Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project Under the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Fresno and Madera Counties, CA, 33458-33460 [E9-16462]
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33458
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 132 / Monday, July 13, 2009 / Notices
Dated: July 5, 2009.
Ivan DeLoatch,
Staff Director, Federal Geographic Data
Committee.
[FR Doc. E9–16386 Filed 7–10–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVS03000.L51010000.ER0000.F09F8590;
NVN–84359; 9–08807: TAS:14X5017]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Solar Millennium, LLC,
Amargosa Farm Road Solar Energy
Project, Nye County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Field Office,
Southern Nevada District, Pahrump
Field Office intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the Amargosa Farm Road Solar
Energy Project, located on public lands
in Nye County, Nevada and by this
notice is announcing the beginning of
the scoping process and soliciting input
on the identification of issues.
DATES: This notice initiates public
scoping. Scoping comments shall be
submitted on or before August 12, 2009.
The BLM will announce public
scoping meetings to identify relevant
issues through local news media,
newsletters, and the BLM Web site
(https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/
lvfo.html) at least 15 days prior to each
meeting. We will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the Draft RMP/EIS,
including a 90-day public comment
period.
Comments related to the
project may be submitted by any of the
following methods:
• E-mail: solar_millennium@blm.gov.
• Fax: (702) 515–5064 (attention:
Gregory Helseth).
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Southern Nevada District Office,
Pahrump Field Office, Attn: Gregory
Helseth, Project Manager, 4701 North
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV
89130–2301.
Documents pertinent to this project
may be examined at the Pahrump Field
Office. Additional opportunities for
public participation will be provided on
publication of the draft EIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
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ADDRESSES:
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18:36 Jul 10, 2009
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name added to the mailing list, call
Gregory Helseth, (702) 515–5173, or
e-mail: gregory_helseth@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Solar
Millennium, LLC, has submitted a rightof-way application to BLM to construct
two concentrated solar thermal
parabolic trough power plant facilities
on public lands, approximately 80 miles
northwest of Las Vegas, in Nye County,
Nevada. The Project site would consist
of approximately 4,350 acres of public
land located in Amargosa Valley, south
of Highway 95. Each facility is expected
to operate for approximately 30 years.
Each plant would utilize solar thermal
parabolic trough technology, consisting
of a 242 megawatt (MW) power block
equipped with thermal storage tanks
capable of producing additional energy
for 3.5 hours after sundown, and a solar
field composed of parabolic trough
mirrors.
The solar field would be highly
modular and would consist of ‘‘loops,’’
each containing 4 curved glass mirror
collectors. A loop is 22m wide and
400m long (72.18′ wide and 1312.33′
long). The solar field would consist of
approximately 400 loops. The
orientation of the collectors would be
north-south, and the collectors would
track the sun from east to west during
the day. The collector would focus the
sun’s direct beam radiation on a receiver
tube. The row of collectors would have
a hydraulic drive unit with sensors to
track the sun’s path throughout the day.
The solar energy would heat a transfer
fluid which cycles through a series of
heat exchangers to generate steam,
which drives a steam turbine to
ultimately generate electricity. The
electric output of the Project would be
generated entirely by solar energy. No
electricity would be generated by the
use of fossil fuel in these facilities.
The proposed Project facilities would
include the solar fields, power blocks,
buildings, parking area, laydown area,
stormwater retention pond, and
evaporating ponds. A single overhead
230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line
would connect the facilities to the
nearby Valley Electric Valley substation,
located on Anvil Road. Additional
elements of the Project would include
access roads and optional water
pipeline. The proposed Project may
require the rerouting of a road and an
existing low voltage distribution power
line. The EIS will analyze the sitespecific impacts of the Project on air
quality, biological resources, cultural
resources, water resources, geological
resources, paleontological resources,
public health, socioeconomics, soils,
traffic and transportation, and visual
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resources. It will analyze the geologic
hazards, hazardous materials handling,
land use and airspace, noise, waste
management, worker safety, and fire
protection potentially associated with
the Project. It will also analyze facility
design engineering, efficiency, and
reliability; transmission system
engineering; and transmission line
safety and nuisance. Native American
Tribal consultations will be conducted
in accordance with policy, and Tribal
concerns will be given due
consideration. The EIS will include the
consideration of any impacts on Indian
trust assets.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so. Federal, State, and local agencies,
as well as individuals or organizations
that may be interested in or affected by
the BLM’s decision on this project are
invited to participate in the scoping
process and, if eligible, may requested
or be requested by the BLM to
participate as a cooperating agency.
(Authority: 43 CFR Part 2800)
Patrick Putnam,
Field Manager, Pahrump Field Office.
[FR Doc. E9–16415 Filed 7–10–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B
Improvements Project Under the San
Joaquin River Restoration Program,
Fresno and Madera Counties, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR)
and Notice of Scoping Meetings.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) and the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
are proposing to prepare a joint EIS/EIR,
pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to
evaluate effects of the proposed
Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B
Channel Improvements Project
(Proposed Action) under the San
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 132 / Monday, July 13, 2009 / Notices
Joaquin River Restoration Program
(SJRRP or Program). The Proposed
Action includes the construction,
operation, and maintenance of the
Mendota Pool Bypass and
improvements, including the operation
and maintenance of the San Joaquin
River channel to allow Reach 2B to
convey at least 4,500 cubic feet per
second (cfs). The purpose of the
proposed action is to improve Reach 2B
conveyance conditions enough to
provide a capacity of at least 4,500 cfs
with integrated floodplain habitat, and
to convey restoration flows of at least
4,500 cfs around Mendota Pool from
Reach 2B downstream to Reach 3. The
planning and environmental review for
the Proposed Action is authorized under
section 3406(c)(1) of the Central Valley
Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Title
34, (Pub. L. 102–575) and the San
Joaquin River Restoration Act (SJRRA),
included in Public Law 111–11.
Construction of the Proposed Action is
authorized under the SJRRA (Pub. L.
111–11). The Proposed Action is a
component of the San Joaquin River
Settlement.
Scoping meetings will be held to
solicit input on alternatives, concerns,
and issues to be addressed in the EIS/
EIR. Written comments may also be
sent.
DATES: Two scoping meetings will be
held to solicit comments from interested
parties to assist in determining the
scope of the environmental analysis,
including the alternatives to be
addressed, and to identify the
significant environmental issues related
to the Proposed Action. The scoping
meeting dates and locations are:
• Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6 p.m.–8
p.m., Piccadilly Inn–Shaw, 2305 West
Shaw Avenue, Fresno, California 93711;
and
• Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 6 p.m.–
8 p.m., Firebaugh City Council
Chambers, 1659 13th Street, Firebaugh,
California 96322.
Written comments on the scope of the
EIS/EIR should be sent by August 17,
2009 to Ms. Margaret Gidding, Bureau of
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way MP–
170, Sacramento, CA 95825 or via email at
MendotaPoolBypass@restoresjr.net.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Margaret Gidding at the above address,
by telephone at 916–978–5461, TDD
916–978–5608 or via fax at 916–978–
5469. Additional information is
available online at https://
www.restoresjr.net. If special assistance
is required at the scoping meetings,
please contact Ms. Margaret Gidding at
the above phone or fax numbers or via
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:36 Jul 10, 2009
Jkt 217001
e-mail at
MendotaPoolBypass@restoresjr.net no
less than ten working days prior to the
meetings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Reclamation and DWR are proposing to
prepare a joint EIS/EIR, pursuant to
NEPA and CEQA, to evaluate the
proposed Mendota Pool Bypass and
Reach 2B Channel Improvements
Project (Proposed Action) under the
SJRRP. The Proposed Action includes
the construction, operation, and
maintenance of the Mendota Pool
Bypass and improvements, including
the operation and maintenance of the
San Joaquin River channel to allow
Reach 2B to convey at least 4,500 cfs.
The planning and environmental review
for the Proposed Action is authorized
under section 3406(c)(1) of the CVPIA
and the SJRRA included in Public Law
111–11. Construction of the Proposed
Action is authorized under the SJRRA
(Pub. L. 111–11). The Proposed Action
is a component of San Joaquin River
Settlement.
The Proposed Action would include a
bypass around the Mendota Pool to
convey at least 4,500 cfs around the
Mendota Pool and re-connect with the
San Joaquin River downstream of
Mendota Dam. The Proposed Action
would also include constructing a
bifurcation structure at the upper end of
the bypass to convey at least 4,500 cfs
into the Mendota Pool Bypass. The
proposed Mendota Bypass Bifurcation
Structure would be designed to divert
water from the San Joaquin River to the
Mendota Pool, consistent with the
design channel capacity of Reach 2B
which conveys flows to the Mendota
Pool. The bifurcation structure would be
designed to direct fish into the bypass
channel and minimize or avoid fish
passage into the Mendota Pool. Specific
bypass alignments and facilities
locations will be determined through
the course of this site-specific study.
Reach 2B of the San Joaquin River
extends from the Chowchilla Bypass
Bifurcation Structure to the Mendota
Dam. Proposed improvements to Reach
2B would include modifications to the
San Joaquin River channel from the
Chowchilla Bypass Bifurcation
Structure to the new Mendota Bypass
Bifurcation Structure to provide a
capacity of at least 4,500 cfs with
integrated floodplain habitat. The
project would expand the Reach 2B
channel capacity while accounting for
new floodplain habitat. Specific channel
modification actions would be
determined through the course of this
site-specific study. These actions would
consider fisheries requirements, land
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33459
uses, subsurface conditions, topography,
and the condition of existing levees.
San Joaquin River Restoration Program
In 1988, a coalition of environmental
groups led by the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit
challenging the renewal of the long-term
water service contracts between the
United States and the Central Valley
Project Friant Division Contractors.
After more than 18 years of litigation
known as NRDC, et al. v. Kirk Rodgers,
et al., the NRDC, Friant Water Users
Authority, and the Departments of the
Interior and Commerce (Settling Parties)
reached agreement on the terms and
conditions of the San Joaquin River
Settlement (Settlement) which was
subsequently approved by the Court on
October 23, 2006. The Settlement can be
found online at https://
www.restoresjr.net.
The Settlement Is Based on Two Parallel
Goals
• The Restoration Goal—To restore
and maintain fish populations in ‘‘good
condition’’ in the main stem of the San
Joaquin River below Friant Dam to the
confluence of the Merced River,
including naturally reproducing and
self-sustaining populations of salmon
and other fish; and
• The Water Management Goal—To
reduce or avoid adverse water supply
impacts to all of the Friant Division
long-term Contractors that may result
from the Interim Flows and Restoration
Flows provided for in the Settlement.
The Settling Parties acknowledge that
accomplishing the Goals requires
planning, implementation, and funding
of certain activities, such as
environmental review, design, and
construction. With regard to the
Restoration Goal, the Settlement calls
for a combination of channel and
structural improvements along the San
Joaquin River below Friant Dam,
releases of additional water from Friant
Dam to the confluence of the Merced
River, and the reintroduction of spring
and/or fall-run Chinook salmon.
The Settlement states that the
Secretary of the Interior shall implement
the terms and conditions of the
Settlement. Additionally, the Settling
Parties agreed that implementation of
the Settlement shall also require
participation of the State of California.
Therefore, concurrent with the
execution of the Settlement, the Settling
Parties entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding with the State of
California, by and through the California
Resources Agency, DWR, the
Department of Fish and Game (DFG),
and the California Environmental
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33460
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 132 / Monday, July 13, 2009 / Notices
Protection Agency (CalEPA), regarding
the State’s role in the implementation of
the Settlement. The program established
to implement the Settlement is the
SJRRP, and the ‘‘Implementing
Agencies’’ responsible for the
management of the SJRRP include
Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS), the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), DWR, and
DFG. The Federal Implementing
agencies (Reclamation, USFWS and
NMFS) are authorized to implement the
Settlement under the SJRRA included in
Public Law 111–11.
A Program Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report
(PEIS/EIR) is currently being developed
for implementation of the SJRRP. If
applicable, the EIS/EIR for the Proposed
Action will supplement, tier from,
incorporate by reference, or adopt
relevant NEPA analyses from the PEIS/
EIR. The Record of Decision for the
PEIS/EIR is anticipated to be signed in
2010.
Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address,
phone number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Dated: July 2, 2009.
Anastasia T. Leigh,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, MidPacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9–16462 Filed 7–10–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
[FWS–R9–IA–2009–N0103; 96300–1671–
0000 FY09 R4]
Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES); Fifteenth Regular
Meeting: Proposed Resolutions,
Decisions, and Agenda Items Being
Considered; Taxa Being Considered
for Amendments to the CITES
Appendices; Observer Information
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:36 Jul 10, 2009
Jkt 217001
SUMMARY: The United States, as a Party
to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES), may submit
proposed resolutions, decisions, and
agenda items for consideration at
meetings of the Conference of the
Parties to CITES. The United States may
also propose amendments to the CITES
Appendices for consideration at
meetings of the Conference of the
Parties. The fifteenth regular meeting of
the Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP15) is tentatively scheduled to be
held in Doha, Qatar, March 13–25, 2010.
With this notice, we describe
proposed resolutions, decisions, and
agenda items that the United States is
considering submitting for
consideration at CoP15; describe
proposed amendments to the CITES
Appendices (species proposals) that the
United States is considering submitting
for consideration at CoP15; invite your
comments and information on these
proposals; and provide information on
how nongovernmental organizations
based in the United States can attend
CoP15 as observers.
DATES: We will consider written
information and comments you submit
concerning potential species proposals,
and proposed resolutions, decisions,
and agenda items that the United States
is considering submitting for
consideration at CoP15, and other items
relating to CoP15, if we receive them by
September 11, 2009.
Comments pertaining to
proposed resolutions, decisions, and
agenda items should be sent to the
Division of Management Authority, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North
Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA
22203, or via e-mail at: CoP15@fws.gov,
or via fax at: 703–358–2298. Comments
pertaining to species proposals should
be sent to the Division of Scientific
Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room
110, Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail
at: scientificauthority@fws.gov, or via
fax at: 703–358–2276.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information pertaining to resolutions,
decisions, and agenda items contact:
Robert R. Gabel, Chief, Division of
Management Authority, phone 703–
358–2095, fax 703–358–2298, e-mail:
CoP15@fws.gov. For information
pertaining to species proposals contact:
Rosemarie Gnam, Chief, Division of
Scientific Authority, phone 703–358–
1708, fax 703–358–2276, e-mail:
scientificauthority@fws.gov.
Background
The Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to
as CITES or the Convention, is an
international treaty designed to control
and regulate international trade in
certain animal and plant species that are
now or potentially may be threatened
with extinction. These species are listed
in Appendices to CITES, which are
available on the CITES Secretariat’s
website at https://www.cites.org/eng/
app/index.shtml. Currently, 175
countries, including the United States,
are Parties to CITES. The Convention
calls for biennial meetings of the
Conference of the Parties, which
reviews its implementation, makes
provisions enabling the CITES
Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out
its functions, considers amendments to
the lists of species in Appendices I and
II, considers reports presented by the
Secretariat, and makes
recommendations for the improved
effectiveness of CITES. Any country that
is a Party to CITES may propose for
these meetings amendments to
Appendices I and II, and resolutions,
decisions, and agenda items for
consideration by all the Parties.
This is our second in a series of
Federal Register notices that, together
with an announced public meeting,
provide you with an opportunity to
participate in the development of the
U.S. negotiating positions for the
fifteenth regular meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP15). We published our first CoP15related Federal Register notice on
September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56605), in
which we requested information and
recommendations on species proposals
and proposed resolutions, decisions,
and agenda items for the United States
to consider submitting for consideration
at CoP15. You may obtain information
on that Federal Register notice from the
following sources: for information on
proposed resolutions, decisions, and
agenda items, contact the Division of
Management Authority at the address
provided in ‘‘ADDRESSES’’ above; and for
information on species proposals,
contact the Division of Scientific
Authority at the address provided in
‘‘ADDRESSES’’ above. Our regulations
governing this public process are found
in 50 CFR 23.87.
CoP15 is tentatively scheduled to be
held in Doha, Qatar, March 13–25, 2010.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 132 (Monday, July 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33458-33460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16462]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project Under the
San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Fresno and Madera Counties, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Notice of Scoping Meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California
Department of Water Resources (DWR) are proposing to prepare a joint
EIS/EIR, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to evaluate effects of
the proposed Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Channel Improvements
Project (Proposed Action) under the San
[[Page 33459]]
Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP or Program). The Proposed
Action includes the construction, operation, and maintenance of the
Mendota Pool Bypass and improvements, including the operation and
maintenance of the San Joaquin River channel to allow Reach 2B to
convey at least 4,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). The purpose of the
proposed action is to improve Reach 2B conveyance conditions enough to
provide a capacity of at least 4,500 cfs with integrated floodplain
habitat, and to convey restoration flows of at least 4,500 cfs around
Mendota Pool from Reach 2B downstream to Reach 3. The planning and
environmental review for the Proposed Action is authorized under
section 3406(c)(1) of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act
(CVPIA) Title 34, (Pub. L. 102-575) and the San Joaquin River
Restoration Act (SJRRA), included in Public Law 111-11. Construction of
the Proposed Action is authorized under the SJRRA (Pub. L. 111-11). The
Proposed Action is a component of the San Joaquin River Settlement.
Scoping meetings will be held to solicit input on alternatives,
concerns, and issues to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. Written comments
may also be sent.
DATES: Two scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments from
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the
environmental analysis, including the alternatives to be addressed, and
to identify the significant environmental issues related to the
Proposed Action. The scoping meeting dates and locations are:
Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Piccadilly Inn-
Shaw, 2305 West Shaw Avenue, Fresno, California 93711; and
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Firebaugh City
Council Chambers, 1659 13th Street, Firebaugh, California 96322.
Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR should be sent by
August 17, 2009 to Ms. Margaret Gidding, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800
Cottage Way MP-170, Sacramento, CA 95825 or via e-mail at
MendotaPoolBypass@restoresjr.net.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Margaret Gidding at the above
address, by telephone at 916-978-5461, TDD 916-978-5608 or via fax at
916-978-5469. Additional information is available online at https://www.restoresjr.net. If special assistance is required at the scoping
meetings, please contact Ms. Margaret Gidding at the above phone or fax
numbers or via e-mail at MendotaPoolBypass@restoresjr.net no less than
ten working days prior to the meetings.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation and DWR are proposing to prepare
a joint EIS/EIR, pursuant to NEPA and CEQA, to evaluate the proposed
Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Channel Improvements Project (Proposed
Action) under the SJRRP. The Proposed Action includes the construction,
operation, and maintenance of the Mendota Pool Bypass and improvements,
including the operation and maintenance of the San Joaquin River
channel to allow Reach 2B to convey at least 4,500 cfs. The planning
and environmental review for the Proposed Action is authorized under
section 3406(c)(1) of the CVPIA and the SJRRA included in Public Law
111-11. Construction of the Proposed Action is authorized under the
SJRRA (Pub. L. 111-11). The Proposed Action is a component of San
Joaquin River Settlement.
The Proposed Action would include a bypass around the Mendota Pool
to convey at least 4,500 cfs around the Mendota Pool and re-connect
with the San Joaquin River downstream of Mendota Dam. The Proposed
Action would also include constructing a bifurcation structure at the
upper end of the bypass to convey at least 4,500 cfs into the Mendota
Pool Bypass. The proposed Mendota Bypass Bifurcation Structure would be
designed to divert water from the San Joaquin River to the Mendota
Pool, consistent with the design channel capacity of Reach 2B which
conveys flows to the Mendota Pool. The bifurcation structure would be
designed to direct fish into the bypass channel and minimize or avoid
fish passage into the Mendota Pool. Specific bypass alignments and
facilities locations will be determined through the course of this
site-specific study.
Reach 2B of the San Joaquin River extends from the Chowchilla
Bypass Bifurcation Structure to the Mendota Dam. Proposed improvements
to Reach 2B would include modifications to the San Joaquin River
channel from the Chowchilla Bypass Bifurcation Structure to the new
Mendota Bypass Bifurcation Structure to provide a capacity of at least
4,500 cfs with integrated floodplain habitat. The project would expand
the Reach 2B channel capacity while accounting for new floodplain
habitat. Specific channel modification actions would be determined
through the course of this site-specific study. These actions would
consider fisheries requirements, land uses, subsurface conditions,
topography, and the condition of existing levees.
San Joaquin River Restoration Program
In 1988, a coalition of environmental groups led by the Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit challenging the
renewal of the long-term water service contracts between the United
States and the Central Valley Project Friant Division Contractors.
After more than 18 years of litigation known as NRDC, et al. v. Kirk
Rodgers, et al., the NRDC, Friant Water Users Authority, and the
Departments of the Interior and Commerce (Settling Parties) reached
agreement on the terms and conditions of the San Joaquin River
Settlement (Settlement) which was subsequently approved by the Court on
October 23, 2006. The Settlement can be found online at https://www.restoresjr.net.
The Settlement Is Based on Two Parallel Goals
The Restoration Goal--To restore and maintain fish
populations in ``good condition'' in the main stem of the San Joaquin
River below Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River, including
naturally reproducing and self-sustaining populations of salmon and
other fish; and
The Water Management Goal--To reduce or avoid adverse
water supply impacts to all of the Friant Division long-term
Contractors that may result from the Interim Flows and Restoration
Flows provided for in the Settlement.
The Settling Parties acknowledge that accomplishing the Goals
requires planning, implementation, and funding of certain activities,
such as environmental review, design, and construction. With regard to
the Restoration Goal, the Settlement calls for a combination of channel
and structural improvements along the San Joaquin River below Friant
Dam, releases of additional water from Friant Dam to the confluence of
the Merced River, and the reintroduction of spring and/or fall-run
Chinook salmon.
The Settlement states that the Secretary of the Interior shall
implement the terms and conditions of the Settlement. Additionally, the
Settling Parties agreed that implementation of the Settlement shall
also require participation of the State of California. Therefore,
concurrent with the execution of the Settlement, the Settling Parties
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of
California, by and through the California Resources Agency, DWR, the
Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and the California Environmental
[[Page 33460]]
Protection Agency (CalEPA), regarding the State's role in the
implementation of the Settlement. The program established to implement
the Settlement is the SJRRP, and the ``Implementing Agencies''
responsible for the management of the SJRRP include Reclamation, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), DWR, and DFG. The Federal Implementing agencies
(Reclamation, USFWS and NMFS) are authorized to implement the
Settlement under the SJRRA included in Public Law 111-11.
A Program Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact
Report (PEIS/EIR) is currently being developed for implementation of
the SJRRP. If applicable, the EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action will
supplement, tier from, incorporate by reference, or adopt relevant NEPA
analyses from the PEIS/EIR. The Record of Decision for the PEIS/EIR is
anticipated to be signed in 2010.
Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: July 2, 2009.
Anastasia T. Leigh,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-16462 Filed 7-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P