Intent To Prepare Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Allatoona Lake Water Supply Storage Reallocation Study and Updates to Weiss and Logan Martin Reservoir Project Water Control Manuals in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin, 18829-18830 [2018-09031]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2018 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2018–09009 Filed 4–27–18; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of
Engineers
Intent To Prepare Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Allatoona Lake Water Supply
Storage Reallocation Study and
Updates to Weiss and Logan Martin
Reservoir Project Water Control
Manuals in the Alabama-CoosaTallapoosa River Basin
AGENCY:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
DoD.
ACTION:
Notice of intent.
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), Mobile District,
intends to prepare a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
to evaluate potential changes to the
Water Control Manuals (WCMs) for
three reservoirs in the Alabama-CoosaTallapoosa (ACT) River Basin and to the
Master WCM for the ACT River Basin.
The USACE intends to conduct a water
supply storage reallocation study to
evaluate a March 30, 2018 request by
Georgia and Cobb County-Marietta
Water Authority (CCMWA) for
increased water supply usage at
Allatoona Lake and changed storage
accounting methodology. The Draft SEIS
will be prepared as an integrated
document with the reallocation study.
The reallocation study with the
integrated Draft SEIS will address the
water supply storage request and
updated operating criteria and
guidelines for managing the water
storage and release actions of Federal
water managers and will evaluate the
associated environmental impacts of the
proposed federal action, pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA). The USACE also intends to
update the WCMs for the Alabama
Power Company’s Weiss and Logan
Martin Reservoirs in the ACT River
Basin.
ADDRESSES: Environment and Resources
Branch, Planning and Environmental
Division, U.S. Army Engineer DistrictMobile, Post Office Box 2288, Mobile,
AL 36628–0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions about the NEPA process
should be directed to: Mr. Mike
Malsom, Inland Environment Team,
Environment and Resources Branch,
Planning and Environmental Division,
U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile,
Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL
36628–0001; Telephone (251) 690–2023;
delivered by electronic facsimile at
(251) 694–3815; or by electronic mail:
ACT-ACR@usace.army.mil. You may
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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18829
also request to be included on the
mailing list for public distribution of
notices, meeting announcements and
documents.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background. Eighteen major dams (six
Federal and twelve non-Federal), which
form sixteen reservoirs, are located in
the ACT River Basin. The ACT River
Basin provides water resources for
multiple purposes from northwestern
Georgia down through central Alabama
and to the Gulf Coast at the mouth of
Mobile Bay, extending a distance of
approximately 320 miles and
encompassing an area of approximately
22,800 square miles. Pursuant to Section
7 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, the
USACE prescribes regulations for the
operation of its projects in the ACT
River Basin for their authorized
purposes, and for the non-federal
projects that contain storage for the
purposes of navigation or flood control
(flood risk management), through water
control plans and manuals.
In May 2015, the USACE completed a
long-term effort to update the Master
WCM for the ACT River Basin,
including updated WCMs for all five
USACE projects (Allatoona Dam and
Lake, Carters Dam and Lake, Robert F.
Henry Lock and Dam, Millers Ferry
Lock and Dam and Claiborne Lock and
Dam) and two of four Alabama Power
Company (APC) projects with
navigation or flood control storage (H.
Neely Henry Dam and Lake and R.L.
Harris Dam and Lake). WCMs for the
other two APC projects with navigation
and flood control storage, Logan Martin
Dam and Lake (Reservoir) and Weiss
Dam and Lake (Reservoir), were not
updated at that time. A pending request
by the State of Georgia for additional
water supply storage and changes to
storage accounting practices at
Allatoona Lake was also not included
within the scope of the 2015 WCM
update and EIS.
In January 2018, the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of
Georgia issued a judgment in Georgia et
al. v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, No.
14-cv-03593 (Jan. 9, 2018), holding that
the USACE had unreasonably delayed
action on Georgia’s water supply
request, and directing the USACE to
take final action responding to that
request by March 1, 2021. Following
that court decision, the State of Georgia
and CCMWA submitted an updated
request to the USACE on March 30,
2018, and the USACE intends to
evaluate actions necessary to respond to
Georgia’s request, as well as one or more
reasonable alternatives, in the proposed
SEIS.
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18830
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2018 / Notices
The USACE did not include updates
to the WCMs for the Weiss and Logan
Martin Reservoirs in the 2015 ACT
River Basin Master WCM because
further study of flood risk management
issues at both projects was required. The
USACE intends to update the WCMs for
two APC reservoir projects in the ACT
River Basin, including evaluation of
APC’s proposal to raise the winter level
for recreation and at the same time to
lower the upper limit of the induced
surcharge operation at the Weiss Dam
and Lake (Reservoir) and the Logan
Martin Dam and Lake (Reservoir). These
projects will be evaluated for flood
impacts. Current Water Control Plans
for the Weiss and Logan Martin
Reservoirs, originally issued in the
1960s, contain surcharge curves with
elevations higher than the respective
flood easements acquired by APC. The
easement at the Weiss Reservoir is 572
feet mean sea level (msl) and the
surcharge curve indicates flood control
storage to 574 feet msl. At the Logan
Martin Reservoir, the easement
elevation is 473.5 feet msl and the
surcharge curve indicates flood control
storage to 477 feet msl. Due to the flood
risk management operational
responsibilities of the USACE, the APC
proposals would be evaluated along
with other alternatives in the FR/SEIS
and those manuals may be updated.
Because the USACE is simultaneously
considering proposals to modify
operations and update WCMs at three
different ACT River Basin projects, the
USACE intends to evaluate the effects of
these proposals through a single EIS,
which would supplement the Final EIS
for the ACT River Basin completed in
May 2015. As part of this analysis, the
USACE will consider the effects of the
proposed changes on operations of the
ACT system of projects for all purposes,
and would revise the ACT Master WCM
to incorporate the updated Allatoona
Lake, Weiss Reservoir, and Logan
Martin Reservoir WCMs and to reflect
changes, if any, in overall system
operations.
WCMs are guidance documents that
assist Federal water managers in the
operation of individual and multiple
interdependent Federal reservoirs on
the same river system. The manuals
provide technical, historical,
hydrological, geographic, demographic,
policy and other information that guide
the proper management of reservoirs
during times of high water, low water,
and normal conditions. The manuals
also contain drought plans and zones to
assist Federal water managers in
knowing when to reduce or increase
reservoir releases, and how to ensure
the safety of dams during extreme
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:01 Apr 27, 2018
Jkt 244001
conditions. The authority and guidance
for the USACE to prepare and update
these manuals may be found, inter alia,
in Section 7 of the 1944 Flood Control
Act, the Federal Power Act, Section 9 of
Public Law 436–83, and the following
USACE Engineering Regulations (ER):
ER 1110–2–240, ER 1110–2–241, ER
1110–2–1941 and ER 1110–2–8156.
The evaluations of the proposed water
supply storage reallocation at the
Allatoona Lake and the flood impacts at
several APC projects in the Coosa Basin
may require updates to the current
WCMs. The updated WCMs would be
provided as appendices to the SEIS.
Public participation throughout the
water supply storage reallocation and
flood pool evaluation process is
essential. The USACE invites full public
participation at all stages to promote
open communication and better
decision making. All persons,
stakeholders, and organizations that
have an interest in water-related
resources in the ACT Basin, including
minority, low-income, disadvantaged
and Native American groups, are urged
to participate in this NEPA analysis
process. Assistance will be provided
upon request to anyone having
difficulty understanding how to
participate. Dates and locations for
public scoping meetings will be
announced by future publication in the
Federal Register and in the local news
media. Tentative dates for publication of
the Draft SEIS and other opportunities
for public involvement will also be
announced at that time. Public
comments are welcomed at any time
throughout the NEPA process.
Cooperating Agencies. The lead
responsibility for this action rests with
the USACE. USACE intends to
coordinate and/or consult with an
interagency team of Federal and State
agencies during scoping and preparation
of the FR/SEIS. A decision will be made
during the scoping process whether
other agencies will serve in an official
role as cooperating agencies.
Scoping. The 2015 ACT WCM update
involved the States (Alabama and
Georgia), stakeholders, and the public,
in identifying areas of concern;
collecting and developing water
resources, environmental, and
socioeconomic data; and developing
tools to assist in decisions affecting
water resources within the Basin.
Scoping for this SEIS will continue to
build upon the knowledge and
information developed during the
previous EIS process. Scoping meetings
with agencies and stakeholder groups
will be scheduled to identify any
significant issues and data gaps, focus
on the alternatives to be evaluated, and
PO 00000
Frm 00056
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
to identify any appropriate updated
tools to assist in the evaluation of
alternatives and analysis of impacts.
Curtis M. Flakes,
Chief, Planning and Environmental Division.
[FR Doc. 2018–09031 Filed 4–27–18; 8:45 am]
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Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
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these submissions available for public
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received without change, including any
personal identifiers or contact
information.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\30APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 83 (Monday, April 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18829-18830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09031]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Allatoona Lake Water Supply Storage Reallocation
Study and Updates to Weiss and Logan Martin Reservoir Project Water
Control Manuals in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mobile District,
intends to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)
to evaluate potential changes to the Water Control Manuals (WCMs) for
three reservoirs in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin and
to the Master WCM for the ACT River Basin. The USACE intends to conduct
a water supply storage reallocation study to evaluate a March 30, 2018
request by Georgia and Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) for
increased water supply usage at Allatoona Lake and changed storage
accounting methodology. The Draft SEIS will be prepared as an
integrated document with the reallocation study. The reallocation study
with the integrated Draft SEIS will address the water supply storage
request and updated operating criteria and guidelines for managing the
water storage and release actions of Federal water managers and will
evaluate the associated environmental impacts of the proposed federal
action, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
USACE also intends to update the WCMs for the Alabama Power Company's
Weiss and Logan Martin Reservoirs in the ACT River Basin.
ADDRESSES: Environment and Resources Branch, Planning and Environmental
Division, U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288,
Mobile, AL 36628-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the NEPA process
should be directed to: Mr. Mike Malsom, Inland Environment Team,
Environment and Resources Branch, Planning and Environmental Division,
U.S. Army Engineer District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL
36628-0001; Telephone (251) 690-2023; delivered by electronic facsimile
at (251) 694-3815; or by electronic mail: [email protected]. You
may also request to be included on the mailing list for public
distribution of notices, meeting announcements and documents.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background. Eighteen major dams (six Federal and twelve non-
Federal), which form sixteen reservoirs, are located in the ACT River
Basin. The ACT River Basin provides water resources for multiple
purposes from northwestern Georgia down through central Alabama and to
the Gulf Coast at the mouth of Mobile Bay, extending a distance of
approximately 320 miles and encompassing an area of approximately
22,800 square miles. Pursuant to Section 7 of the Flood Control Act of
1944, the USACE prescribes regulations for the operation of its
projects in the ACT River Basin for their authorized purposes, and for
the non-federal projects that contain storage for the purposes of
navigation or flood control (flood risk management), through water
control plans and manuals.
In May 2015, the USACE completed a long-term effort to update the
Master WCM for the ACT River Basin, including updated WCMs for all five
USACE projects (Allatoona Dam and Lake, Carters Dam and Lake, Robert F.
Henry Lock and Dam, Millers Ferry Lock and Dam and Claiborne Lock and
Dam) and two of four Alabama Power Company (APC) projects with
navigation or flood control storage (H. Neely Henry Dam and Lake and
R.L. Harris Dam and Lake). WCMs for the other two APC projects with
navigation and flood control storage, Logan Martin Dam and Lake
(Reservoir) and Weiss Dam and Lake (Reservoir), were not updated at
that time. A pending request by the State of Georgia for additional
water supply storage and changes to storage accounting practices at
Allatoona Lake was also not included within the scope of the 2015 WCM
update and EIS.
In January 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District
of Georgia issued a judgment in Georgia et al. v. U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, No. 14-cv-03593 (Jan. 9, 2018), holding that the USACE had
unreasonably delayed action on Georgia's water supply request, and
directing the USACE to take final action responding to that request by
March 1, 2021. Following that court decision, the State of Georgia and
CCMWA submitted an updated request to the USACE on March 30, 2018, and
the USACE intends to evaluate actions necessary to respond to Georgia's
request, as well as one or more reasonable alternatives, in the
proposed SEIS.
[[Page 18830]]
The USACE did not include updates to the WCMs for the Weiss and
Logan Martin Reservoirs in the 2015 ACT River Basin Master WCM because
further study of flood risk management issues at both projects was
required. The USACE intends to update the WCMs for two APC reservoir
projects in the ACT River Basin, including evaluation of APC's proposal
to raise the winter level for recreation and at the same time to lower
the upper limit of the induced surcharge operation at the Weiss Dam and
Lake (Reservoir) and the Logan Martin Dam and Lake (Reservoir). These
projects will be evaluated for flood impacts. Current Water Control
Plans for the Weiss and Logan Martin Reservoirs, originally issued in
the 1960s, contain surcharge curves with elevations higher than the
respective flood easements acquired by APC. The easement at the Weiss
Reservoir is 572 feet mean sea level (msl) and the surcharge curve
indicates flood control storage to 574 feet msl. At the Logan Martin
Reservoir, the easement elevation is 473.5 feet msl and the surcharge
curve indicates flood control storage to 477 feet msl. Due to the flood
risk management operational responsibilities of the USACE, the APC
proposals would be evaluated along with other alternatives in the FR/
SEIS and those manuals may be updated.
Because the USACE is simultaneously considering proposals to modify
operations and update WCMs at three different ACT River Basin projects,
the USACE intends to evaluate the effects of these proposals through a
single EIS, which would supplement the Final EIS for the ACT River
Basin completed in May 2015. As part of this analysis, the USACE will
consider the effects of the proposed changes on operations of the ACT
system of projects for all purposes, and would revise the ACT Master
WCM to incorporate the updated Allatoona Lake, Weiss Reservoir, and
Logan Martin Reservoir WCMs and to reflect changes, if any, in overall
system operations.
WCMs are guidance documents that assist Federal water managers in
the operation of individual and multiple interdependent Federal
reservoirs on the same river system. The manuals provide technical,
historical, hydrological, geographic, demographic, policy and other
information that guide the proper management of reservoirs during times
of high water, low water, and normal conditions. The manuals also
contain drought plans and zones to assist Federal water managers in
knowing when to reduce or increase reservoir releases, and how to
ensure the safety of dams during extreme conditions. The authority and
guidance for the USACE to prepare and update these manuals may be
found, inter alia, in Section 7 of the 1944 Flood Control Act, the
Federal Power Act, Section 9 of Public Law 436-83, and the following
USACE Engineering Regulations (ER): ER 1110-2-240, ER 1110-2-241, ER
1110-2-1941 and ER 1110-2-8156.
The evaluations of the proposed water supply storage reallocation
at the Allatoona Lake and the flood impacts at several APC projects in
the Coosa Basin may require updates to the current WCMs. The updated
WCMs would be provided as appendices to the SEIS.
Public participation throughout the water supply storage
reallocation and flood pool evaluation process is essential. The USACE
invites full public participation at all stages to promote open
communication and better decision making. All persons, stakeholders,
and organizations that have an interest in water-related resources in
the ACT Basin, including minority, low-income, disadvantaged and Native
American groups, are urged to participate in this NEPA analysis
process. Assistance will be provided upon request to anyone having
difficulty understanding how to participate. Dates and locations for
public scoping meetings will be announced by future publication in the
Federal Register and in the local news media. Tentative dates for
publication of the Draft SEIS and other opportunities for public
involvement will also be announced at that time. Public comments are
welcomed at any time throughout the NEPA process.
Cooperating Agencies. The lead responsibility for this action rests
with the USACE. USACE intends to coordinate and/or consult with an
interagency team of Federal and State agencies during scoping and
preparation of the FR/SEIS. A decision will be made during the scoping
process whether other agencies will serve in an official role as
cooperating agencies.
Scoping. The 2015 ACT WCM update involved the States (Alabama and
Georgia), stakeholders, and the public, in identifying areas of
concern; collecting and developing water resources, environmental, and
socioeconomic data; and developing tools to assist in decisions
affecting water resources within the Basin. Scoping for this SEIS will
continue to build upon the knowledge and information developed during
the previous EIS process. Scoping meetings with agencies and
stakeholder groups will be scheduled to identify any significant issues
and data gaps, focus on the alternatives to be evaluated, and to
identify any appropriate updated tools to assist in the evaluation of
alternatives and analysis of impacts.
Curtis M. Flakes,
Chief, Planning and Environmental Division.
[FR Doc. 2018-09031 Filed 4-27-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P
