Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Feasibility Study of the Trilby Wash Study Area, 25499-25500 [E9-12388]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
• Engineers Corps

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 101 (Thursday, May 28, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25499-25500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12388]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a 
Feasibility Study of the Trilby Wash Study Area

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Analyses of foreseeable environmental impacts from potential 
actions in the vicinity of Trilby Wash and the McMicken Dam project 
area located near the Cities of Surprise, Sun City, El Mirage 
Litchfield Park and Goodyear, Maricopa County, Arizona will commence. 
No explicit plans have been advanced as yet, so contents of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) remain to be determined during 
the public scoping process. The Trilby Wash Study area encompasses the 
Trilby Wash watershed upstream and downstream from the McMicken Dam 
Project which includes: McMicken Dam, McMicken Dam Outlet Channel and 
McMicken Dam Outlet Wash, approximately 9 miles, 6 miles, and 4 miles 
respectively in length. The McMiken Dam Outlet Wash discharges to the 
Agua Fria River in Maricopa County, Central Arizona.
    The purposes of this Feasibility Study are to develop and evaluate 
potential non-structural and engineered solutions to address flooding 
issues within the study area, to investigate opportunities for 
ecosystem restoration, and to provide recreational opportunities 
concurrent with flood risk management and ecosystem restoration. If 
there are measures and alternatives or plans that could be implemented 
within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) missions, the Flood 
Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) has indicated their 
interest to support and provide necessary cost-sharing and other 
requirements for the project. The USACE and FCDMC will cooperate in 
conducting this Feasibility Study.

ADDRESSES: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles 
District, ATTN: CESPL-PD-RP, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-
2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael J. Fink, Environmental 
Manager, telephone (602) 640-2001, ext. 232, or Ms. Gwen Meyer, Project 
Manager, telephone (602) 640-2004, ext. 281. The cooperating entity, 
Flood Control District of Maricopa County, requests inquiries be 
directed to Mr. Sam Sherman, P.E., telephone (602) 506-3639 for any 
additional information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authorization. This study has been 
conducted under the authority provided by the Flood Control Act of 
1938. This authority directs the Secretary of the Army, through the 
Chief of Engineers, to conduct preliminary examinations and surveys for 
flood control on the Gila River and tributaries in Arizona. Further 
authority is provided under House Committee on Public Works Resolution 
(Docket 2425) May 17, 1994 which states:
    ``* * * The Secretary of Army is hereby requested to review reports 
of the Chief of Engineers on the State of Arizona * * * in the interest 
of flood damage reduction, environmental protection and restoration, 
and related purposes.''
    2. Background. The study area encompasses Trilby Wash watershed 
upstream from McMiken Dam, McMiken Dam itself, (approximately 10 miles 
in length) the Outlet Channel and Outlet Wash to the Agua Fria River, 
(an additional 10 miles). Originally termed the Trilby Wash Detention 
Basin Dam, McMicken Dam was constructed by the United States Army Corps 
of Engineers (USACE) in 1954 and 1955 to protect Luke Air Force Base, 
the Litchfield Park Naval Air Facility and agriculture activities in 
the area from flooding. Since its initial construction, new 
communities, such as Sun City Grand and Arizona Traditions and the 
Cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise have developed downstream from 
the dam. These communities have been afforded significant flood 
protection by McMicken Dam as a flood control structure. The dam is 
operated and maintained by the FCDMC. The dam also provides flood 
protection for critical public facilities and infrastructure such as; 
hospitals, schools, police and fire stations, freeways and other public 
roadways, railroads and canals. The ability of the dam and associated 
channels to maintain the current level of flood protection for the 
benefit of the public in an increasingly urbanized environment is in 
question due to concerns regarding aging infrastructure, land 
subsidence, earth fissuring, urbanization encroachment, changed 
hydrologic conditions, and current dam safety standards.
    The FCDMC has completed numerous studies and has ongoing projects 
associated with flood risk management within the study area. This 
includes but is not limited to Area Drainage Master Plans, alternatives 
analysis of measures to rehabilitate McMicken Dam, and remediation of 
fissure risks. The Corps of Engineers and FCDMC entered into a cost 
share agreement to complete a feasibility study in September 2004. This 
feasibility study will utilize and expand existing information and work 
products completed by FCDMC and evaluate Federal participation in 
addressing issues identified within the study area.
    The potential environmental impacts to be evaluated by this DEIS 
will include: (1) Non-structural solutions to address flooding issues; 
(2) engineered solutions to address flooding issues; (3) opportunities 
for ecosystem restoration, and; (4) designs for recreational features 
which would be most compatible with the natural resources of the 
region.
    3. Proposed Action. No plan of action has yet been identified.

[[Page 25500]]

    4. Alternatives. (a) No Action: No plans would be implemented to 
reduce flood risk. (b) Proposed Alternative Plans: None have been 
formulated to date.
    5. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the 
EIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences of 
the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental 
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal, 
State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the 
EIS process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally, 
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically 
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable EIS. Public 
involvement will include but is not limited to: Information 
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities; 
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback 
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by 
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder 
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the EIS and 
supporting information readily available in conveniently located 
places, such as libraries and on the Internet.
    Participation of all interested Federal, State, and County resource 
agencies, as well as Native American peoples, groups with environmental 
interests, and all interested individuals is encouraged. Public 
involvement will be most beneficial and worthwhile in identifying 
pertinent environmental issues, offering useful information such as 
published or unpublished data, direct personal experience or knowledge 
which inform decision making, assistance in defining the scope of plans 
which ought to be considered, and recommending suitable mitigation 
measures warranted by such plans. Those wishing to contribute 
information, ideas, alternatives for actions, and so forth can furnish 
these contributions in writing to the points of contacts indicated 
above, or by attending public scoping meetings. Notice of public 
scoping meetings will be published in the local and regional 
newspapers.
    When plans have been devised and alternatives formulated to embody 
those plans, potential environmental and social impacts will be 
evaluated in the DEIS. These analyses will emphasize at least fifteen 
categories of resources: Land use, hazardous wastes, physical 
environment, hydrology, groundwater, biological, archaeological, 
historical, geological, air quality, noise, transportation, 
socioeconomics, and safety.
    6. Scoping Process. Scoping, an early and open process for 
identifying the scope of significant issues related to the proposed 
action to be addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the 
affected public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS 
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will 
be examined in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall 
process by helping to ensure that the Draft EIS adequately addresses 
relevant issues. An initial public scoping meeting will be held on 
Thursday, June 25, 2009, in Surprise, AZ. Announcements through local 
and regional media, as well as a scoping meeting public notice 
announcing the location, date and time of the scoping meeting will be 
mailed to all interested parties during June 2009. Interested parties 
are encouraged to express their views throughout the entire study 
process. Comments will be welcomed at the public scoping meeting. In 
addition, written comments will also be accepted during the scoping 
comment period which will extend 30 days from the date of the scoping 
meeting public notice.
    7. Interagency Coordination and Cooperation. The USACE and the 
USFWS have formally committed to work together to conserve, protect, 
and restore fish and wildlife resources while ensuring environmental 
sustainability of our Nation's water resources under the January 22, 
2003, Partnership Agreement for Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife. 
The USFWS will provide a Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report. 
Coordination will be maintained with the USFWS regarding threatened and 
endangered species under their jurisdictional responsibilities. The 
Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will be consulted concerning 
potential impacts to sensitive species and habitats. Coordination will 
be maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation and 
the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Coordination will be 
maintained with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 
concerning compliance with Executive Order 12898, ``Federal Action to 
Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations.''
    8. Availability of the EIS. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be 
available for public review during the spring of 2011. The DEIS or a 
Notice of Availability (NOA) will be provided during the 45-day review 
period to affected Federal, State and local agencies, Indian Tribes, 
and other interested parties.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-12388 Filed 5-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P