 59501]]
(12) Mineral resources;
(13) Noise/vibration;
(14) Paleontological resources;
(15) Population/housing;
(16) Public safety/hazardous materials;
(17) Public services/utilities;
(18) Recreation;
(19) Socioeconomics;
(20) Traffic/circulation; and
(21) Water resources.
(c) The Corps and the Water Authority will conduct an environmental
review of the Proposed Action in accordance with the requirements of
NEPA, 1969 as amended, (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing
regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1500 et seq.),
Corps Procedures for Implementing NEPA (33 Code of Federal Regulations,
Section 230 et seq.), and with other appropriate Federal laws and
regulations, policies, and procedures of the Corps for compliance with
those regulations; and with CEQA (Public Resources Section 21000, et
seq.), State of California CEQA Guidelines (California Code of
Regulations, Section 15000 et seq). The Proposed Action, through the
Corps permit process, will require consultation under the federal
Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
(d) Written comments should be addressed to both the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Rancho Bernardo Branch Office, Attn: File Number
200601015-RRS, 16885 West Bernardo Drive, Suite 300A, San Diego, CA
92127, and to Ms. Kelley Gage, Senior Water Resources Specialist, San
Diego County Water Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San Diego, CA
92123. Information about the Proposed Action and Draft EIS/EIR can also
be obtained from the Water Authority's Web site at https://
www.sdcwa.org.
4. Scoping Meeting. A public scoping meeting will be held on the
Proposed Action on November 1, 2006, 6:30 p.m., at the San Diego County
Water Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123. This
meeting will give agencies and the public an opportunity to receive
more information on the Proposed Action and to provide comments and
suggestions on the scope of the EIS/EIR.
5. Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR. The Corps and Water Authority
expect the Draft EIS/EIR to be made available to the public in the
Spring 2007. A joint public hearing will be held during the public
comment period for the Draft EIS/EIR. Written comments will be accepted
at the meeting.
Mark Durham,
Chief, South Coast Section, Regulatory Branch.
[FR Doc. E6-16590 Filed 10-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-KF-P
