Bureau of Reclamation 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the availability of the Draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan (BDCP, or the Plan) and Draft BDCP Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for public review and comment. In response to receipt of an application from the California Department of Water Resources and certain State and Federal water contractors (the Applicants), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), are considering the proposed action of issuing 50-year incidental take permits (ITPs) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. The proposed ITPs would authorize the take of individual species listed under the ESA. The permits are needed because take of species could occur as a result of implementation of activities, including those associated with water operations of the California State Water Project by the California Department of Water Resources. Covered activities in the Plan include the construction, operation, monitoring, and maintenance associated with water conveyance, ecosystem restoration, and other activities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and vicinity as described in the BDCP. The Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation's) proposed Federal action is to change operation of Central Valley Project (CVP) facilities in the Delta consistent with the BDCP; this operations change would support implementation of coordinated operation of the CVP with the California State Water Project. Reclamation may also make decisions regarding wheeling CVP water through new Delta conveyance facilities, and implementing habitat restoration and monitoring actions proposed by the BDCP that are consistent with Reclamation's regulatory requirements, programs, authorities, and appropriations. These three Federal co-lead agencies have not selected a preferred alternative at this time.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this notice. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.

The Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 and the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 require an annual determination of a discount rate for Federal water resources planning. The discount rate for Federal water resources planning for fiscal year 2014 is 3.50 percent. Discounting is to be used to convert future monetary values to present values.

The Bureau of Reclamation intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage projects. The Washington State Department of Ecology will be a joint lead agency with the Bureau of Reclamation in the preparation of this EIS. The Bureau of Reclamation is requesting public comment and agency input to identify significant issues or other alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.

The Bureau of Reclamation, the lead Federal agency, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT), cooperating agencies, are intending to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed WMAT Rural Water System. Pursuant to the WMAT Water Rights Quantification Act (Title III of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010), the United States Congress authorized and directed Reclamation to plan, design, and construct the WMAT Rural Water System to divert, store, and distribute water from the North Fork of the White River for the use and benefit of the WMAT. The proposed action would fulfill the Bureau of Reclamation's statutory mandate under the WMAT Water Rights Quantification Act. The Rural Water System would also serve the purpose of providing a long-term, dependable, and sustainable water supply for residents and businesses on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) and Long-Term Excess Capacity Contract, Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Colorado, is available for public review. The Bureau of Reclamation has evaluated comments and is recommending a preferred alternative for approval. The proposed Arkansas Valley Conduit, conveyance contract for the Pueblo Dam north-south outlet works interconnect, and long-term excess capacity master contract to store water in available space in Pueblo Reservoir would deliver high- quality water that would meet Environmental Protection Agency and State water quality requirements, and help water providers throughout the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado reliably meet existing and future water demands.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this notice. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.

The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation (SLWRI). The purpose of the proposed action is to improve operational flexibility of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed system by modifying the existing Shasta Dam and Reservoir to meet specified objectives. Primary objectives are to increase the survival of anadromous fish populations in the upper Sacramento River and increase water supply and water supply reliability. Secondary planning objectives are to: conserve, restore, and enhance ecosystem resources in the primary study area; reduce flood damage along the Sacramento River; develop additional hydropower generation capabilities; maintain and increase recreation opportunities; and maintain or improve water quality conditions in the Sacramento River downstream from Shasta Dam and in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Western Municipal Water District have completed a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (SEIR/EIS) for the proposed Riverside-Corona Feeder Project.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation and are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this notice. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.

The Bureau of Reclamation has forwarded the following Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Certification Summary Form and Reporting Summary Form for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428 (OMB Control Number 1006-0006).

The Bureau of Reclamation is reopening the comment period for the scoping process. The public comment period will now end on May 6, 2013. We published the notice of intent in the Federal Register on March 4, 2013 (78 FR 14117). The public comment period originally ended on April 3, 2013.

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and were pending through December 31, 2012, and contract actions that have been completed or discontinued since the last publication of this notice. From the date of this publication, future notices during this calendar year will be limited to new, modified, discontinued, or completed contract actions. This annual notice should be used as a point of reference to identify changes in future notices. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities consistent with section 9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action.

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior concerning Glen Canyon Dam operations and other management actions to protect resources downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, consistent with the Grand Canyon Protection Act. The AMWG meets two to three times a year.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation is preparing an environmental impact statement for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System. As part of that process, Reclamation will host five public scoping meetings to provide information on the project and to solicit input on the scope of the document, alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the environmental impact statement.

The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS/EIS) for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Marsh Restoration Project (Project). The California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the other lead agencies for the Project, made the EIR/EIS/EIS available to the public on February 8, 2013.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority have prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for a 25-Year Water Transfer Program, 2014-2038. The proposed new program would provide for the transfer and/or exchange of up to 150,000 acre-feet of substitute water from the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority to several potential users over a 25-year timeframe (water service years 2014-2038). A Notice of Availability of the joint Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 4, 2012 (77 FR 26578). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended Tuesday, July 3, 2012. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and additional information received during the review period.