Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Carryover Storage and San Vicente Dam Raise Project, San Diego County, CA, 48622-48623 [E7-16696]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 164 / Friday, August 24, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Carryover Storage and San Vicente
Dam Raise Project, San Diego County,
CA
AGENCY:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
DOD.
yshivers on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
ACTION:
Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the San Diego County
Water Authority (Water Authority), as
Co-Lead Agencies, have prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/
EIS) for the Carryover Storage and San
Vicente Dam Raise Project (CSP). The
overall purpose of the CSP 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 (AF) of
water by the year 2011. During dry
weather periods, increased regional
demand for water may exceed local
supplies resulting in potential water
shortages. Water would be accumulated,
when it is available, from a variety of
sources and, once stored, would provide
a reliable reserve against shortages when
supply sources are limited. This type of
operation is well suited for improving
storage reliability during droughts. The
EIR/EIS assesses the environmental
effects of the CSP at San Vicente
Reservoir (Proposed Action) and the
proposed alternatives.
DATES: Comments concerning this Draft
EIR/EIS should be submitted by October
9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
to Mr. Robert R. Smith, Regulatory
Project Manager, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Robert R. Smith, Regulatory Project
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Rancho Bernardo Branch Office, at (858)
674–6784; or Ms. Kelley Gage, Senior
Water Resources Specialist, San Diego
County Water Authority, at (858) 522–
6763.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:35 Aug 23, 2007
Jkt 211001
1. Authorization: The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District,
Regulatory Branch is considering an
application from the Water Authority
for a Department of the Army permit
under Section 404 of the Clean Water
Act to construct the Proposed Action.
The primary Federal concern is the
discharge of fill materials (including
permanent inundation) within Federal
jurisdictional areas and waters of the
United States, and potential impacts on
the human environment from such
activities. The Corps’ decision will be to
either issue or deny a Department of the
Army permit for the Proposed Action.
The EIR/EIS has been prepared as a
joint document in accordance with the
California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and State CEQA Guidelines
(CCR Title 14, 15082(a), 15103, and
15375); the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations
(40 CFR Part 1500 et seq.); the Corps
Procedures for Implementing NEPA (33
CFR Part 230); and with other
appropriate federal laws and
regulations, policies, and procedures of
the Corps for compliance with those
regulations.
2. 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 approved
ESP includes the following major
components: A new dam, pipeline, and
pump station at Olivenhain (complete);
the Lake Hodges Pump Station and
pipeline (under construction); the San
Vicente Pipeline (under construction);
and the San Vicente Pump Station/
Surge Control Facility (in design). The
ESP also includes expansion of the
existing San Vicente Reservoir by
raising the existing San Vicente Dam by
54 feet, providing approximately 52,100
AF of emergency water storage capacity.
The ESP was evaluated in an EIR/EIS
for which the Water Authority was Lead
Agency under CEQA and the Corps was
Lead Agency under NEPA. The Water
Authority Board of Directors certified
the Final EIR/EIS on August 15, 1996.
The Corps issued a Record of Decision
(ROD) for the EIR/EIS on August 4,
1997, and an Individual Permit under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
(Permit No. 95–2009200–DZ) on August
18, 1997.
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
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 AF of carryover storage
as a component of each alternative. The
Water Authority was the Lead Agency
under CEQA for the Master Plan
Program EIR, which was certified by the
Water Authority Board on November 20,
2003.
3. Proposed Action: The Water
Authority will be raising San Vicente
Dam by 54 feet to provide
approximately 52,100 AF of emergency
water storage capacity in San Vicente
Reservoir as part of the ESP. The
Proposed Action involves an additional
dam raise of 63 feet to provide
approximately 100,000 AF of carryover
storage capacity in the reservoir as part
of the CSP. Because it would not be
feasible or practicable to construct two
separate raises of the dam due to issues
such as cost, safety of the raised dam
structure, and construction logistics, the
two increases would be combined and
constructed at the same time. Under
both the ESP and CSP dam raises, the
existing 220-foot high concrete gravity
dam would be raised by as much as 117
feet using roller compacted concrete,
expanding the usable reservoir volume
by up to 152,100 AF to provide both
ESP and CSP storage.
4. Alternatives: Three alternatives are
evaluated in the Draft EIR/EIS,
including the ‘‘No Action’’ Alternative;
a new dam and 100,000 AF reservoir in
Moosa Canyon near Valley Center in
San Diego County, California (Moosa
100K Alternative); and a reduced raise
of San Vicente Dam providing 50,000
AF of carryover storage capacity in San
Vicente Reservoir, combined with a
smaller new dam and 50,000 AF
reservoir in Moosa Canyon (SV 50K/
Moosa 50K Alternative).
5. Scoping Process: To initiate the
public scoping process for the EIR/EIS
in accordance with CEQA and NEPA
guidelines, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (Corps) published a Notice of
Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on
October 10, 2006 (71 FR 59499), and the
San Diego County Water Authority
(Water Authority) circulated a Notice of
Preparation (NOP) through direct
mailings and published a legal notice in
the San Diego Union Tribune on
October 8, 2006. The 30-day public
review period for the NOI and NOP
ended November 9, 2006. In addition,
the Army Corps of Engineers and Water
Authority conducted a scoping meeting
prior to preparing the EIR/EIS to aid in
determining the significant
E:\FR\FM\24AUN1.SGM
24AUN1
yshivers on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 164 / Friday, August 24, 2007 / Notices
environmental issues associated with
the Proposed Action. The meeting was
held at the San Diego County Water
Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue, San
Diego, California, on November 1, 2006.
An additional public meeting
(‘‘Community Forum’’) was held in the
Lakeside community on December 11,
2006. Although conducted outside the
official NOI/NOP public scoping period,
the Lead Agencies have agreed to give
the comments received at the Lakeside
Community Forum the same weight as
those received during the NOI/NOP
public scoping period, and are equally
addressed in the EIR/EIS.
Two public hearings to receive
comments on the Draft EIR/EIS will be
held by the Army Corps of Engineers
and the Water Authority. The locations
and times for the public hearings are as
follows:
• Lakeside Community Center, 9841
Vine St., Lakeside, CA, 92040 at 6:30
PM on October 8, 2007.
• Valley Center High School, Maxine
Theater, 31322 Cole Grade Road, Valley
Center, CA 92082, at 6:30 p.m., on
October 11, 2007.
These public hearings will be
announced in the local news media, and
separate notice will also be sent to all
parties on the project mailing list.
Participation by all interested Federal,
State and County resource agencies, as
well as Native American peoples,
groups with environmental interests,
and all interested individuals is
encouraged. The public review period
will conclude 45 days after publication
of this notice.
Individuals and agencies may offer
information or data relevant to the
environmental or socioeconomic
impacts by attending the abovereferenced public meetings, or by
mailing the information to Mr. Robert R.
Smith or to Ms. Kelley Gage at the
addresses provided in this notice prior
to October 15, 2007. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers and the Water
Authority will consider public concerns
on the Draft EIR/EIS. A summary of the
public meetings and written comment
letters and responses will be
incorporated into the Final EIR/EIS as
appropriate.
The Final EIR/EIS will be considered
and acted upon by the Water
Authority’s Board of Directors at a
noticed public hearing. The Corps will
sign the Record of Decision at least 30
days after the Notice of Availability of
the Final EIR/EIS. Comments,
suggestions, and requests to be placed
on the mailing list for announcements
and for the Draft Final EIR/EIS, should
also be sent to Mr. Smith or Ms. Gage.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:35 Aug 23, 2007
Jkt 211001
6. Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS:
The Draft EIR/EIS and appendices are
available for review and downloading
from the Water Authority’s Internet Web
page at the following address: https://
www.sdcwa.org. Copies of the Draft EIR/
EIS and all documents referenced in the
Draft EIR/EIS are available for public
review by appointment at the Water
Authority offices at the address
provided in this notice. Please contact
Ms. Kelley Gage at the Water Authority
at (858) 522–6763 to set up an
appointment. Please note that only
qualified individuals will be allowed to
review the confidential cultural
resources appendices. Copies of the
Draft EIR/EIS and appendices are also
available for public review at the
following locations:
(1) Lakeside Public Library, 9839 Vine
Street, Lakeside, CA 92040.
(2) Valley Center Public Library,
29200 Cole Grade Road, Valley Center,
CA 92082.
Mark Durham,
Chief, South Coast Branch, Los Angeles
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
[FR Doc. E7–16696 Filed 8–23–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710–KF–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for Homer Harbor
Navigation Improvements Feasibility
Study
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) announces its
intention to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) to study the
feasibility of expanding the existing
moorage capacity for vessels at Homer,
AK. This study will be performed
through partnership of USACE, the City
of Homer, and the Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities.
The existing moorage condition at
Homer is at maximum capacity,
resulting in overcrowded and unsafe
conditions for harbor users.
Additionally, the City will be unable to
meet the growing moorage demands of
commercial, Government, recreation,
and subsistence vessels in the near
future. The EIS will address potential
environmental impacts of the
construction, operation, and
maintenance of the new and existing
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
48623
harbor. USACE will hold public scoping
meetings in Homer, AK.
DATES: The location, date, and time for
the first scoping meeting will be as
follows: Homer, AK: Thursday,
September 6, 2007, from 1–6 p.m. at the
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor
Center. Subsequent meetings will be
advertised in the Homer News and
Homer Tribune.
ADDRESSES: Please direct comments or
suggestions on the scope of the EIS to:
Ms. Lisa Rabbe, NEPA Coordinator, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska
District, EN–CW–ER, P.O. Box 6898,
Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506–0898;
Phone: 907–753–2634; Fax: (907) 753–
2625, e-mail
Lisa.a.rabbe@poa02.usace.army.mil
(please use ‘‘NOI Comments on Homer
Harbor’’ for the subject).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information or questions concerning the
proposed project, contact: Mr. Pat
Fitzgerald, Study Manager, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, EN–
CW–PF, P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB,
AK 99506–0898; Phone: 907–753–5638;
Fax: (907) 753–2625; e-mail:
patrick.s.fitzgerald@usace.army.mil.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The City of Homer was established in
1964. The Homer Harbor was initially
constructed in 1961 and was expanded
to its existing configuration in 1984. The
harbor accommodates a large array of
commercial, Government, recreation,
and subsistence vessels.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
The City of Homer needs to expand
the existing harbor to a more efficient
and safe harbor for navigation and
mooring for its users. The existing
Homer Harbor is utilized beyond its
capacity. The harbor is not able to
appropriately accommodate the needs of
some of the larger commercial fishing
vessels. Overcrowding of large vessels
often results in increased damages to the
vessels and docks. Overcrowding is also
a problem for smaller commercial
fishing, charter, and recreational vessels
that use Homer Harbor. Additionally,
the depths within the harbor are
inadequate for these larger vessels on
lower tides, which can result in vessel
delays.
In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard and
other federal and state vessels do not
have adequate security for their vessels
at their individual piers. A common
area for state and federal vessels will
decrease the administrative and
personnel burdens for security measures
needed to protect the vessels.
E:\FR\FM\24AUN1.SGM
24AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 164 (Friday, August 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48622-48623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16696]
[[Page 48622]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement for the Carryover Storage and San
Vicente Dam Raise Project, San Diego County, CA
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the San Diego County
Water Authority (Water Authority), as Co-Lead Agencies, have prepared a
Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/
EIS) for the Carryover Storage and San Vicente Dam Raise Project (CSP).
The overall purpose of the CSP 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 (AF) of water by the year 2011. During
dry weather periods, increased regional demand for water may exceed
local supplies resulting in potential water shortages. Water would be
accumulated, when it is available, from a variety of sources and, once
stored, would provide a reliable reserve against shortages when supply
sources are limited. This type of operation is well suited for
improving storage reliability during droughts. The EIR/EIS assesses the
environmental effects of the CSP at San Vicente Reservoir (Proposed
Action) and the proposed alternatives.
DATES: Comments concerning this Draft EIR/EIS should be submitted by
October 9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Mr. Robert R. Smith, Regulatory
Project Manager, 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert R. Smith, Regulatory
Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rancho Bernardo Branch
Office, at (858) 674-6784; or Ms. Kelley Gage, Senior Water Resources
Specialist, San Diego County Water Authority, at (858) 522-6763.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Authorization: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles
District, Regulatory Branch is considering an application from the
Water Authority for a Department of the Army permit under Section 404
of the Clean Water Act to construct the Proposed Action. The primary
Federal concern is the discharge of fill materials (including permanent
inundation) within Federal jurisdictional areas and waters of the
United States, and potential impacts on the human environment from such
activities. The Corps' decision will be to either issue or deny a
Department of the Army permit for the Proposed Action.
The EIR/EIS has been prepared as a joint document in accordance
with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and State CEQA
Guidelines (CCR Title 14, 15082(a), 15103, and 15375); the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its
implementing regulations (40 CFR Part 1500 et seq.); the Corps
Procedures for Implementing NEPA (33 CFR Part 230); and with other
appropriate federal laws and regulations, policies, and procedures of
the Corps for compliance with those regulations.
2. 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 approved
ESP includes the following major components: A new dam, pipeline, and
pump station at Olivenhain (complete); the Lake Hodges Pump Station and
pipeline (under construction); the San Vicente Pipeline (under
construction); and the San Vicente Pump Station/Surge Control Facility
(in design). The ESP also includes expansion of the existing San
Vicente Reservoir by raising the existing San Vicente Dam by 54 feet,
providing approximately 52,100 AF of emergency water storage capacity.
The ESP was evaluated in an EIR/EIS for which the Water Authority
was Lead Agency under CEQA and the Corps was Lead Agency under NEPA.
The Water Authority Board of Directors certified the Final EIR/EIS on
August 15, 1996. The Corps issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the
EIR/EIS on August 4, 1997, and an Individual Permit under Section 404
of the Clean Water Act (Permit No. 95-2009200-DZ) on August 18, 1997.
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 AF of carryover storage as a component of each
alternative. The Water Authority was the Lead Agency under CEQA for the
Master Plan Program EIR, which was certified by the Water Authority
Board on November 20, 2003.
3. Proposed Action: The Water Authority will be raising San Vicente
Dam by 54 feet to provide approximately 52,100 AF of emergency water
storage capacity in San Vicente Reservoir as part of the ESP. The
Proposed Action involves an additional dam raise of 63 feet to provide
approximately 100,000 AF of carryover storage capacity in the reservoir
as part of the CSP. Because it would not be feasible or practicable to
construct two separate raises of the dam due to issues such as cost,
safety of the raised dam structure, and construction logistics, the two
increases would be combined and constructed at the same time. Under
both the ESP and CSP dam raises, the existing 220-foot high concrete
gravity dam would be raised by as much as 117 feet using roller
compacted concrete, expanding the usable reservoir volume by up to
152,100 AF to provide both ESP and CSP storage.
4. Alternatives: Three alternatives are evaluated in the Draft EIR/
EIS, including the ``No Action'' Alternative; a new dam and 100,000 AF
reservoir in Moosa Canyon near Valley Center in San Diego County,
California (Moosa 100K Alternative); and a reduced raise of San Vicente
Dam providing 50,000 AF of carryover storage capacity in San Vicente
Reservoir, combined with a smaller new dam and 50,000 AF reservoir in
Moosa Canyon (SV 50K/Moosa 50K Alternative).
5. Scoping Process: To initiate the public scoping process for the
EIR/EIS in accordance with CEQA and NEPA guidelines, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the
Federal Register on October 10, 2006 (71 FR 59499), and the San Diego
County Water Authority (Water Authority) circulated a Notice of
Preparation (NOP) through direct mailings and published a legal notice
in the San Diego Union Tribune on October 8, 2006. The 30-day public
review period for the NOI and NOP ended November 9, 2006. In addition,
the Army Corps of Engineers and Water Authority conducted a scoping
meeting prior to preparing the EIR/EIS to aid in determining the
significant
[[Page 48623]]
environmental issues associated with the Proposed Action. The meeting
was held at the San Diego County Water Authority, 4677 Overland Avenue,
San Diego, California, on November 1, 2006. An additional public
meeting (``Community Forum'') was held in the Lakeside community on
December 11, 2006. Although conducted outside the official NOI/NOP
public scoping period, the Lead Agencies have agreed to give the
comments received at the Lakeside Community Forum the same weight as
those received during the NOI/NOP public scoping period, and are
equally addressed in the EIR/EIS.
Two public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIR/EIS will
be held by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Water Authority. The
locations and times for the public hearings are as follows:
Lakeside Community Center, 9841 Vine St., Lakeside, CA,
92040 at 6:30 PM on October 8, 2007.
Valley Center High School, Maxine Theater, 31322 Cole
Grade Road, Valley Center, CA 92082, at 6:30 p.m., on October 11, 2007.
These public hearings will be announced in the local news media,
and separate notice will also be sent to all parties on the project
mailing list.
Participation by all interested Federal, State and County resource
agencies, as well as Native American peoples, groups with environmental
interests, and all interested individuals is encouraged. The public
review period will conclude 45 days after publication of this notice.
Individuals and agencies may offer information or data relevant to
the environmental or socioeconomic impacts by attending the above-
referenced public meetings, or by mailing the information to Mr. Robert
R. Smith or to Ms. Kelley Gage at the addresses provided in this notice
prior to October 15, 2007. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the
Water Authority will consider public concerns on the Draft EIR/EIS. A
summary of the public meetings and written comment letters and
responses will be incorporated into the Final EIR/EIS as appropriate.
The Final EIR/EIS will be considered and acted upon by the Water
Authority's Board of Directors at a noticed public hearing. The Corps
will sign the Record of Decision at least 30 days after the Notice of
Availability of the Final EIR/EIS. Comments, suggestions, and requests
to be placed on the mailing list for announcements and for the Draft
Final EIR/EIS, should also be sent to Mr. Smith or Ms. Gage.
6. Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS: The Draft EIR/EIS and
appendices are available for review and downloading from the Water
Authority's Internet Web page at the following address: https://
www.sdcwa.org. Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS and all documents referenced
in the Draft EIR/EIS are available for public review by appointment at
the Water Authority offices at the address provided in this notice.
Please contact Ms. Kelley Gage at the Water Authority at (858) 522-6763
to set up an appointment. Please note that only qualified individuals
will be allowed to review the confidential cultural resources
appendices. Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS and appendices are also
available for public review at the following locations:
(1) Lakeside Public Library, 9839 Vine Street, Lakeside, CA 92040.
(2) Valley Center Public Library, 29200 Cole Grade Road, Valley
Center, CA 92082.
Mark Durham,
Chief, South Coast Branch, Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
[FR Doc. E7-16696 Filed 8-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-KF-P
