Bureau of Reclamation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) have prepared a joint Draft PEIS/R, for the implementation of the Stipulation of Settlement (Settlement) in NRDC et al. v. Kirk Rodgers et al. The Settlement is based on two goals: (1) To restore and maintain fish populations in ``good condition'' in the mainstem of the San Joaquin River below Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River, including naturally reproducing and self-sustaining populations of salmon and other fish (Restoration Goal); and (2) to reduce or avoid adverse water supply impacts to all of the Friant Division long-term contractors that may result from the flows provided for in the Settlement (Water Management Goal). The Draft PEIS/R document evaluates the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of implementing the Settlement. The alternatives considered in the Draft PEIS/R include actions that will be implemented to work towards achieving the Settlement's Restoration and Water Management goals.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is notifying the public that it has prepared an FEIS on the proposed Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage Facilities and Fish Reintroduction Project. The Washington State Department of Ecology is a joint lead with Reclamation in the preparation of the FEIS, in coordination with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Yakama Nation. The Bonneville Power Administration has assumed the role of a cooperating agency. The FEIS will also be used to comply with requirements of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act. Reclamation published a Draft EIS in the Federal Register on February 3, 2010 (75 FR 562622) with a public comment period ending on March 22, 2010. Revisions were made in the FEIS to incorporate responses to comments. The FEIS also identifies Alternative 3, Right Bank Juvenile Passage with Right Bank Adult Passage without Barrier Dam as the preferred alternative.

On March 25, 2011, the Bureau of Reclamation published a notice in the Federal Register at 76 FR 16818 on the Central Valley Project Improvement Act Standard Criteria for Agricultural and Urban Water Management Plans. In the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section, the Web site in which to view copies of the finalized Criteria was incorrect. It should read: https://www.usbr.gov/mp.watershare/news/ 2011_standard_criteria.pdf.

The Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to seek renewal of the following approved information collection set to expire on August 31, 2011: Recreation Visitor Use Surveys. We will use several distinct forms to collect different types of recreation information. Before submitting the information collection requestOMB No. 1006- 0028to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal, we are soliciting comments on specific aspects of the information collection.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region (Reclamation) proposes to prepare an EIS to analyze the potential effects of an update to the M&I WSP. The policy would be implemented by Reclamation during water short years. Reclamation previously developed, in consultation with the CVP M&I Water Service contractors, a draft CVP M&I WSP in 2001, and in 2005 prepared an Environmental Assessment (2005 EA). The 2005 EA was published on October 2005 and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed in December 2005. The 2001 M&I WSP was modified by, and is being implemented in accordance with, Alternative 1B in the 2005 EA. Since the publication of the 2005 EA, Reclamation received additional comments from several CVP water service contractors. The contractors expressed a need for clarity on certain aspects of the 2001 M&I WSP, as modified. Other comments received by Reclamation suggested consideration of alternatives to the 2001 M&I WSP. The comments coupled with recent significant changes in the Bay-Delta and CVP/State Water Project operations, has impelled Reclamation to evaluate alternatives and provide an M&I WSP that best recognizes the needs of various segments of the water user community and how those needs could be addressed in times of water shortages.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Western Municipal Water District (Western) have prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIR/DEIS) for the proposed Riverside-Corona Feeder (RCF) Project. Interested parties are invited to comment on the SDEIR/DEIS. The Federal action will provide funds for a proposed aquifer storage and recovery project, including new groundwater wells and a 28- mile water pipeline with pump stations and a reservoir storage tank. The project is intended to improve the reliability of Western's water supply through managed storage, extraction and distribution of local and imported water supplies, using available capacity in the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin and the Chino Basin.

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) was implemented as a result of the Record of Decision on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement to comply with consultation requirements of the Grand Canyon Protection Act (Pub. L. 102-575) of 1992. The AMP includes a Federal advisory committee, the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), a technical work group (TWG), a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent review panels. The 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 TWG is a subcommittee of the AMWG and provides technical advice and recommendations to the AMWG.

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 on July 22, 2010. From the date of this publication, future notices during this calendar year will be limited to new, modified, discontinued, or completed contract actions. 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 Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority propose to prepare a joint EIS/EIR to analyze the effects of water transfers from water agencies in northern California to water agencies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) and in the San Francisco Bay Area. The EIS/EIR will address transfers of Central Valley Project (CVP) and non-CVP water supplies that require use of CVP or State Water Project (SWP) facilities to convey the transferred water. Water transfers would occur through various methods, including, but not limited to, groundwater substitution and cropland idling, and would include individual and multiyear transfers from 2012 through 2022.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Federal lead agency, and the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB), the State lead agency, have prepared a Final EIS/EIR for the South Coast Conduit/Upper Reach Reliability Project (SCC/URRP). The SCC/URRP involves installation of a second water pipeline for improving water supply reliability to Cachuma Project (CP) and State Water Project (SWP) customers on the South Coast of Santa Barbara County. A Notice of Availability of the joint Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 (73 FR 49218). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended October 3, 2008. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and any additional information received during the review period.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review: Orland-Artois Water District Kern Tulare Water District To meet the requirements of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 (CVPIA) and the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982, the Bureau of Reclamation developed and published the Criteria for Evaluating Water Management Plans (Criteria). For the purpose of this announcement, Water Management Plans (Plans) are considered the same as Water Conservation Plans. The above entities have developed a Plan, which Reclamation has evaluated and preliminarily determined to meet the requirements of these Criteria. Reclamation is publishing this notice in order to allow the public to review the plans and comment on the preliminary determinations. Public comment on Reclamation's preliminary (i.e., draft) determination is invited at this time.

The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the ``Hydropower Resource Assessment at Existing Reclamation Facilities'' (HRA) Draft Report. The HRA is an assessment of the economic and technical potential for hydropower development at existing Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) owned non-powered dams and structures.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on implementing the Act. In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Reclamation announces that the Council will meet as detailed below. The meeting of the Council is open to the public.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation, the lead Federal agency, and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), acting as the lead State agency, have made available for public review and comment a Draft EIS/EIR for the Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage Project (Project). The purpose of the Project is to create and maintain a reliable system for collecting adult fish at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery (Hatchery). Reclamation maintains the Hatchery to meet mitigation obligations for spawning areas blocked by construction of Nimbus Dam. CDFG operates the Hatchery under a contract with Reclamation and is responsible for the management of the fishery resources within the adjacent lower American River. The Hatchery was constructed in 1955 under the American River Basin Development Act (October 14, 1949, 63 Stat. 852) along with Nimbus and Folsom Dams. The Draft EIS/EIR describes and presents the environmental effects of three action alternatives and the No-Action Alternative. Written comments will be accepted from agencies, organizations and individuals on the Draft EIS/EIR.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428, OMB Control Number: 1006-0005. We request your comments on the revised RRA forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, announces its intent to prepare an EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, on the rehabilitation of San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP) water delivery facilities near the communities of Casa Grande, Coolidge, and Florence in Pinal County, Arizona. SCIP canals convey irrigation water from the Gila River and Central Arizona Project (CAP) to agricultural lands in the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District (SCIDD) and Gila River Indian Community.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is notifying the public that it has prepared a FEIS on the proposed Minidoka Dam Spillway Replacement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of Interior) and Rural Development (Department of Agriculture) are cooperating agencies under NEPA. Alternatives considered in the FEIS are the No Action, as required under NEPA; total replacement of the spillway and headgate structures; and replacement of just the spillway. Total replacement of the spillway and headgate structures is the preferred alternative. Proposed changes in operations following construction are also evaluated, as is designation of special use areas. Reclamation published a Draft EIS in the Federal Register on December 11, 2009 (74 FR 65783) with a public comment period ending on February 5, 2010. The Final EIS includes written responses to all public comments on the Draft EIS. Revisions were made in the FEIS to incorporate responses to comments. In response to comments an adaptive management approach, which includes monitoring of effects resulting from changes in operations, has been added and proposed changes to operations will be made over a 4-year period. These revisions do not significantly change the analysis or results presented in the Draft EIS. However, if monitoring under the adaptive management approach shows different impacts than are documented in this FEIS, and changes to proposed operations (as discussed in this FEIS) are made as a result of monitoring, additional NEPA compliance will be conducted to document those changes and/or impacts.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is commencing work under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) on a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Northwest Area Water Supply Project (NAWS Project), a Federal reclamation project, located in North Dakota. A Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) for the NAWS Project were previously completed in December 2008 and January 2009, respectively. The Final EIS and ROD were challenged in U.S. District Court. A subsequent court order found the Final EIS to be insufficient in two areas. Therefore a supplement is being prepared

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP) was implemented as a result of the Record of Decision on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement to comply with consultation requirements of the Grand Canyon Protection Act (Pub. L. 102-575) of 1992. The AMP includes a Federal advisory committee, the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), a technical work group (TWG), a Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, and independent review panels. The 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 TWG is a subcommittee of the AMWG and provides technical advice and recommendations to the AMWG.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is canceling work on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Walker River Basin Acquisition Program (Acquisition Program). Reclamation has determined that the action of providing funds for the Acquisition Program as authorized in Public Laws 109-103 and 111-85 is not a Federal discretionary action. In addition, Reclamation does not have control over the expenditure of the funds by the Acquisition Program recipient and has therefore determined National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance is not necessary per 2008 Department of Interior regulations for implementing NEPA (43 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 46 Implementation of the NEPA of 1969). Reclamation included its decision that NEPA compliance is not required in the July 2009 Draft EIS and shared the decision at the August 2009 public hearings. In February 2010, Reclamation issued a Revised Draft EIS with incorporation of public comment for informational purposes only rather than a NEPA analysis. Additional comments were not solicited on this February 2010 Revised Draft EIS, and a Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) will not be prepared.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review:

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Department of the Interior (Department), through the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) intend to prepare an EIS/EIR. The Department and CDFG will conduct public scoping meetings to solicit comments concerning the issues, alternatives, and analyses to be considered in the evaluation of whether to remove four dams on the Klamath River pursuant to the terms of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). Section 3.3.1 of the KHSA states: ``Based upon the record, environmental compliance and other actions described in Section 3.2, and in cooperation with the Secretary of Commerce and other Federal agencies as appropriate, the Secretary shall determine whether, in his judgment, the conditions of Section 3.3.4 have been satisfied, and whether, in his judgment, Facilities Removal (i) will advance restoration of the salmonid fisheries of the Klamath Basin, and (ii) is in the public interest, which includes but is not limited to consideration of potential impacts on affected local communities and Tribes.''

Current Federal policy encourages non-Federal development of environmentally sustainable hydropower potential on Federal water resource projects. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in consultation with the Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western), will consider proposals for non-Federal development of hydroelectric power at Ridgway Dam, a feature of the Dallas Creek Project. Reclamation is considering such hydroelectric power development under a lease of power privilege. No Federal funds will be available for such hydroelectric power development. Western would have the first opportunity to purchase and/or market the power that would be generated by such development under a lease of power privilege. The Dallas Creek Project is a Federal Reclamation project. This notice presents background information, proposal content guidelines, and information concerning selection of a non-Federal entity to develop hydroelectric power at Ridgway Dam, and power purchasing and/or marketing considerations.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on implementing the Act. In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Reclamation announces that the Council will meet as detailed below. The meeting of the Council is open to the public.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the lead Federal agency and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), the CEQA lead agency, have prepared a Final Supplemental EIS/EIR for the MIAD Modification Project. The Final Supplemental EIS/EIR contains responses to comments received on the Draft Supplemental EIS/EIR.