Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 1626-1628 [2018-00427]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2018 / Notices
of the meeting will be posted on the
website after the meeting.
for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water
System.
Registration To Attend the Meeting
DATES:
Attendees can register online before
the start of the meeting, or on site at the
registration desk. Registration details
will be announced on the task force
website at www.coralreef.gov.
Public Comments
Comments may address the meeting,
the role of the U.S. Coral Reef Task
Force, or general coral reef conservation
issues. Advance public comments
should be submitted by January 29,
2018. Copies of comments given at the
meeting can be submitted afterwards in
writing to Liza Johnson by email, fax, or
mail (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT) by March 30, 2018.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your 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.
Shawn Buckner,
Acting Director, Office of Policy Analysis, U.S.
Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2018–00398 Filed 1–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334–63–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[RR04310000, XXXR0680G1,
RA202240000019200]
Notice of Availability for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water
System, Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Office of the Assistant
Secretary—Water and Science, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
The Secretary of the Interior,
acting through the Bureau of
Reclamation, announces the availability
of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) for the proposed
Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System,
as authorized by the Aamodt Litigation
Settlement Act. The FEIS responds to
comments received on the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement during
the comment period that ended on
February 27, 2017, and identifies
Alternative E as the preferred alternative
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SUMMARY:
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The Department of the Interior
will complete a Record of Decision
identifying the actions that will be
implemented no sooner than 30 days
after publication of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s
Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register.
The FEIS is available for
viewing on the following websites:
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/
eis.html or www.pojoaquebasineis.com.
Compact disc copies may be obtained by
contacting Ms. Sarah Branum, Bureau of
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office,
555 Broadway NE, Suite 100,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102; or via
email to pojoaquebasineis@usbr.gov.
Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for additional
locations where the FEIS is available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Sarah Branum, Environmental Project
Manager, Bureau of Reclamation,
sbranum@usbr.gov, (505) 462–3591.
Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message
or question with the above-named
individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
prepared the FEIS in cooperation with
the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S.
Indian Health Service, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Pueblo de San Ildefonso,
´
Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Pojoaque,
Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico
Department of Transportation, Santa Fe
County, and the City of Santa Fe. The
FEIS has been updated according to
public comments received during the
45-day Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) public review period
(January 13–February 27, 2017) and
other project updates. A summary of
changes between the DEIS and FEIS is
included in Chapter 1 of the FEIS.
Background: The Pojoaque Basin
Regional Water System (RWS) is
described in and authorized by the
Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act (Title
VI of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010;
Public Law 111–291, Title VI; 124 Stat.
3065) (‘‘Settlement Act’’). The
Settlement Act authorizes and ratifies
the Aamodt Litigation Settlement
Agreement (Settlement Agreement),
dated January 19, 2006, as conformed to
ADDRESSES:
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Sfmt 4703
the Settlement Act and amendments.
The settlement parties are the United
States; the State of New Mexico; Santa
Fe County; City of Santa Fe; Pueblo de
´
San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo
of Pojoaque, Pueblo of Tesuque
(Settlement Pueblos); and other
individuals. The Settlement Agreement
resolves the water rights claims of the
Settlement Pueblos.
Among other provisions, the RWS and
2,220 acre-feet per year of new water
supply to the basin are included in the
Settlement Agreement in exchange for
the Pueblos agreeing to reduce their
claims to water within the basin and to
limit their priority calls against existing
non-Pueblo water users. The Settlement
Agreement also addresses funding for
other water-related projects on the
Settlement Pueblos.
Proposed Federal Action: The
Secretary of the Interior, through
Reclamation, proposes to plan, design,
and construct a regional water system in
accordance with the Settlement
Agreement, consisting of water
diversion from the Rio Grande and
water treatment facilities on the Pueblo
de San Ildefonso, along with storage
tanks and transmission and distribution
pipelines that are necessary to supply
up to 4,000 acre-feet of water annually
to customers in the Pojoaque Basin.
Purpose of and Need for the Proposed
Federal Action: The purpose of the
proposed action is to reliably provide a
firm, safe supply of treated drinking
water for distribution in the Pojoaque
Basin, in compliance with the
Settlement Act. The need for action is
to reduce reliance on groundwater in
the Pojoaque Basin and to allow the
Settlement Pueblos to receive a portion
of the water provided under the
Settlement Act. The proposed action
would also enable the Settlement
Pueblos to use funding made available
in the Settlement Act for certain waterrelated infrastructure improvements, if
requested. This funding can be
requested prior to substantial
completion of the RWS and, if approved
by the Secretary, used for water-related
improvements that would be more cost
effective when implemented in
conjunction with RWS construction
(Settlement Act, Section
615[d][7][A][ii]).
The FEIS Analyzes Five Alternatives:
The FEIS assesses the potential
environmental effects of five
alternatives for the RWS. These include
the No Action Alternative (Alternative
A), and four action alternatives
(Alternatives B, C, D, and E) that vary
in six main components or project
elements:
1. Firm, reliable water supply.
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2018 / Notices
2. Primary source water collection.
3. Water treatment.
4. Short-term storage.
5. Water transmission and
distribution system, including
pipelines, pumping plants, forebay
tanks, and other associated facilities.
6. Electrical power service.
Alternative A: The No Action
Alternative: The No Action Alternative
is the ‘‘no build’’ alternative. Under this
alternative, the RWS would not be
constructed, the Settlement Agreement
would be nullified, and Aamodt
litigation over water rights claims would
likely resume. A firm, reliable water
supply would not be provided to
residents of the Pojoaque Basin. Under
the No Action Alternative, the benefits
of the proposed RWS would not be
realized. Use of domestic wells would
continue to reduce groundwater and
surface water supplies in the Pojoaque
Basin. The Pueblos would continue to
rely on their existing separate water
systems, rather than integrating their
systems into one regional system.
Alternative B: Alternative B
incorporates the RWS facilities and
components described in a 2008
Engineering Report prepared by HKM
Engineering, Inc., as updated through
surveys and public input. The HKM
Engineering Report served as the
preliminary RWS concept for the
Settlement Act. Under this alternative,
the RWS would consist of these
components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply
would be provided by diverting surface
flows from the Rio Grande,
supplemented by operational planning
and scheduling of San Juan-Chama
Project water supplies, as well as one of
the following three backup aquifer
storage and recovery water supply
options:
• Three deep injection and recovery
wells for injecting raw or treated surface
water into an aquifer and recovering it
for use in the RWS; or
• Three shallow injection and
recovery wells for injecting raw or
treated surface water into an aquifer and
recovering it for use in the RWS; or
• Three shallow passive infiltration
reaches and recovery wells for
infiltrating raw surface water into an
aquifer and recovering it for use in the
RWS.
2. A side-channel surface diversion
structure and pumping plant with a
sediment removal and return system on
the east bank of the Rio Grande on
Pueblo de San Ildefonso lands, just
north of the Otowi Bridge.
3. A water treatment plant and
pumping plant on the Pueblo de San
Ildefonso on the south side of State
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Highway 502, approximately 0.75 mile
east of the Otowi Bridge.
4. Eleven new short-term storage
tanks in addition to 13 existing storage
tanks.
5. A water transmission and
distribution system including
approximately 194 miles of pipelines,
seven pumping plants, and pressurereducing and flow-control valves.
6. Approximately 15 miles of new
electrical distribution lines.
Alternative C: Under this alternative,
the RWS would consist of the following
major components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply
would be provided by collecting flows
from beneath and adjacent to the Rio
Grande (the hyporheic zone),
supplemented by operational planning
and scheduling of San Juan-Chama
Project water supplies.
2. A parallel river interceptor drain in
the alluvium to collect water from
below the water table in the bosque on
the east side of the Rio Grande north of
the Otowi Bridge.
3. A water treatment plant on the
eastern portion of the Pueblo de San
Ildefonso, on the east side of County
Road 101D, near the El Rancho power
substation.
4. Eleven new short-term storage
tanks in addition to 13 existing storage
tanks.
5. A water transmission and
distribution system including
approximately 189 miles of pipelines,
one surge tank, six pumping plants, and
pressure-reducing and flow-control
valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new
electrical distribution lines
supplemented by distributed solar
generation.
Alternative D: Under Alternative D,
the RWS would consist of the following
major components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply
would be provided by collecting flows
from the hyporheic zone of the Rio
Grande, supplemented by operational
planning and scheduling of San JuanChama Project water supplies.
2. An infiltration gallery (an estimated
180 horizontal drains to collect water
from below the water table) on the east
bank of the Rio Grande.
3. A water treatment plant on the
eastern portion of the Pueblo de San
Ildefonso, on the east side of County
Road 101D, near the El Rancho power
substation.
4. Sixteen new short-term storage
tanks in addition to 13 existing tanks.
5. A water transmission and
distribution system, including
approximately 187 miles of pipelines,
one surge tank, six pumping plants, and
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1627
pressure-reducing and flow-control
valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new
electrical distribution lines, with solarready facilities.
Alternative E: Preferred Alternative:
Under this alternative, the RWS would
consist of the following major
components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply
would be provided by collecting flows
from the hyporheic zone of the Rio
Grande and supplementing it with
operational planning and scheduling of
San Juan-Chama Project water supplies;
emergency use wells would allow water
to be withdrawn during emergencies
lasting longer than two days that cannot
be supplied by short-term storage tanks.
2. Four horizontal radial well
collectors to divert water from below the
water table on the east bank of the Rio
Grande.
3. A water treatment plant located on
the west side of County Road 101D,
north of State Highway 502.
4. Seven new short-term storage tanks,
in addition to 14 existing storage tanks.
5. A water transmission and
distribution system, including
approximately 151 miles of pipelines,
one surge tank, 6 pumping plants, and
pressure-reducing and flow-control
valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new
overhead and buried electrical
distribution lines, with solar-ready
facilities.
Connected Actions: The FEIS also
includes analyses of three connected
actions: (1) The Rio Pojoaque irrigation
improvement project, (2) the Pueblo de
San Ildefonso future projects which
consist of wastewater system
improvements and water distribution
infrastructure, and (3) the Rio Tesuque
channel modification project. Each of
the connected actions have been
analyzed in the FEIS to the extent that
the details of the projects have been
developed.
Copies of the FEIS: The FEIS may be
viewed at:
• Natural Resources Library, U.S.
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street
NW, Main Interior Building,
Washington, DC 20240–0001.
• Bureau of Reclamation, Upper
Colorado Region, Public Affairs Office,
125 South State Street, Room 8100, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84138.
• Bureau of Reclamation,
Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway
NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, New
Mexico 87102.
• Santa Fe County Pojoaque Satellite
Office, 5 West Gutierrez, Suite 9,
Pojoaque, New Mexico 87506 (in the
Pojoaque Pueblo Plaza).
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12JAN1
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2018 / Notices
• Santa Fe Public Library, 145
Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, New
Mexico 87501.
• New Mexico State Library, 1209
Camino Carlos Rey, Santa Fe, New
Mexico 87507.
• Santa Fe Community College
Library, 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa
Fe, New Mexico 87508.
Public Disclosure of Comments:
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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 may
ask us in your correspondence to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Dated: December 20, 2017.
Andrea Travnicek,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and
Science, Exercising the Authority of the
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.
[FR Doc. 2018–00427 Filed 1–11–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[17X.LLID957000.L14400000.BJ0000.24
1A.4500117485]
Filing of Plats of Survey: Idaho
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The plats of survey of the
following described lands are scheduled
to be officially filed in the Bureau of
Land Management, Idaho State Office,
Boise, Idaho, in 30 days from the date
of this publication.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
Boise Meridian, Idaho
T. 11 N., R. 17 E., Section 25, accepted
December 14, 2017
T. 13 N., R. 41 E., Sections 10, 11 and 12,
accepted December 14, 2017
T. 8 N., R. 22 E., Section 5, accepted
December 14, 2017
T. 20 N., R. 22 E., Section 6, accepted
December 14, 2017
T. 16 N., R. 43 E., Section 33, accepted
December 14, 2017
T. 7 N., R. 23 E., Section 3, accepted
December 14, 2017
T. 9 S., R. 40 E., Section 1, accepted
December 14, 2017
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Timothy A. Quincy, (208) 373–3981
Branch of Cadastral Survey, Bureau of
Land Management, 1387 South Vinnell
Way, Boise, Idaho 83709–1657. Persons
who use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact the above individual during
normal business hours. The FRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with Mr.
Quincy. You will receive a reply during
normal business hours.
A person
or party who wishes to protest one or
more plats of survey identified above
must file a written notice with the Chief
Cadastral Surveyor for Idaho, Bureau of
Land Management. The protest must
identify the plat(s) of survey that the
person or party wishes to protest and
contain all reasons and evidence in
support of the protest. The protest must
be filed before the scheduled date of
official filing for the plat(s) of survey
being protested. Any protest filed after
the scheduled date of official filing will
be untimely and will not be considered.
A protest is considered filed on the date
it is received by the Chief Cadastral
Surveyor for Idaho during regular
business hours; if received after regular
business hours, a protest will be
considered filed the next business day.
If a protest against a plat of survey is
received prior to the scheduled date of
official filing, the official filing of the
plat of survey identified in the protest
will be stayed pending consideration of
the protest. A plat of survey will not be
officially filed until the next business
day following dismissal or resolution of
all protests of the plat.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in a
protest, you should be aware that the
documents you submit, including your
personal identifying information, may
be made publicly available in their
entirety at any time. While you can ask
us to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Timothy A. Quincy,
Chief Cadastral Surveyor for Idaho.
[FR Doc. 2018–00459 Filed 1–11–18; 8:45 am]
A copy of the plats may be
obtained from the Public Room at the
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho
State Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise,
Idaho 83709, upon required payment.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
BILLING CODE 4310–AK–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR83570000, 189R5065C6,
RX.59389832.1009676; OMB Control
Number 1006–0028]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Recreation Visitor Use
Survey
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), are proposing to renew
an information collection with
revisions.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before March
13, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
by mail to Jerome Jackson, Bureau of
Reclamation, Office of Policy and
Administration, 84–57000, P.O. Box
25007, Denver, CO 80225–0007; or by
email to jljackson@usbr.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 1006–
0028 in the subject line of your
comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Jerome Jackson by
email at jljackson@usbr.gov, or by
telephone at (303) 445–2712.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the
general public and other Federal
agencies with an opportunity to
comment on new, proposed, or
continuing collections of information.
This helps us assess the impact of our
information collection requirements and
minimize the public’s reporting burden.
It also helps the public understand our
information collection requirements and
provide the requested data in the
desired format.
We are soliciting comments on the
proposed ICR that is described below.
We are especially interested in public
comment addressing the following
issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to
the proper functions of Reclamation; (2)
will this information be processed and
used in a timely manner; (3) is the
estimate of burden accurate; (4) how
might Reclamation enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (5) how might
Reclamation minimize the burden of
this collection on the respondents,
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1626-1628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00427]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[RR04310000, XXXR0680G1, RA202240000019200]
Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System, Santa Fe
County, New Mexico
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary--Water and Science, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of
Reclamation, announces the availability of the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Pojoaque Basin Regional Water
System, as authorized by the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act. The FEIS
responds to comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement during the comment period that ended on February 27, 2017,
and identifies Alternative E as the preferred alternative for the
Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System.
DATES: The Department of the Interior will complete a Record of
Decision identifying the actions that will be implemented no sooner
than 30 days after publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The FEIS is available for viewing on the following websites:
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/eis.html or www.pojoaquebasineis.com.
Compact disc copies may be obtained by contacting Ms. Sarah Branum,
Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE, Suite
100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102; or via email to
[email protected]. Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section for additional locations where the FEIS is available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sarah Branum, Environmental
Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, [email protected], (505) 462-
3591. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question
with the above-named individual. You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
prepared the FEIS in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Indian
Affairs, U.S. Indian Health Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Pueblo of
Namb[eacute], Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico
Department of Transportation, Santa Fe County, and the City of Santa
Fe. The FEIS has been updated according to public comments received
during the 45-day Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) public
review period (January 13-February 27, 2017) and other project updates.
A summary of changes between the DEIS and FEIS is included in Chapter 1
of the FEIS.
Background: The Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System (RWS) is
described in and authorized by the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act
(Title VI of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010; Public Law 111-291,
Title VI; 124 Stat. 3065) (``Settlement Act''). The Settlement Act
authorizes and ratifies the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Agreement
(Settlement Agreement), dated January 19, 2006, as conformed to the
Settlement Act and amendments. The settlement parties are the United
States; the State of New Mexico; Santa Fe County; City of Santa Fe;
Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Namb[eacute], Pueblo of Pojoaque,
Pueblo of Tesuque (Settlement Pueblos); and other individuals. The
Settlement Agreement resolves the water rights claims of the Settlement
Pueblos.
Among other provisions, the RWS and 2,220 acre-feet per year of new
water supply to the basin are included in the Settlement Agreement in
exchange for the Pueblos agreeing to reduce their claims to water
within the basin and to limit their priority calls against existing
non-Pueblo water users. The Settlement Agreement also addresses funding
for other water-related projects on the Settlement Pueblos.
Proposed Federal Action: The Secretary of the Interior, through
Reclamation, proposes to plan, design, and construct a regional water
system in accordance with the Settlement Agreement, consisting of water
diversion from the Rio Grande and water treatment facilities on the
Pueblo de San Ildefonso, along with storage tanks and transmission and
distribution pipelines that are necessary to supply up to 4,000 acre-
feet of water annually to customers in the Pojoaque Basin.
Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Federal Action: The purpose of
the proposed action is to reliably provide a firm, safe supply of
treated drinking water for distribution in the Pojoaque Basin, in
compliance with the Settlement Act. The need for action is to reduce
reliance on groundwater in the Pojoaque Basin and to allow the
Settlement Pueblos to receive a portion of the water provided under the
Settlement Act. The proposed action would also enable the Settlement
Pueblos to use funding made available in the Settlement Act for certain
water-related infrastructure improvements, if requested. This funding
can be requested prior to substantial completion of the RWS and, if
approved by the Secretary, used for water-related improvements that
would be more cost effective when implemented in conjunction with RWS
construction (Settlement Act, Section 615[d][7][A][ii]).
The FEIS Analyzes Five Alternatives: The FEIS assesses the
potential environmental effects of five alternatives for the RWS. These
include the No Action Alternative (Alternative A), and four action
alternatives (Alternatives B, C, D, and E) that vary in six main
components or project elements:
1. Firm, reliable water supply.
[[Page 1627]]
2. Primary source water collection.
3. Water treatment.
4. Short-term storage.
5. Water transmission and distribution system, including pipelines,
pumping plants, forebay tanks, and other associated facilities.
6. Electrical power service.
Alternative A: The No Action Alternative: The No Action Alternative
is the ``no build'' alternative. Under this alternative, the RWS would
not be constructed, the Settlement Agreement would be nullified, and
Aamodt litigation over water rights claims would likely resume. A firm,
reliable water supply would not be provided to residents of the
Pojoaque Basin. Under the No Action Alternative, the benefits of the
proposed RWS would not be realized. Use of domestic wells would
continue to reduce groundwater and surface water supplies in the
Pojoaque Basin. The Pueblos would continue to rely on their existing
separate water systems, rather than integrating their systems into one
regional system.
Alternative B: Alternative B incorporates the RWS facilities and
components described in a 2008 Engineering Report prepared by HKM
Engineering, Inc., as updated through surveys and public input. The HKM
Engineering Report served as the preliminary RWS concept for the
Settlement Act. Under this alternative, the RWS would consist of these
components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply would be provided by diverting
surface flows from the Rio Grande, supplemented by operational planning
and scheduling of San Juan-Chama Project water supplies, as well as one
of the following three backup aquifer storage and recovery water supply
options:
Three deep injection and recovery wells for injecting raw
or treated surface water into an aquifer and recovering it for use in
the RWS; or
Three shallow injection and recovery wells for injecting
raw or treated surface water into an aquifer and recovering it for use
in the RWS; or
Three shallow passive infiltration reaches and recovery
wells for infiltrating raw surface water into an aquifer and recovering
it for use in the RWS.
2. A side-channel surface diversion structure and pumping plant
with a sediment removal and return system on the east bank of the Rio
Grande on Pueblo de San Ildefonso lands, just north of the Otowi
Bridge.
3. A water treatment plant and pumping plant on the Pueblo de San
Ildefonso on the south side of State Highway 502, approximately 0.75
mile east of the Otowi Bridge.
4. Eleven new short-term storage tanks in addition to 13 existing
storage tanks.
5. A water transmission and distribution system including
approximately 194 miles of pipelines, seven pumping plants, and
pressure-reducing and flow-control valves.
6. Approximately 15 miles of new electrical distribution lines.
Alternative C: Under this alternative, the RWS would consist of the
following major components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply would be provided by collecting
flows from beneath and adjacent to the Rio Grande (the hyporheic zone),
supplemented by operational planning and scheduling of San Juan-Chama
Project water supplies.
2. A parallel river interceptor drain in the alluvium to collect
water from below the water table in the bosque on the east side of the
Rio Grande north of the Otowi Bridge.
3. A water treatment plant on the eastern portion of the Pueblo de
San Ildefonso, on the east side of County Road 101D, near the El Rancho
power substation.
4. Eleven new short-term storage tanks in addition to 13 existing
storage tanks.
5. A water transmission and distribution system including
approximately 189 miles of pipelines, one surge tank, six pumping
plants, and pressure-reducing and flow-control valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new electrical distribution lines
supplemented by distributed solar generation.
Alternative D: Under Alternative D, the RWS would consist of the
following major components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply would be provided by collecting
flows from the hyporheic zone of the Rio Grande, supplemented by
operational planning and scheduling of San Juan-Chama Project water
supplies.
2. An infiltration gallery (an estimated 180 horizontal drains to
collect water from below the water table) on the east bank of the Rio
Grande.
3. A water treatment plant on the eastern portion of the Pueblo de
San Ildefonso, on the east side of County Road 101D, near the El Rancho
power substation.
4. Sixteen new short-term storage tanks in addition to 13 existing
tanks.
5. A water transmission and distribution system, including
approximately 187 miles of pipelines, one surge tank, six pumping
plants, and pressure-reducing and flow-control valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new electrical distribution lines, with
solar-ready facilities.
Alternative E: Preferred Alternative: Under this alternative, the
RWS would consist of the following major components:
1. The firm, reliable water supply would be provided by collecting
flows from the hyporheic zone of the Rio Grande and supplementing it
with operational planning and scheduling of San Juan-Chama Project
water supplies; emergency use wells would allow water to be withdrawn
during emergencies lasting longer than two days that cannot be supplied
by short-term storage tanks.
2. Four horizontal radial well collectors to divert water from
below the water table on the east bank of the Rio Grande.
3. A water treatment plant located on the west side of County Road
101D, north of State Highway 502.
4. Seven new short-term storage tanks, in addition to 14 existing
storage tanks.
5. A water transmission and distribution system, including
approximately 151 miles of pipelines, one surge tank, 6 pumping plants,
and pressure-reducing and flow-control valves.
6. Approximately 7 miles of new overhead and buried electrical
distribution lines, with solar-ready facilities.
Connected Actions: The FEIS also includes analyses of three
connected actions: (1) The Rio Pojoaque irrigation improvement project,
(2) the Pueblo de San Ildefonso future projects which consist of
wastewater system improvements and water distribution infrastructure,
and (3) the Rio Tesuque channel modification project. Each of the
connected actions have been analyzed in the FEIS to the extent that the
details of the projects have been developed.
Copies of the FEIS: The FEIS may be viewed at:
Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the
Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Main Interior Building, Washington, DC
20240-0001.
Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Public
Affairs Office, 125 South State Street, Room 8100, Salt Lake City, Utah
84138.
Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555
Broadway NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
Santa Fe County Pojoaque Satellite Office, 5 West
Gutierrez, Suite 9, Pojoaque, New Mexico 87506 (in the Pojoaque Pueblo
Plaza).
[[Page 1628]]
Santa Fe Public Library, 145 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe,
New Mexico 87501.
New Mexico State Library, 1209 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa
Fe, New Mexico 87507.
Santa Fe Community College Library, 6401 Richards Avenue,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508.
Public Disclosure of Comments: Before including your address, phone
number, email 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 may ask us in your correspondence to
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Dated: December 20, 2017.
Andrea Travnicek,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Exercising the
Authority of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science.
[FR Doc. 2018-00427 Filed 1-11-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
