Request for Small Reclamation Projects Act Loan To Construct Narrows Dam in Sanpete County, UT, 15458-15459 [2010-6592]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 59 (Monday, March 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15458-15459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6592]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[DES 09-55]


Request for Small Reclamation Projects Act Loan To Construct 
Narrows Dam in Sanpete County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearings for the 
Narrows Project Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(SDEIS).

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with 
the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has 
prepared and made available to the public a SDEIS pursuant to Section 
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332.

DATES: A 63-day public review period commences with the publication of 
this notice. Written comments on the SDEIS are due by Tuesday, June 1, 
2010.
    Two public hearings have been scheduled for the SDEIS:
     Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Manti, Utah.
     Thursday, April 29, 2010, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Price, Utah.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the SDEIS and requests for copies 
to Mr. Peter Crookston, PRO-774, Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area 
Office, 302 East 1860 South, Provo, Utah 84606-7317; facsimile (801) 
379-1159; e-mail: narrowseis@usbr.gov. The SDEIS is also available on 
Reclamation's Web site at https://www.usbr.gov/uc/(click on 
Environmental Documents and then click on the Narrows Supplemental 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement).
    The public hearings will be held at:
     Manti: Manti City Hall, 50 South Main Street, 2nd Floor, 
Manti, Utah.
     Price: Price Civic Auditorium, 185 East Main Street, 
Price, Utah.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for locations of where copies 
of the SDEIS are available for public review and inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Peter Crookston, telephone (801) 
379-1152; facsimile (801) 379-1159; e-mail: narrowseis@usbr.gov. If 
special assistance is required regarding accessibility accommodations 
for attendance at either of the public hearings, please contact Peter 
Crookston no less than 5 working days prior to the applicable 
hearing(s).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Narrows Project SDEIS describes the 
effects of Reclamation issuing to the Sanpete Water Conservancy 
District (SWCD) a loan pursuant to the authority of the Small 
Reclamation Projects Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 422a-422k, 70 Stat. 
1044), as well as issuing to the SWCD a right of use of Federal lands 
in accordance with Reclamation law. These Reclamation actions would 
facilitate the construction by SWCD of the proposed Narrows Dam and 
reservoir, a non-Federal project to be located on Gooseberry Creek in 
Sanpete County, Utah. The loan application and request for a right of 
use of Federal lands by SWCD to build the Narrows Project is intended 
to meet the purpose of developing an irrigation and municipal and 
industrial (M&I) supply source for water users in northern Sanpete 
County, Utah. The needs that would be met by the proposed Narrows 
Project include meeting present and future demand for municipal water, 
providing an adequate supply of late season irrigation water, and 
rehabilitating the Narrows Tunnel in Sanpete County to maintain and 
enhance its dependability and capability to deliver water to Sanpete 
County users.
    The Narrows Project SDEIS updates information and analyses 
contained in the Narrows Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DES 98-10) published in March 1998 and discloses the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative effects of the proposed action and alternative actions 
for water development in northern Sanpete County, Utah. A Notice of 
Intent to prepare the Narrows Project SDEIS was published in the 
Federal Register on November 25, 2003 (68 FR 66123-66124). The SDEIS 
describes and analyzes the potential effects of three action 
alternatives and a no action alternative.
    The No Action Alternative represents the conditions of the affected 
area if Reclamation does not approve the Small Reclamation Projects Act 
loan or issue a right of use of Federal lands to SWCD for the Narrows 
Project. It establishes the baseline for evaluating the environmental 
impacts of SWCD providing a supplemental water supply to northern 
Sanpete County, Utah. The No Action Alternative also establishes 
anticipated conditions in the affected areas without further 
development and assumes that irrigation operations would continue 
according to historic use.
    The Proposed Action Alternative would provide northern Sanpete 
County an average annual supply of 4,281 acre-feet of supplemental 
irrigation water for 15,420 acres of presently irrigated farmland and 
855 acre-feet of water for municipal use. The project would include 
construction of the 17,000 acre-foot Narrows Dam and reservoir on 
Gooseberry Creek, pipelines to deliver the water to existing water 
distribution systems, rehabilitation of the existing 3,100-foot Narrows 
Tunnel, and relocation of 2.9 miles of State Road (SR) 264. The dam 
would be 120-feet high with a crest length of 550 feet and a crest 
width of 30 feet. The project would also provide recreation 
opportunities.
    The Mid-Sized Reservoir Alternative would be similar to the 
Proposed Action Alternative except that the reservoir capacity would be 
limited to 12,450 acre-feet. Of that amount, 9,950 acre-feet would be 
active capacity and 2,500 acre-feet would be inactive storage. The 110-
foot high dam, with a crest length of 475 feet and crest width of 30 
feet, would be in the same location as that for the Proposed Action 
Alternative. Other features of the project would be the same as those 
for the Proposed Action Alternative and would include the construction 
of pipelines, rehabilitation of the existing Narrows Tunnel, relocation 
of SR-264, and recreation opportunities.
    The Small Reservoir Alternative would be similar to the Proposed 
Action Alternative except that the reservoir capacity would be limited 
to 7,900 acre-feet. Of that amount, 5,400 acre-feet would be active 
capacity and 2,500 acre-feet would be inactive storage. The 100-foot 
high dam, with a crest length of 425

[[Page 15459]]

feet and crest width of 30 feet, would be in the same location as that 
for the Proposed Action Alternative. Other features of the project 
would be the same as those for the Proposed Action Alternative and 
would include the construction of pipelines, rehabilitation of the 
existing Narrows Tunnel, relocation of SR-264, and recreation 
opportunities.
    Copies of the SDEIS are available for public review and inspection 
at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
South State Street, Room 7418, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office, 302 East 1860 
South, Provo, Utah 84606-7317.
     Utah State Clearinghouse, Attention: Tenielle Young, 
Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, Utah State Capitol Complex, 
Suite E210, P.O. Box 142210, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2210.

Libraries

     Manti Public Library, 50 South Main Street, Manti, Utah 
84642.
     Price Public Library, 159 East Main Street, Price, Utah 
84501.
     Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt 
Lake City, Utah 84111.

Background

    The SWCD has applied to Reclamation for a Small Reclamation 
Projects Act loan to help finance construction of a reservoir and 
related facilities. The SWCD has also requested from Reclamation a 
right of use of Federal lands as the site for dam construction. 
Reclamation's release of this SDEIS does not imply either approval or 
denial of the Small Reclamation Projects Act loan application or the 
request for authorization to use withdrawn lands. If Reclamation 
approves the Small Reclamation Projects Act loan and right of use of 
Federal lands in accordance with Reclamation law, and Congress 
appropriates the necessary funds, a supplemental water supply would be 
developed for presently irrigated lands and M&I water users in northern 
Sanpete County, Utah. Most of the reservoir basin would be located on 
adjacent, privately-owned land. A dam and reservoir would be 
constructed on Gooseberry Creek and 5,400 acre-feet of water would be 
diverted annually through an existing tunnel and a proposed pipeline to 
Cottonwood Creek; the existing tunnel would be rehabilitated. Pipelines 
would be constructed to deliver the water to existing water 
distribution systems. Recreation facilities would be developed and a 
2,500-acre-foot minimum pool for fish habitat would be provided. The 
resulting water storage and delivery system would be a non-Federal 
project owned and operated by SWCD.
    Mitigation measures would be implemented to offset any identified 
adverse impacts. Additional water conservation measures would be 
implemented independent of the proposed action. To be eligible to 
receive water from the Narrows Project, water users would be required 
to use, or agree to implement, conservation measures.
    The Narrows Project, as defined in the SDEIS, is a non-Federal 
project that fulfills the intent of the larger Federal Gooseberry 
Project that was formulated more than 70 years ago, but never 
completed.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The loan application and request for a right of use of Federal 
lands by SWCD to build the Narrows Project is intended to meet the 
purpose of developing an irrigation and M&I supply source for water 
users in northern Sanpete County, Utah. The needs that would be met by 
the proposed Narrows Project include meeting present and future demand 
for municipal water, providing an adequate supply of late season 
irrigation water, and rehabilitating the Narrows Tunnel in Sanpete 
County to maintain and enhance its dependability and capability to 
deliver water to Sanpete County users.

Proposed Federal Action

    The proposed Federal action is Reclamation's required determination 
as to whether to recommend approval of SWCD's requested loan pursuant 
to the Small Reclamation Projects Act, as well as approval for a right 
of use of Federal lands to build and operate the proposed Narrows 
Project. Because issuance of a loan and authorization of a right of use 
of Federal lands would facilitate construction and operation of the 
Narrows Project, the SDEIS analyzes the effects of that proposed 
project and alternatives.
    Hearing Process Information: The purpose of the public hearings is 
for Reclamation to receive oral and written comments from the public. 
Comments received at the public hearings will not be addressed during 
the public hearings. Oral comments presented at the hearings will be 
limited to five minutes. The hearing officer may allow any speaker to 
provide additional oral comments after all persons wishing to comment 
have been heard. All comments will be formally recorded. Speakers will 
sign up at the door as they arrive. Speakers not present when called 
will lose their privilege in the scheduled order and will be recalled 
at the end of the scheduled speakers. Speakers are encouraged to 
provide written versions of their oral comments, and any other 
additional written materials, for the hearing/administrative record.
    Written comments should be received by Reclamation's Provo Area 
Office using the contact information in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice no later than Tuesday, June 1, 2010, for inclusion in the 
hearing/administrative record. Under the NEPA process, written and oral 
comments, received by the due date, are given the same consideration.

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: February 11, 2010.
Brent Rhees,
Assistant Regional Director--UC Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-6592 Filed 3-26-10; 8:45 am]
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