Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Benton, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties, WA, 71070-71072 [2011-29577]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 16, 2011 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
[INT–DES–11–58]
[LLWY–957400–12–L19100000–BJ0000–
LRCMK1G03341]
Filing of Plats of Survey, Nebraska
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION:
Notice.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) is scheduled to file
the plats of survey of the lands
described below thirty (30) calendar
days from the date of this publication in
the BLM Wyoming State Office,
Cheyenne, Wyoming.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bureau of Land Management, 5353
Yellowstone Road, P.O. Box 1828,
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003.
This
survey was executed at the request of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is
necessary for the management of these
lands. The lands surveyed are:
The plat and field notes representing
the dependent resurvey of portions of
the subdivisional lines, the subdivision
of certain sections, the adjusted 1928–29
meanders of the dry bed of old lake
(Tract 37) and the adjusted 1929
meanders of the right bank of the
Missouri River, and the corrective
dependent resurvey of a portion of the
original 1867 meanders of the right bank
of the Missouri river, and the survey of
the subdivision of certain sections, and
the meander of a portion of the present
right bank of the Missouri River,
fractional Township 25 North, Range 10
East, of the Sixth Principal Meridian,
Nebraska, Group No. 168, was accepted
November 3, 2011.
Copies of the preceding described plat
and field notes are available to the
public at a cost of $1.10 per page.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: November 9, 2011.
John P. Lee,
Chief Cadastral Surveyor, Division of Support
Services.
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Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for the Integrated
Water Resource Management Plan,
Yakima River Basin Water
Enhancement Project, Benton, Kittitas,
Klickitat, and Yakima Counties, WA
Jkt 226001
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
Notice of availability and public
meetings.
ACTION:
The Bureau of Reclamation,
in cooperation with the Washington
State Department of Ecology, the joint
lead agency, has prepared a draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for the Integrated Water
Resource Management Plan, Yakima
River Basin Water Enhancement Project.
The draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (DPEIS) is available
for public review and comment.
DATES: Submit written comments on the
draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement on or before January
3, 2012
Three public open house meetings
will be held on the following dates to
share information about the proposed
action:
• Monday, December 5, 2011, 1:30
p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m., Cle Elum, Washington.
• Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 1:30
p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m., Ellensburg, Washington.
• Wednesday, December 14, 2011,
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m.
to 7 p.m., Yakima, Washington.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
or requests for copies to Candace
McKinley, Environmental Program
Manager, Bureau of Reclamation,
Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917
Marsh Road, Yakima, WA 98901; or by
email to yrbwep@usbr.gov.
The draft Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement is also
available on the Bureau of
Reclamation’s Web site at https://
www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/yrbwep/
2011integratedplan/.
The public open house meetings will
be held at:
• Cle Elum—Cle Elum Ranger
District, Tom L. Craven Conference
Room, 803 W. Second Street.
• Ellensburg—Hal Holmes Center,
209 N. Ruby Street.
• Yakima—Yakima Area Arboretum,
1401 Arboretum Way.
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section for locations where copies of the
SUMMARY:
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draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement is available for public
review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Candace McKinley, (509) 575–5848, ext.
232; or email at CMckinley@usbr.gov.
TTY users may dial 711 to obtain a tollfree TTY relay.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 1979, Congress initiated the
Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement
Project (YRBWEP) in response to longstanding water resource problems in the
basin. The YRBWEP involves
developing a plan to achieve four
objectives: (1) Provide supplemental
water for presently irrigated lands; (2)
provide water for new lands within the
Yakama Indian Reservation; (3) provide
water for increased instream flows for
aquatic life; and (4) identify a
comprehensive approach for efficient
management of basin water supplies.
Initial efforts in the mid-1980s (Phase
1) focused on improving fish passage by
rebuilding fish ladders and constructing
fish screens at existing diversions. Phase
2 in the 1990s focused on water
conservation/water acquisition
activities, tributary fish screens, and
long-term management needs. Efforts
under these initial phases were
hindered by the ongoing uncertainties
associated with adjudication of the
basin surface waters that began in 1978.
With the adjudication process now
largely completed, most of the water
right uncertainties have been addressed.
In 2003, the Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) and the Washington State
Department of Ecology (Ecology)
initiated the Yakima River Basin Water
Storage Feasibility Study to examine
storage augmentation in the Yakima
River basin. This study emphasized
evaluation of a proposed Black Rock
Reservoir, which was the focus of the
Yakima River Basin Water Storage
Feasibility Study Draft Planning Report/
Environmental Impact Statement (PR/
EIS) issued in January 2008.
The narrow focus of the legislative
authorization in combination with
comments on the Draft PR/EIS
prompted Ecology to separate from the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) process. In mid-2008, Ecology
initiated a separate evaluation of the
Yakima basin’s water supply problems,
including consideration of habitat and
fish passage needs. Reclamation
continued the NEPA process consistent
with its legislative authorization and
issued the Yakima River Basin Water
Storage Feasibility Study Final PR/EIS
in December 2008. Following issuance
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of the Final PR/EIS, Reclamation
selected the No Action Alternative.
Ecology completed its study and issued
a separate Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) for the Yakima River
Basin Integrated Water Resource
Management Alternative in June 2009
under SEPA. The Integrated Water
Resource Management Alternative
evaluated in the Ecology FEIS relied
upon a range of water management and
habitat improvement approaches to
resolve the long-standing water resource
problems in the basin.
The DPEIS describes and analyzes the
potential effects of two alternatives.
Under the Action Alternative,
Reclamation and Ecology would
implement an Integrated Water
Resource Management Plan based on
the following elements:
1. Fish Passage (fish passage
improvements at Cle Elum, Bumping,
Clear Lake, Keechelus, Kachess, and
Tieton Dams);
2. Structural/Operational Changes
(Cle Elum Dam pool raise, Kittitas
Reclamation District canal
modifications, Keechelus to Kachess
pipeline, subordination of power
generation at Roza and Chandler Power
Plants and Wapatox canal
improvements.);
3. Surface Storage (new Wymer Dam
and Reservoir, Bumping Reservoir
enlargement, Kachess inactive storage);
4. Groundwater Storage (groundwater
infiltration prior to storage control and
aquifer storage and recovery);
5. Habitat protection and
enhancement (targeted watershed
protection and enhancements;
6. Enhanced Water Conservation
(agricultural water and municipal/
domestic conservation); and
7. Market-Based Reallocation of Water
Resources (institutional improvements
to facilitate market-based water
transfers).
Under the No Action Alternative,
Reclamation and Ecology would not
implement development of new surface
water storage in the Yakima River basin
or expansion of programs to protect or
enhance fish habitat, nor would
Reclamation and Ecology implement
structural and operational changes
enhanced water conservation, marketbased reallocation of water resources, or
groundwater storage.
Purpose and Need for Action
The current water resources
infrastructure of the Yakima River basin
has not been capable of consistently
meeting aquatic resource demands for
fish and wildlife habitat, dry-year
irrigation demands, and municipal
water supply demands. Specific needs
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17:45 Nov 15, 2011
Jkt 226001
that the Integrated Plan is proposed to
address include: Anadromous and
resident fish populations are seriously
depleted from historic levels due to the
following major factors:
• Dams and other obstructions block
fish passage to upstream tributaries and
spawning grounds;
• Riparian habitat and floodplain
functions have been degraded by past
and present land use practices; and
• Irrigation operations have altered
stream flows, resulting in flows at
certain times of the year that are too
high in some reaches and too low in
others to provide good fish habitat.
Demand for irrigation water
significantly exceeds supply in drought
years, leading to severe prorationing
(delivery of a reduced water supply) for
proratable, or junior, water rights
holders:
• A water supply of 70 percent of
proratable water rights during a drought
year would provide a minimally
acceptable supply to prevent severe
economic losses to farmers. This
number was reached following
extensive discussions with stakeholders
regarding the lowest level of water
supply that could be accommodated
without catastrophic losses to crops,
assuming aggressive water management
techniques were employed. This 70percent threshold is similar to the State
of Washington’s definition of a drought
condition contained in RCW
43.83B.400, which recognizes a drought
when water supply for a significant
portion of a geographic area falls below
75 percent of normal and is likely to
cause undue hardship for various water
uses and users.
Demand for municipal and domestic
water supplies is difficult to meet
because of the following factors:
• Water rights in the basin are fully
appropriated, making it difficult to
acquire water rights to meet future
municipal and domestic water demand;
• Pumping groundwater for irrigation
and municipal uses may reduce surface
water flows in some locations, which
may affect existing water rights; and
• Hydraulic continuity between
groundwater and surface water in the
basin creates uncertainty over the status
of groundwater rights and permit
exempt wells within the basin’s
appropriative water rights system (first
in time first in right), potentially making
groundwater use junior to nearly all
surface water use.
Climate change projections indicate
that there will be less runoff available
from reservoirs, increasing the need for
prorationing and reducing flows for fish.
These problems have created a need
to restore ecological functions in the
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Fmt 4703
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71071
Yakima River system and to provide
more reliable and sustainable water
resources for the health of the riverine
environment, and for agriculture and
municipal and domestic needs. These
needs should be addressed in a way that
anticipates increased water demands
and changes in water supply related to
climate change.
The purposes of the Integrated Plan
are to:
• Implement a comprehensive
program of water resource and habitat
improvements in response to existing
and forecast needs of the Yakima River
basin; and
• Develop an adaptive approach for
implementing these initiatives and for
long-term management of basin water
supplies that contributes to the vitality
of the regional economy and sustains
the health of the riverine environment.
Proposed Federal Action
Reclamation proposes to implement
an integrated water resource
management plan in the Yakima River
basin as part of the Yakima River Basin
Water Enhancement Project to improve
water supply reliability during drought
years to 70 percent of proratable supply
for participating irrigation districts;
improve the ability of water managers to
respond and adapt to potential effects of
climate change; provide opportunities
for comprehensive ecological restoration
and enhancement addressing instream
flows, aquatic habitat, and fish passage;
provide economic stimulus to the
Yakima River basin that will benefit the
larger Central Washington area; and
develop a comprehensive approach for
efficient management of water supplies
for irrigated agriculture, municipal and
domestic uses, and power generation.
Locations for Public Review
Copies of the DPEIS are available for
public review and inspection at the
following locations:
• Bureau of Reclamation, ColumbiaCascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road,
Yakima, Washington 98901.
• Washington State Department of
Ecology, 15 W. Yakima Avenue, Suite
200, Yakima, Washington 98902.
Libraries
• Carpenter Memorial Library, 302 N
Pennsylvania Ave, Cle Elum,
Washington 98922.
• Ellensburg Public Library, 209 N
Ruby St, Ellensburg, Washington 98926.
• Roslyn Public Library, 201 S. First
St, Roslyn, Washington 98941.
• Benton City Library, 810 Horne Dr,
Benton City, Washington 99320.
• Kennewick Library, 1620 S Union
St, Kennewick, Washington 99338.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 221 / Wednesday, November 16, 2011 / Notices
• Kittitas Public Library, 200 N Pierce
St, Kittitas, Washington 98934.
• Mid-Columbia Library, 405 S
Dayton St, Kennewick, Washington
99336.
• Pasco Library, 1320 W Hopkins St,
Pasco, Washington 99301.
• Prosser Library, 902 7th St, Prosser,
Washington 99350.
• Richland Public Library, 955
Northgate Dr, Richland, Washington
99352.
• Sunnyside Public Library, 621
Grant Ave, Sunnyside, Washington
98944.
• Toppenish Library, 1 S Elm St,
Toppenish, Washington 98948.
• Wapato Library, 119 E 3rd St,
Wapato, Washington 98951.
• Washington State Library, Point
Plaza East, 6880 Capitol Blvd. SE.,
Tumwater, Washington 98504.
• West Richland Library, 3803 W Van
Giesen St, Richland, Washington 99353.
• Yakama Nation Library, 100 SpielYi Loop, Toppenish, Washington 98948.
• Yakima Valley Regional Library,
102 N 3rd St, Yakima, Washington
98901.
Special Assistance for Public Meetings
If special assistance is required to
participate in the public meetings,
please contact Candace McKinley at
(509) 575–5848, ext. 232, or via email at
cmckinley@usbr.gov. Please notify Ms.
McKinley as far in advance as possible
to enable Reclamation to secure the
needed services. If a request cannot be
honored, the requestor will be notified.
TTY users may dial 711 to obtain a tollfree TTY relay.
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Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address,
phone number, email 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: November 7, 2011.
Karl E. Wirkus,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011–29577 Filed 11–15–11; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[OMB Number 1105–0071]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Extension With Change of a
Previously Approved Collection;
Comments Requested; National Drug
Threat Survey
ACTION:
30-Day notice.
The United States Department of
Justice (DOJ), National Drug Intelligence
Center (NDIC), will be submitting the
following information collection request
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed
information collection is published to
obtain comments from the public and
affected agencies. This proposed
information collection was previously
published in the Federal Register
Volume 76, Number 167, page 53696 on
August 29, 2011, allowing for a 60 day
comment period.
The purpose of this notice is to allow
for an additional 30 days for public
comment until December 16, 2011. This
process is conducted in accordance with
5 CFR 1320.10.
Written comments and/or suggestions
regarding the items contained in this
notice, especially the estimated public
burden and associated response time,
should be directed to the Office of
Management and Budget, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention Department of Justice Desk
Officer, Washington, DC 20503.
Additionally, comments may be
submitted to OMB via facsimile to (202)
395–5806. Written comments and
suggestions from the public and affected
agencies concerning the proposed
collection of information are
encouraged. Your comments should
address one or more of the following
four points:
—Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
—Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies
estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
—Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
—Minimize the burden of the collection
of information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
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mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Overview of This Information
Collection
(1) Type of Information Collection:
Extension Reinstatement with Change of
a Previously Approved Collection.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection:
National Drug Threat Survey.
(3) Agency form number, if any, and
the applicable component of the
Department of Justice sponsoring the
collection: Form Number: NDIC Form #
A–34l.
(4) Affected public who will be asked
or required to respond, as well as a brief
abstract: Primary: Federal, State, Tribal,
and Local, law enforcement agencies.
This survey is a critical component of
the National Drug Threat Assessment
and other reports and assessments
produced by the National Drug
Intelligence Center. It provides direct
access to detailed drug threat data from
state and local law enforcement
agencies.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
estimated for an average respondent to
respond: It is estimated that
approximately 3,000 respondents will
complete a survey response within
approximately 20 minutes.
(6) An estimate of the total public
burden (in hours) associated with the
collection: There are an estimated 1,000
total annual burden hours associated
with this collection.
If additional information is required
contact: Jerri Murray, Department
Clearance Officer, United States
Department of Justice, Justice
Management Division, Policy and
Planning Staff, Two Constitution
Square, 145 N Street NE., Room 2E–508,
Washington, DC 20530.
Jerri Murray,
Department Clearance Officer, PRA, U.S.
Department of Justice.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree
Under the Comprehensive
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Compensation, and Liability Act
Notice is hereby given that on
November 9, 2011, a proposed consent
decree with D&L Sales, Inc. (‘‘Consent
Decree’’) in United States vs. D&L Sales,
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71070-71072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29577]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[INT-DES-11-58]
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the
Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, Yakima River Basin Water
Enhancement Project, Benton, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties,
WA
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the Washington
State Department of Ecology, the joint lead agency, has prepared a
draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Integrated
Water Resource Management Plan, Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement
Project. The draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS)
is available for public review and comment.
DATES: Submit written comments on the draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement on or before January 3, 2012
Three public open house meetings will be held on the following
dates to share information about the proposed action:
Monday, December 5, 2011, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from
5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Cle Elum, Washington.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from
5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ellensburg, Washington.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Yakima, Washington.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments or requests for copies to Candace
McKinley, Environmental Program Manager, Bureau of Reclamation,
Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, WA 98901; or by
email to yrbwep@usbr.gov.
The draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is also
available on the Bureau of Reclamation's Web site at https://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/yrbwep/2011integratedplan/.
The public open house meetings will be held at:
Cle Elum--Cle Elum Ranger District, Tom L. Craven
Conference Room, 803 W. Second Street.
Ellensburg--Hal Holmes Center, 209 N. Ruby Street.
Yakima--Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Way.
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for locations where
copies of the draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is
available for public review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Candace McKinley, (509) 575-5848, ext.
232; or email at CMckinley@usbr.gov. TTY users may dial 711 to obtain a
toll-free TTY relay.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 1979, Congress initiated the Yakima River Basin Water
Enhancement Project (YRBWEP) in response to long-standing water
resource problems in the basin. The YRBWEP involves developing a plan
to achieve four objectives: (1) Provide supplemental water for
presently irrigated lands; (2) provide water for new lands within the
Yakama Indian Reservation; (3) provide water for increased instream
flows for aquatic life; and (4) identify a comprehensive approach for
efficient management of basin water supplies.
Initial efforts in the mid-1980s (Phase 1) focused on improving
fish passage by rebuilding fish ladders and constructing fish screens
at existing diversions. Phase 2 in the 1990s focused on water
conservation/water acquisition activities, tributary fish screens, and
long-term management needs. Efforts under these initial phases were
hindered by the ongoing uncertainties associated with adjudication of
the basin surface waters that began in 1978. With the adjudication
process now largely completed, most of the water right uncertainties
have been addressed.
In 2003, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Washington
State Department of Ecology (Ecology) initiated the Yakima River Basin
Water Storage Feasibility Study to examine storage augmentation in the
Yakima River basin. This study emphasized evaluation of a proposed
Black Rock Reservoir, which was the focus of the Yakima River Basin
Water Storage Feasibility Study Draft Planning Report/Environmental
Impact Statement (PR/EIS) issued in January 2008.
The narrow focus of the legislative authorization in combination
with comments on the Draft PR/EIS prompted Ecology to separate from the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. In mid-2008, Ecology
initiated a separate evaluation of the Yakima basin's water supply
problems, including consideration of habitat and fish passage needs.
Reclamation continued the NEPA process consistent with its legislative
authorization and issued the Yakima River Basin Water Storage
Feasibility Study Final PR/EIS in December 2008. Following issuance
[[Page 71071]]
of the Final PR/EIS, Reclamation selected the No Action Alternative.
Ecology completed its study and issued a separate Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water
Resource Management Alternative in June 2009 under SEPA. The Integrated
Water Resource Management Alternative evaluated in the Ecology FEIS
relied upon a range of water management and habitat improvement
approaches to resolve the long-standing water resource problems in the
basin.
The DPEIS describes and analyzes the potential effects of two
alternatives. Under the Action Alternative, Reclamation and Ecology
would implement an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan based on
the following elements:
1. Fish Passage (fish passage improvements at Cle Elum, Bumping,
Clear Lake, Keechelus, Kachess, and Tieton Dams);
2. Structural/Operational Changes (Cle Elum Dam pool raise,
Kittitas Reclamation District canal modifications, Keechelus to Kachess
pipeline, subordination of power generation at Roza and Chandler Power
Plants and Wapatox canal improvements.);
3. Surface Storage (new Wymer Dam and Reservoir, Bumping Reservoir
enlargement, Kachess inactive storage);
4. Groundwater Storage (groundwater infiltration prior to storage
control and aquifer storage and recovery);
5. Habitat protection and enhancement (targeted watershed
protection and enhancements;
6. Enhanced Water Conservation (agricultural water and municipal/
domestic conservation); and
7. Market-Based Reallocation of Water Resources (institutional
improvements to facilitate market-based water transfers).
Under the No Action Alternative, Reclamation and Ecology would not
implement development of new surface water storage in the Yakima River
basin or expansion of programs to protect or enhance fish habitat, nor
would Reclamation and Ecology implement structural and operational
changes enhanced water conservation, market-based reallocation of water
resources, or groundwater storage.
Purpose and Need for Action
The current water resources infrastructure of the Yakima River
basin has not been capable of consistently meeting aquatic resource
demands for fish and wildlife habitat, dry-year irrigation demands, and
municipal water supply demands. Specific needs that the Integrated Plan
is proposed to address include: Anadromous and resident fish
populations are seriously depleted from historic levels due to the
following major factors:
Dams and other obstructions block fish passage to upstream
tributaries and spawning grounds;
Riparian habitat and floodplain functions have been
degraded by past and present land use practices; and
Irrigation operations have altered stream flows, resulting
in flows at certain times of the year that are too high in some reaches
and too low in others to provide good fish habitat.
Demand for irrigation water significantly exceeds supply in drought
years, leading to severe prorationing (delivery of a reduced water
supply) for proratable, or junior, water rights holders:
A water supply of 70 percent of proratable water rights
during a drought year would provide a minimally acceptable supply to
prevent severe economic losses to farmers. This number was reached
following extensive discussions with stakeholders regarding the lowest
level of water supply that could be accommodated without catastrophic
losses to crops, assuming aggressive water management techniques were
employed. This 70-percent threshold is similar to the State of
Washington's definition of a drought condition contained in RCW
43.83B.400, which recognizes a drought when water supply for a
significant portion of a geographic area falls below 75 percent of
normal and is likely to cause undue hardship for various water uses and
users.
Demand for municipal and domestic water supplies is difficult to
meet because of the following factors:
Water rights in the basin are fully appropriated, making
it difficult to acquire water rights to meet future municipal and
domestic water demand;
Pumping groundwater for irrigation and municipal uses may
reduce surface water flows in some locations, which may affect existing
water rights; and
Hydraulic continuity between groundwater and surface water
in the basin creates uncertainty over the status of groundwater rights
and permit exempt wells within the basin's appropriative water rights
system (first in time first in right), potentially making groundwater
use junior to nearly all surface water use.
Climate change projections indicate that there will be less runoff
available from reservoirs, increasing the need for prorationing and
reducing flows for fish.
These problems have created a need to restore ecological functions
in the Yakima River system and to provide more reliable and sustainable
water resources for the health of the riverine environment, and for
agriculture and municipal and domestic needs. These needs should be
addressed in a way that anticipates increased water demands and changes
in water supply related to climate change.
The purposes of the Integrated Plan are to:
Implement a comprehensive program of water resource and
habitat improvements in response to existing and forecast needs of the
Yakima River basin; and
Develop an adaptive approach for implementing these
initiatives and for long-term management of basin water supplies that
contributes to the vitality of the regional economy and sustains the
health of the riverine environment.
Proposed Federal Action
Reclamation proposes to implement an integrated water resource
management plan in the Yakima River basin as part of the Yakima River
Basin Water Enhancement Project to improve water supply reliability
during drought years to 70 percent of proratable supply for
participating irrigation districts; improve the ability of water
managers to respond and adapt to potential effects of climate change;
provide opportunities for comprehensive ecological restoration and
enhancement addressing instream flows, aquatic habitat, and fish
passage; provide economic stimulus to the Yakima River basin that will
benefit the larger Central Washington area; and develop a comprehensive
approach for efficient management of water supplies for irrigated
agriculture, municipal and domestic uses, and power generation.
Locations for Public Review
Copies of the DPEIS are available for public review and inspection
at the following locations:
Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917
Marsh Road, Yakima, Washington 98901.
Washington State Department of Ecology, 15 W. Yakima
Avenue, Suite 200, Yakima, Washington 98902.
Libraries
Carpenter Memorial Library, 302 N Pennsylvania Ave, Cle
Elum, Washington 98922.
Ellensburg Public Library, 209 N Ruby St, Ellensburg,
Washington 98926.
Roslyn Public Library, 201 S. First St, Roslyn, Washington
98941.
Benton City Library, 810 Horne Dr, Benton City, Washington
99320.
Kennewick Library, 1620 S Union St, Kennewick, Washington
99338.
[[Page 71072]]
Kittitas Public Library, 200 N Pierce St, Kittitas,
Washington 98934.
Mid-Columbia Library, 405 S Dayton St, Kennewick,
Washington 99336.
Pasco Library, 1320 W Hopkins St, Pasco, Washington 99301.
Prosser Library, 902 7th St, Prosser, Washington 99350.
Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Dr, Richland,
Washington 99352.
Sunnyside Public Library, 621 Grant Ave, Sunnyside,
Washington 98944.
Toppenish Library, 1 S Elm St, Toppenish, Washington
98948.
Wapato Library, 119 E 3rd St, Wapato, Washington 98951.
Washington State Library, Point Plaza East, 6880 Capitol
Blvd. SE., Tumwater, Washington 98504.
West Richland Library, 3803 W Van Giesen St, Richland,
Washington 99353.
Yakama Nation Library, 100 Spiel-Yi Loop, Toppenish,
Washington 98948.
Yakima Valley Regional Library, 102 N 3rd St, Yakima,
Washington 98901.
Special Assistance for Public Meetings
If special assistance is required to participate in the public
meetings, please contact Candace McKinley at (509) 575-5848, ext. 232,
or via email at cmckinley@usbr.gov. Please notify Ms. McKinley as far
in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed
services. If a request cannot be honored, the requestor will be
notified. TTY users may dial 711 to obtain a toll-free TTY relay.
Public Disclosure
Before including your name, address, phone number, email 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: November 7, 2011.
Karl E. Wirkus,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-29577 Filed 11-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P
