Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety Environmental Impact Statement in Lane County, Oregon, 19095-19096 [2018-09185]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 84 / Tuesday, May 1, 2018 / Notices
89502; BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553
South Main Street, Tonopah, Nevada
89049.
Information regarding the proposed
withdrawal will be available for public
review at the BLM’s Tonopah Field
Office, during regular business hours,
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personally
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personally identifying information—
may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask the BLM in
your comment to withhold your
personally identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
For a period until May 1, 2020,
subject to valid existing rights, the
public lands described in this Notice is
segregated, for up to two years, from all
forms of appropriation under the public
land laws, including the mining laws
and the mineral-leasing laws, unless the
application/proposal is denied or
canceled or the withdrawal is approved
prior to that date.
Licenses, permits, cooperative
agreements, or discretionary land use
authorizations may be allowed during
the period of segregation, but only with
the approval of the authorized officer
and, as appropriate, with the
concurrence of DOE.
Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1714(b)(1) and 43 CFR
2300
Michael J. Herder,
Acting State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2018–09180 Filed 4–30–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORN03000.L63100000.DB0000.
17XL1116AF.252Z.HAG 17–0170]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hult
Reservoir and Dam Safety
Environmental Impact Statement in
Lane County, Oregon
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
amozie on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Siuslaw Field Office, Northwest Oregon
District, intends to prepare the Hult
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:12 Apr 30, 2018
Jkt 244001
Reservoir and Dam Safety
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Through this Notice, the BLM is
announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues.
DATES: This Notice initiates the public
scoping process for the EIS. Comments
may be submitted in writing until May
31, 2018. The date(s) and location(s) of
any scoping meetings will be
announced at least 15 days in advance
through email and the ePlanning
website. In order to be included in the
Draft EIS, all comments must be
received prior to the close of the 30-day
scoping period or 15 days after the last
public meeting, whichever is later. The
BLM will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the EIS by any of the
following methods:
• Email: blm_or_no_
publiccomments_nepa@blm.gov; ATTN:
Panchita Paulete, Hult Dam and
Reservoir Safety EIS.
• Fax: 541–683–6981; ATTN:
Panchita Paulete, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
3106 Pierce Parkway, Suite E,
Springfield, OR 97477–7909.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Northwest
Oregon District’s Springfield
Interagency Office located at 3106
Pierce Parkway in Springfield, Oregon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Panchita Paulete, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator; 541–683–
6976; blm_or_no_publiccomments_
nepa@blm.gov Contact Ms. Paulete if
you wish to add your name to our
mailing list. 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 the
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hult
Reservoir is located within the Lake
Creek fifth-field watershed, near the
community of Horton, Oregon, within
the Siuslaw Field Office of the
Northwest Oregon District at Township
15S, Range 7W, Sections 23 and 26, in
Lane County, Oregon.
The Hult Reservoir is a 41-acre manmade lake, approximately a half-mile
long and less than a quarter-mile wide.
The reservoir’s depth ranges from
approximately 15 feet to 35 feet, and
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
19095
contains another 10 to 15 feet of soft,
silty sand. Below depths of 25 to 43 feet,
it is estimated that the foundation of the
reservoir consists of landslide deposits,
which generally include cobbles,
bounders, and large rock beds. The dam
is an earthen dam which consists of
loose rock placed on the downstream
face.
The dam and spillway at Hult
Reservoir were originally constructed in
1950 to create a holding pond for logs
by the Hult Timber Company. These
lands were transferred to the BLM in
1994. During severe winter weather, the
amount of rainfall in the catchment area
contributes substantially to the water
levels in the reservoir. The dam requires
constant monitoring and adjustment of
the outflow valve by BLM engineers to
avoid overwhelming the current water
level controls in place. Since the
transfer of ownership, costly
renovations to the dam (e.g., grouting,
reinforcement structures, and
monitoring devices) have been ongoing
to address structural and safety
concerns.
In July 2012, the BLM completed a
Comprehensive Dam Evaluation on the
dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir,
which found eleven potential failure
modes presenting unacceptable high
risks for dam failure, five of which
warrant expedited action to address.
These evaluations of the dam
infrastructure also identified that the
dam and spillway are currently at an
elevated cumulative risk posed by all
possible failure modes and associated
potential life loss. In 2016, the BLM
implemented improvements to the dam
infrastructure, which improved some
elements presenting cumulative risk.
However, there is still a need to address
the remaining cumulative safety risks
associated with the dam at Hult
Reservoir.
The purpose of this project is to
reduce the risk of infrastructure failure
at Hult Dam from excessive water and
sediment loading, within the scope of
what the BLM could reasonably fund
and within the scope of the BLM’s
jurisdiction.
The EIS will analyze a range of
alternatives to provide for a long-term
management approach. The EIS will
analyze a No Action alternative that
would analyze the continued
management and standard maintenance
of Hult Dam in the current conditions.
Some potential action alternatives
include:
• Improving the existing dam
infrastructure: This alternative would
retain all existing dam infrastructure,
but would implement patches,
reinforcements, or other additions
E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM
01MYN1
amozie on DSK30RV082PROD with NOTICES
19096
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 84 / Tuesday, May 1, 2018 / Notices
necessary to ensure the safety and
function of the structures.
• Removing the existing
infrastructure and rebuilding the dam:
This alternative would remove all
existing dam infrastructure and rebuild
the dam to necessary safety standards
and flow functionality.
• Removing the dam and draining the
reservoir: This alternative would
permanently remove existing dam
infrastructure to allow for permanent
draining of the reservoir.
Some of the anticipated concerns and
resources that may be affected for this
project include: Recreational
opportunities, socioeconomic values,
sediment routing, hydrologic flow
controls, fisheries, sensitive plants,
invasive and noxious weeds, cultural
resources, access routes, and
engineering design/safety. The BLM has
identified the following potential issues
to analyze in the EIS:
• How would the alternatives affect
the safety risks to visitors and local
communities from dam failure?
• How much would the alternatives
cost to implement?
• How would the alternatives affect
revenues of the local communities?
• How would the alternatives affect
Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed
fish passage?
• How would the alternatives affect
ESA-listed fish habitat, including water
temperature?
• How would the alternatives affect
downstream water quantity available for
consumptive water rights?
• How would the alternatives affect
the historic value of the dam?
• How would the alternatives affect
visitor recreation access and
opportunities?
• How would the alternatives affect
BLM-managed recreation sites?
• How would the alternatives affect
existing populations of Bureau sensitive
species plants?
• How would the alternatives affect
the introduction and spread of invasive
plants?
Access to lands to the north of Hult
Dam may be impacted during
implementation of some potential action
alternatives. The EIS will include
analysis of changes to access from
engineering design of the alternatives
and the effect on safety.
The BLM is conducting an evaluation
of the dam to determine if the structure
would qualify as a National Historic
Property.
Hult Dam has a fish ladder that does
not function for passing Oregon coastal
coho salmon. The non-functional fish
ladder at the dam site currently blocks
upstream fish passage to several miles of
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:12 Apr 30, 2018
Jkt 244001
designated Oregon coastal coho critical
habitat. Oregon coastal coho salmon are
listed as threatened under the ESA.
Two BLM sensitive aquatic plant
species are present at the northern end
of Hult Reservoir in a marsh: Bog
clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) and
humped bladderwort (Utricularia
gibba). The noxious weed parrots
feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
occurs in the reservoir, as does the nonnative invasive weed reed canarygrass
(Phalaris arundinacea). Herbicide use to
manage the spread of the noxious and
non-native invasive may be part of the
alternatives considered.
At this time, the reservoir upstream of
the dam is managed as the Hult
Reservoir Recreation Site Special
Recreation Management Area, which
offers opportunities for camping, day
use, swimming, fishing, and scenic
driving. There are no developed
campsites; however, two vault toilets
are available to the public.
In December 2016, the BLM brought
in a neutral third-party contractor to
conduct stakeholder assessments and
assist with facilitation of public
involvement for this project. In March
2017, the contractor conducted inperson interviews with sixteen
stakeholders, primarily in the town of
Horton, Oregon, and in Triangle Lake
community. Stakeholders represented
property owners near the Hult
Reservoir, local business owners,
Triangle Lake School staff members,
Siuslaw Watershed Council members,
and fishing interest groups. The BLM
will continue to use this neutral thirdparty contractor throughout the EIS
process to assist with public outreach
and engagement.
Federal, State, and local agencies,
along with Tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the proposed project that the
BLM is evaluating are invited to
participate in the scoping process and,
if eligible, may request or be requested
by the BLM to participate in the
development of the EIS as a cooperating
agency. The BLM will consult with The
Confederated Tribes of the Grand
Ronde; Confederated Tribes of the Coos,
Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians;
and Confederated Tribes of the Siletz
Indians during this analysis process.
Instructions for submitting a public
comment are provided under the
ADDRESSES section above, and are
provided on the BLM’s ePlanning page
for this EIS. Before including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comments, please
be aware that your entire comment—
including your personal identifying
PO 00000
Frm 00058
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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.
Jamie E. Connell,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 2018–09185 Filed 4–30–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–33–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0025391;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City
District, Kansas City, MO, and the
Nebraska State Historical Society,
Lincoln, NE
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Kansas City District (Kansas
City District), and the Nebraska State
Historical Society (NSHS) have
completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects,
in consultation with the appropriate
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations, and have determined that
there is a cultural affiliation between the
human remains and associated funerary
objects and present-day Indian Tribes or
Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal
descendants or representatives of any
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice
that wish to request transfer of control
of these human remains and associated
funerary objects should submit a written
request to the NSHS. If no additional
requestors come forward, transfer of
control of the human remains and
associated funerary objects to the lineal
descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native
Hawaiian organizations stated in this
notice may proceed.
DATES: Lineal descendants or
representatives of any Indian Tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization not
identified in this notice that wish to
request transfer of control of these
human remains and associated funerary
objects should submit a written request
with information in support of the
request to the NSHS at the address in
this notice by May 31, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Rob Bozell, Nebraska State
Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554,
Lincoln, NE 68501, telephone (402)
525–1624, email rob.bozell@
nebraska.gov.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\01MYN1.SGM
01MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19095-19096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09185]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORN03000.L63100000.DB0000.17XL1116AF.252Z.HAG 17-0170]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety
Environmental Impact Statement in Lane County, Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976,
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Siuslaw Field Office, Northwest
Oregon District, intends to prepare the Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Through this Notice, the BLM is
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues.
DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS.
Comments may be submitted in writing until May 31, 2018. The date(s)
and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15
days in advance through email and the ePlanning website. In order to be
included in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft
EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the EIS by any of the
following methods:
Email: [email protected]; ATTN:
Panchita Paulete, Hult Dam and Reservoir Safety EIS.
Fax: 541-683-6981; ATTN: Panchita Paulete, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 3106 Pierce Parkway,
Suite E, Springfield, OR 97477-7909.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the
Northwest Oregon District's Springfield Interagency Office located at
3106 Pierce Parkway in Springfield, Oregon.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Panchita Paulete, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator; 541-683-6976;
[email protected] Contact Ms. Paulete if you wish
to add your name to our mailing list. 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 the above individual. You
will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hult Reservoir is located within the
Lake Creek fifth-field watershed, near the community of Horton, Oregon,
within the Siuslaw Field Office of the Northwest Oregon District at
Township 15S, Range 7W, Sections 23 and 26, in Lane County, Oregon.
The Hult Reservoir is a 41-acre man-made lake, approximately a
half-mile long and less than a quarter-mile wide. The reservoir's depth
ranges from approximately 15 feet to 35 feet, and contains another 10
to 15 feet of soft, silty sand. Below depths of 25 to 43 feet, it is
estimated that the foundation of the reservoir consists of landslide
deposits, which generally include cobbles, bounders, and large rock
beds. The dam is an earthen dam which consists of loose rock placed on
the downstream face.
The dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir were originally constructed
in 1950 to create a holding pond for logs by the Hult Timber Company.
These lands were transferred to the BLM in 1994. During severe winter
weather, the amount of rainfall in the catchment area contributes
substantially to the water levels in the reservoir. The dam requires
constant monitoring and adjustment of the outflow valve by BLM
engineers to avoid overwhelming the current water level controls in
place. Since the transfer of ownership, costly renovations to the dam
(e.g., grouting, reinforcement structures, and monitoring devices) have
been ongoing to address structural and safety concerns.
In July 2012, the BLM completed a Comprehensive Dam Evaluation on
the dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir, which found eleven potential
failure modes presenting unacceptable high risks for dam failure, five
of which warrant expedited action to address. These evaluations of the
dam infrastructure also identified that the dam and spillway are
currently at an elevated cumulative risk posed by all possible failure
modes and associated potential life loss. In 2016, the BLM implemented
improvements to the dam infrastructure, which improved some elements
presenting cumulative risk. However, there is still a need to address
the remaining cumulative safety risks associated with the dam at Hult
Reservoir.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of infrastructure
failure at Hult Dam from excessive water and sediment loading, within
the scope of what the BLM could reasonably fund and within the scope of
the BLM's jurisdiction.
The EIS will analyze a range of alternatives to provide for a long-
term management approach. The EIS will analyze a No Action alternative
that would analyze the continued management and standard maintenance of
Hult Dam in the current conditions. Some potential action alternatives
include:
Improving the existing dam infrastructure: This
alternative would retain all existing dam infrastructure, but would
implement patches, reinforcements, or other additions
[[Page 19096]]
necessary to ensure the safety and function of the structures.
Removing the existing infrastructure and rebuilding the
dam: This alternative would remove all existing dam infrastructure and
rebuild the dam to necessary safety standards and flow functionality.
Removing the dam and draining the reservoir: This
alternative would permanently remove existing dam infrastructure to
allow for permanent draining of the reservoir.
Some of the anticipated concerns and resources that may be affected
for this project include: Recreational opportunities, socioeconomic
values, sediment routing, hydrologic flow controls, fisheries,
sensitive plants, invasive and noxious weeds, cultural resources,
access routes, and engineering design/safety. The BLM has identified
the following potential issues to analyze in the EIS:
How would the alternatives affect the safety risks to
visitors and local communities from dam failure?
How much would the alternatives cost to implement?
How would the alternatives affect revenues of the local
communities?
How would the alternatives affect Endangered Species Act
(ESA)-listed fish passage?
How would the alternatives affect ESA-listed fish habitat,
including water temperature?
How would the alternatives affect downstream water
quantity available for consumptive water rights?
How would the alternatives affect the historic value of
the dam?
How would the alternatives affect visitor recreation
access and opportunities?
How would the alternatives affect BLM-managed recreation
sites?
How would the alternatives affect existing populations of
Bureau sensitive species plants?
How would the alternatives affect the introduction and
spread of invasive plants?
Access to lands to the north of Hult Dam may be impacted during
implementation of some potential action alternatives. The EIS will
include analysis of changes to access from engineering design of the
alternatives and the effect on safety.
The BLM is conducting an evaluation of the dam to determine if the
structure would qualify as a National Historic Property.
Hult Dam has a fish ladder that does not function for passing
Oregon coastal coho salmon. The non-functional fish ladder at the dam
site currently blocks upstream fish passage to several miles of
designated Oregon coastal coho critical habitat. Oregon coastal coho
salmon are listed as threatened under the ESA.
Two BLM sensitive aquatic plant species are present at the northern
end of Hult Reservoir in a marsh: Bog clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata)
and humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba). The noxious weed parrots
feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) occurs in the reservoir, as does the
non-native invasive weed reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea).
Herbicide use to manage the spread of the noxious and non-native
invasive may be part of the alternatives considered.
At this time, the reservoir upstream of the dam is managed as the
Hult Reservoir Recreation Site Special Recreation Management Area,
which offers opportunities for camping, day use, swimming, fishing, and
scenic driving. There are no developed campsites; however, two vault
toilets are available to the public.
In December 2016, the BLM brought in a neutral third-party
contractor to conduct stakeholder assessments and assist with
facilitation of public involvement for this project. In March 2017, the
contractor conducted in-person interviews with sixteen stakeholders,
primarily in the town of Horton, Oregon, and in Triangle Lake
community. Stakeholders represented property owners near the Hult
Reservoir, local business owners, Triangle Lake School staff members,
Siuslaw Watershed Council members, and fishing interest groups. The BLM
will continue to use this neutral third-party contractor throughout the
EIS process to assist with public outreach and engagement.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
project that the BLM is evaluating are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the
BLM to participate in the development of the EIS as a cooperating
agency. The BLM will consult with The Confederated Tribes of the Grand
Ronde; Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw
Indians; and Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians during this
analysis process.
Instructions for submitting a public comment are provided under the
ADDRESSES section above, and are provided on the BLM's ePlanning page
for this EIS. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments,
please 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.
Jamie E. Connell,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 2018-09185 Filed 4-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P