Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities and Fish Reintroduction Project; Kittitas County, WA, 20707 [2011-8862]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Reclamation

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 20707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8862]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[INT-FES 11-02]


Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities and Fish Reintroduction 
Project; Kittitas County, WA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities and Fish 
Reintroduction Project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is notifying the 
public that it has prepared an FEIS on the proposed Cle Elum Dam Fish 
Passage Facilities and Fish Reintroduction Project. The Washington 
State Department of Ecology is a joint lead with Reclamation in the 
preparation of the FEIS, in coordination with the Washington Department 
of Fish and Wildlife and the Yakama Nation. The Bonneville Power 
Administration has assumed the role of a cooperating agency. The FEIS 
will also be used to comply with requirements of the Washington State 
Environmental Policy Act.
    Reclamation published a Draft EIS in the Federal Register on 
February 3, 2010 (75 FR 562622) with a public comment period ending on 
March 22, 2010. Revisions were made in the FEIS to incorporate 
responses to comments. The FEIS also identifies Alternative 3, Right 
Bank Juvenile Passage with Right Bank Adult Passage without Barrier Dam 
as the preferred alternative.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 30 days after filing of the FEIS with the Environmental 
Protection Agency. After the 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will 
complete a Record of Decision. The Record of Decision will identify the 
selected action for implementation and will discuss factors and 
rationale used in making the decision.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 
attention: Candace McKinley, Environmental Program Manager, 1917 Marsh 
Road, Yakima, Washington 98901.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Candace McKinley, Environmental 
Program Manager, Telephone (509) 575-5848, ext. 276, fax: (509) 454-
5650. The FEIS and other information on this project can be found at 
https://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ucao_misc/fishpassage/. To receive a 
hard copy or compact disc of the FEIS refer to the above contact.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 
Reclamation is evaluating the construction of downstream juvenile fish 
passage and upstream adult fish passage alternatives at the dam for the 
Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities Project. Cle Elum Dam did not 
include fish passage facilities when constructed in 1933; consequently, 
fish passage to upstream habitat for fish species was blocked.
    As part of the effort to restore fish above Cle Elum Dam, the 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in collaboration with the 
Yakama Nation, is evaluating the implementation of a project to 
reintroduce fish populations above the dam. The reintroduction plan 
would involve the transportation and release of adults for natural 
spawning and potentially hatchery supplementation techniques to restore 
fish above the dam.
    Early in 2001, Yakima River basin interest groups urged Reclamation 
to incorporate fish passage facilities as part of the reconstruction of 
Keechelus Dam under the Safety of Dams program. Reclamation determined 
that fish passage facilities could not be added under existing Safety 
of Dams authority. However, in the January 2002 Record of Decision for 
Keechelus Dam Modification EIS, Reclamation committed to seek funding 
under existing authorities to conduct a feasibility study for providing 
fish passage at all Yakima Project storage dams. Additionally, 
Reclamation agreed to mitigation agreement terms and Hydraulic Project 
Approval conditions with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to 
investigate fish passage feasibility. In 2003, Reclamation prevailed in 
a suit filed by the Yakama Nation concerning the NEPA and Endangered 
Species Act compliance for the Keechelus Safety of Dams project. The 
Yakama Nation then appealed that decision to the 9th Circuit Court of 
Appeals. In 2006, Reclamation and the Yakama Nation entered into a 
settlement agreement to resolve litigation in which the parties agreed 
to collaborate to prepare technical plans and a planning report for 
fish passage at Cle Elum and Bumping Lake Dams. This FEIS is part of 
the agreed-upon planning process for Cle Elum Dam only. An EIS for 
Bumping Lake fish passage will be prepared separately at a future time.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in any correspondence, you 
should be aware that your entire correspondence--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your correspondence to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public view, we cannot guarantee 
that we will be able to do so.

    Dated: January 5, 2011.
Karl E. Wirkus,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-8862 Filed 4-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P