Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Dam Safety Study, Lake Lewisville Dam, Elm Fork Trinity River, Denton County, Texas, 49735-49736 [2013-19813]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49735-49736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19813]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Dam 
Safety Study, Lake Lewisville Dam, Elm Fork Trinity River, Denton 
County, Texas

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Authorized by the River and Harbor Act of March 2, 1945, Lake 
Lewisville embankment construction began in December 1948 with 
completion in August 1955. The project includes an earthen embankment 
that is approximately 32,000 feet in length and has a maximum height of 
125 feet at elevation 560 feet (all elevations are NGVD) with gated 
outlet works and an uncontrolled concrete ogee weir spillway. The 
primary purposes of the project are flood risk management,

[[Page 49736]]

water supply, recreation and non-Federal hydropower. Top of 
conservation pool was originally set at elevation 515.
    Following construction of Ray Roberts Dam upstream, the 
conservation pool of Lewisville was raised from elevation 515 to 522 on 
November 30, 1988. At elevation 522, the lake inundates approximately 
29,600 surface acres. Top of flood pool is elevation 532 which 
inundates approximately 39,200 surface acres. Downstream of the dam, 
approximately 2,000 acres of Corps of Engineers (Corps) owned lands are 
currently leased by the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area. A 
former fish hatchery is also operated by the government for national 
research on controlling nuisance aquatic plants.
    The risk associated with the Lake Lewisville project was first 
evaluated in 2005 after the Corps instituted a Screening Portfolio Risk 
Assessment (SPRA) program to assess the risk of all 694 dams in the 
Corps' portfolio. The SPRA report completed in July 2005, was reviewed 
by Corps senior dam safety officials who concluded that the risks 
associated with the possible poor performance of the dam were above the 
Corps' tolerable risk guidelines. As a result, additional studies of 
the project were initiated. These studies are currently ongoing, and 
will evaluate appropriate ways to minimize risk associated with the 
project. While the Corps completes in-depth studies of the project to 
determine appropriate permanent methods for correcting potential 
problems, interim risk reduction measures have been implemented. In 
anticipation of possible permanent corrective actions at the project, 
and in order to fully comply with National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) requirements, the Corps is preparing a project report and a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to identify the 
environmental impacts associated with any alternatives to repair and 
reduce risks at the Lake Lewisville Dam. The general study area will be 
the Lake Lewisville proper and floodplain from Ray Roberts Dam 
downstream to Interstate Highway 20 in Dallas County.

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held on August 20, 2013 
beginning at 7:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Medical Center of 
Lewisville--Grand Theater Black Box Theater Room, 100 North Charles 
Street, Lewisville, TX 75057.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions pertaining to the proposed 
action and DEIS can be addressed to: Ms. Hollie Hunter, Environmental 
Project Manager, CESWF-PER-EE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth 
District, P.O. Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX 76102-0300, (817) 886-1849.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The study area lies within an area of rapid 
growth in the Lewisville, Grapevine, Dallas, Texas corridor along the 
Elm Fork and Mainstem floodways of the Trinity River.
    Alternatives will be developed and evaluated based on ongoing 
research and data collection and past studies conducted by the Corps. 
Preliminary alternatives considered will include dam modifications 
necessary to reduce risk to acceptable levels, and will include 
consideration of any required hydraulic, environmental or recreational 
mitigation.
    The public will be invited to participate in the scoping process, 
invited to attend public meetings, and given the opportunity to review 
the DEIS. The first public scoping meeting will be on (see DATES and 
ADDRESSES). Subsequent public meetings, if deemed necessary, will be 
announced in the local news media. Release of the DEIS for public 
comment is scheduled for September 2014. The exact release date, once 
established, will be announced through mailings to known interested 
individuals, agencies and officials and in the local news media.
    Future coordination with other agencies and public scoping will be 
conducted to ensure full and open participation and aid in the 
development of the DEIS. All affected Federal, state, and local 
agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties are hereby invited to participate. Continued 
coordination will also be conducted with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (USFWS). The USFWS will furnish information on threatened and 
endangered species in accordance with the Endangered Species Act. In 
addition, the USFWS will also be requested to provide support with 
planning aid and to provide a Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 
Report. The State Historic Preservation Office will be consulted as 
required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

    Dated: August 7, 2013.
Eric W. Verwers,
Chief, Planning, Environmental, and Regulatory Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-19813 Filed 8-14-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P