Notice of Intent To Prepare the Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety Environmental Impact Statement in Lane County, OR, 74420-74421 [2021-28347]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 248 (Thursday, December 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74420-74421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28347]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLORN03000.L63100000.DB0000.17XL1116AF.252Z. HAG 21-0300]


Notice of Intent To Prepare the Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety 
Environmental Impact Statement in Lane County, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Siuslaw Field Office, Northwest Oregon 
District, Oregon, 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 potential issues for analysis.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments may be submitted in writing until January 31, 2022.
    The date(s) and location(s) of scoping meetings will be announced 
at least 15 days in advance on the BLM National NEPA Register at: 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/99598/510. Interested 
parties can also register for email notifications of the scoping 
meetings by submitting an email request to: 
[email protected].
    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 either of the 
following methods:
     Email: [email protected];
     Mail: Siuslaw Field Office ATTN: Cheryl Adcock/Hult 
Reservoir and Dam Safety EIS, 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: Cheryl Adcock, at (541) 683-6145 or by 
email at [email protected]. Contact Ms. Adcock 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 at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. Adcock during normal business 
hours. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave 
a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hult Reservoir is located within the 
Lake Creek watershed, near the community of Horton, Oregon, within the 
BLM Siuslaw Field Office of the Northwest Oregon District.
    Hult Reservoir is a 41-acre pond, approximately a half-mile long 
and less than a quarter-mile wide. Hult Dam is an earthen dam 
consisting of loose rock placed on the downstream face and is one of 
nine high-hazard-rated dams managed by the BLM due to the proximity of 
downstream residents and the potential for loss of life.
    The dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir were originally constructed 
in 1949 or 1950 by the Hult Timber Company to create a holding pond for 
logs. These lands were transferred to the BLM in 1994. The site is now 
primarily used for recreation.
    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 (e.g., grouting, reinforcement structures, and monitoring 
devices) to the dam have been ongoing to address existing and imminent 
structural and safety concerns.
    In 2017, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted an 
inspection of the dam, which identified several potential failure modes 
that would cause an uncontrolled release of impounded water downstream, 
and the projected inundation area would impact 70 to 130 people in the 
community of Horton, as well as Oregon State Highway 36. An 
uncontrolled release could result in loss of life and damage to 
infrastructure critical for access to the area by emergency services. 
The primary potential failure mode identified during this inspection 
was overtopping and breach during a large flood event. A secondary 
potential failure mode was instability of the spillway dike near the 
spillway. This area is marginally stable and is built on a foundation 
of ancient landslide material. Prolonged rainfall and elevated flows 
may cause an increase in groundwater, leading to the failure of the 
structure.
    As a result of this 2017 inspection and its associated 2018 report, 
the BLM requested that USACE provide the BLM with various options that 
would reduce the risks found in the inspection. In response, USACE did 
preliminary feasibility analysis on four options: (1) Raise the dam 
crest height to decrease the probability of overtopping during a storm 
event; (2) Remove the failing spillway dike and use the excavated 
material to widen the dam; (3) Remove the dam; and (4) Lower the dam 
crest height to reduce pond storage and lower the potential for loss of 
human life and

[[Page 74421]]

infrastructure. Removal of the dam (option 3) is the only option that 
fully eliminates the risk of loss of life and damage to downstream 
infrastructure.
    A Notice of Intent for this project was originally published in the 
Federal Register on May 1, 2018, (83 FR 19095). Scoping was originally 
initiated in 2018 for an EIS to repair or remove the dam, but the 
project was put on hold while USACE completed its dam inspection and 
associated reports. The BLM received comments from five individuals, 
one environmental organization, and the Environmental Protection 
Agency. These comments were similar to those received during pre-
scoping, highlighting concerns about fish passage, recreation (fishing, 
boating, camping), water rights, water quality, rare plants, and public 
safety.
    The average lifespan for this type of structure is 50 years, which 
the Hult Dam has exceeded by over 2 decades. The BLM believes that the 
dam it is at the end of its lifecycle. The dam and spillway require 
costly monthly and annual inspections and maintenance, and the need for 
repairs is expected to increase with time.
    The revised purpose of this project is to decommission and remove 
Hult Dam to eliminate the potential for a reasonably foreseeable 
failure of the aging structure and the associated loss of life and 
critical services.
    The EIS will include a No Action alternative that would analyze the 
continued management and standard maintenance of Hult Dam under the 
current conditions. Action alternatives to be considered would remove 
the dam, drain the reservoir, and reconnect the Lake Creek channel. 
Action alternatives could include the following elements:

--An engineered stream channel (the stream channel would be excavated 
and follow a designed path) or a natural stream channel (the stream 
would follow a course determined by the natural characteristics of the 
stream basin).
--Possible recreational opportunities, including the development of a 
campground, hiking trails, equestrian trails, and ponds for swimming 
and wading.
--Restoration with native and culturally significant plants and 
wetlands preservation.
--Interpretive signage and kiosks to observe the area's historical and 
cultural value.
--Wildlife habitat restoration such as ponds for turtles and beavers.

    In the EIS, the BLM will analyze how implementation of the 
alternatives would affect the following potential issues:

--Safety risks to visitors and local communities from dam failure;
--Federally listed, native, or invasive fish passage and habitat;
--Downstream water quantity available for consumptive water rights;
--The Lake Creek form and function;
--The Lake Creek seasonal flood regime and floodplain connectivity;
--Archaeological or historic resources (including downstream of the 
dam), including whether excavation of the current pond sediments would 
reveal buried archaeological deposits;
--Visitor recreation access and opportunities;
--BLM-managed recreation sites;
--Existing populations of Bureau-sensitive plants;
--The introduction and spread of invasive plants;
--Existing wetlands associated with the Hult Reservoir;
--The use of the Hult Reservoir as a water source when fighting 
wildfires;
--The local economy; and
--The quality of life for local residents.

    Hult Dam has a fish ladder that does not function for passing 
Oregon coastal Coho salmon, blocking passage to several miles of 
designated Oregon coastal Coho salmon critical habitat. Oregon coastal 
Coho salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
    Two BLM-sensitive 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 parrotfeather 
(Myriophyllum aquaticum) occurs in the reservoir, as does the non-
native invasive weed reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea).
    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 anticipation of an action in the area, the BLM brought in a 
neutral third-party contractor to conduct stakeholder assessments and 
assist with facilitation of public involvement. In March 2017, the 
contractor conducted in-person interviews with 16 stakeholders, 
primarily in the town of Horton, Oregon, and in the 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 
may continue to use this neutral third-party contractor throughout the 
EIS process to assist with public outreach and engagement.
    Federal, State, and local agencies, 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 Coos, Lower Umpqua, and 
Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde; and 
Confederated Tribes of the Siletz during this analysis process.
    Instructions for submitting public comments are provided under 
ADDRESSES listed earlier and located on the BLM's National NEPA 
Register (ePlanning) for this EIS. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifiable information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including 
your personal identifiable information, may be made publicly available 
at any time, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to withhold 
this information from public view.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7)

Elizabeth Burghard,
Acting District Manager, Northwest Oregon District, Oregon/Washington.
 [FR Doc. 2021-28347 Filed 12-29-21; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-33-P