Reclamation Bureau – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is published in accordance with Section 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-463). Following consultation with the General Services Administration, notice is hereby given that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is renewing the charter for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group. The purpose of the Adaptive Management Work Group is to advise and provide recommendations to the Secretary with respect to responsibility to comply with the Grand Canyon Protection Act of October 30, 1992, embodied in Public Law 102-575.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), as joint lead agencies, have prepared and made available to the public a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 42 United States Code 4332.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to prepare a supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Milltown Hill Project. Reclamation filed the FEIS for the project with the Environmental Protection Agency on August 14, 1992 and completed a Record of Decision (ROD) on November 7, 1992. The FEIS was prepared in conjunction with Douglas County's (County) application for a Small Reclamation Projects Act loan and grants to develop a dam and reservoir at the Milltown Hill site on Elk Creek above Drain, Oregon. The County's loan and grant application was subsequently approved but the project was never constructed. The County has recently indicated that it wishes to re- activate its Small Reclamation Projects Act loan and grant application. Reclamation believes that due to the time lapse since the FEIS was completed and the ROD was signed, it is appropriate to update the information in the 1992 EIS to determine if it still correctly describes the affected environment and environmental consequences of the project. The proposed action and the no action alternative will be evaluated in the supplement to the FEIS.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an EIS for the Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie (Intertie). A primary purpose of the Intertie is to allow for operation and maintenance activities on the Tracy pumping plant and fish facility, the Delta- Mendota Canal, and the O'Neill pumping plant and intake canal. A Draft EIS is expected to be available in May 2007. The Intertie consists of constructing and operating a pumping plant and pipeline connection between the Delta Mendota Canal (DMC) and the California Aqueduct. The Intertie would be used in a number of ways to achieve multiple benefits, including meeting current water supply demands, allowing for the maintenance and repair of the Central Valley Project (CVP) Delta export and conveyance facilities, and providing operational flexibility to respond to emergencies related to both the CVP and State Water Project (SWP). Reclamation decided to withdraw the recently published Finding of No Significant Impact and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Intertie and to initiate an EIS based on public challenge to the EA content and conclusions.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review: City of Vacaville. Santa Ynez River Conservation District. Sacramento County Water Agency. Grasslands Water District Refuge. El Dorado Irrigation District. City of Redding. 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 has developed and published the Criteria for Evaluating Water Management Plans (Criteria). Note: For the purpose of this announcement, Water Management Plans (Plans) are considered the same as Water Conservation Plans. The above districts have developed Plans, 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Yakima Basin Recreation Survey, Washington. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost burden.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet on July 13, 2006. The agenda for the Committee meeting will include discussions with State and Federal agency representatives on the 10- Year Action Plan, Subcommittee structure, the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan and its relationship to the Delta Regional Ecosystem Restoration Plan, the Delta Vision, end of Stage 1 decisions, and recommendations on implementing agency Program Plans.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) propose to prepare a joint EIS/EIR for the Auburn State Recreation Area General Plan/Interim Resource Management Plan (GP/IRMP). Reclamation is the Lead Federal Agency for NEPA and DPR is the Lead State Agency for CEQA. A public scoping meeting to solicit public input on the alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the GP/IRMP and EIS/EIR has been scheduled.

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 on February 23, 2006. 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 (Reclamation) and the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) have made available for public review and comment a Draft EIR/EIS for the proposed Contra Costa Water District Alternative Intake Project. The Draft EIR/EIS describes and presents the environmental effects of five alternatives: the No-Action Alternative and four action alternatives. Three public hearings will be held to receive comments from individuals and organizations on the Draft EIR/EIS.

On December 19, 2000, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) signed the Record of Decision (ROD) implementing the Trinity River Restoration Program (Program), which adopted the Preferred Alternative analyzed in the Trinity River Mainstem Fishery Restoration Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The Department of the Interior (Department) has identified a discrepancy in the description of the hydrologic forecast used in the annual flow regime component of the Program. The impacts analysis in the FEIS was based upon modeling the historic inflows into the Trinity River watershed above the Trinity Dam and categorizing this data into five water-year classes. These classes and their probability of occurrence were displayed in the FEIS and are repeated below:

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that the Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group, Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, Washington, established by the Secretary of the Interior, will hold a public meeting. The purpose of the Conservation Advisory Group is to provide technical advice and counsel to the Secretary of the Interior and Washington State on the structure, implementation, and oversight of the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program.

The following Water Management Plans are available for review: Ivanhoe Irrigation District. Terra Bella Irrigation District. Stone Coral Irrigation District. Saucelito Irrigation District. Exeter Irrigation District. San Luis 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 has developed and published the Criteria for Evaluating Water Management Plans (Criteria).

The Bureau of Reclamation is issuing this rule to establish regulations regarding public access to and conduct on all Reclamation projects, waters, and real property subject to the jurisdiction or administration of Reclamation. Reclamation is required by statute to issue this rule in order to maintain law and order and protect persons and property on Reclamation projects. This rule supersedes the existing public conduct rule, and amends other regulatory provisions to ensure consistency.

The Bureau of Reclamation is announcing an additional 15-day extension of the public comment period for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project DEIS. The originally announced, extended comment period ends on March 30, 2006, but it has been extended until April 14, 2006. The original notice of availability of the DEIS, notice of public hearings, and additional information on the Red River Valley Water Supply Project were published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2005 (70 FR 250, 77425-77427).

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, the Department of the Interior (Department) has issued a Scoping Summary Report on the development of Lower Basin shortage guidelines and coordinated management strategies for the operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, particularly under low reservoir conditions. The Scoping Summary Report provides a summary of the issues raised during the scoping process and describes the Department's current assessment of the proposed scope of the environmental analysis to be included in the draft environmental impact statement (EIS). The Department anticipates that the Draft EIS will be published in December 2006. The report also includes a summary of the issues raised and comments received during the scoping process. Among other things, the report identifies how the Department anticipates addressing these issues. Dates and Addresses: The Department will accept, review, and incorporate, as appropriate, any additional public comments on the information contained in the Scoping Summary Report as part of the development of the Draft EIS, which the Department anticipates will be published in December 2006. The Department would prefer that any such comments be received by May 1, 2006, in order to allow full consideration during the development of the Draft EIS. Send written comments to: Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, Attention: BCOO-1000, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470; faxogram at (702) 293-8156; or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov. The Scoping Summary Report is available on the Bureau of Reclamation's Web site at https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/ strategies/. If you would like a printed copy of the report, please contact Nan Yoder at telephone (702) 293-8500; facsimile (702) 293-8156; e-mail: strategies@lc.usbr.gov.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to submit a request for renewal (without revision) of an existing, approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Recreation Use Data Report, OMB Control Number 1006-0002. As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, Reclamation invites other Federal agencies, State, local, or tribal governments which manage recreation sites at Reclamation projects; concessionaires, subconcessionaires, and not-for-profit organizations who operate concessions on Reclamation lands; and the public, to comment on this information collection.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee (Committee) will meet on March 15, 2006. The agenda for the Committee meeting will include discussions with State and Federal agency representatives on the status of the revitalization of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program including the 10- Year Action Plan, priority setting, and the changing roles of the CALFED agencies.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is releasing Draft Supplemental Information to the DEIS for San Luis Unit Long-Term Contract Renewal. The notice of availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2005 (70 FR 57324). The public comment period on the DEIS was originally to end on November 21, 2005. A notice to extend the comment period to January 17, 2006 was published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2005 (70 FR 72652). A second notice to extend the comment period to April 3, 2006 and to announce the preparation of the Supplemental Information was published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2006 (71 FR 3885).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval: Crop Acreage and Yields and Water Distribution (Water User Crop Census Report [Form 7-332], and Crop and Water Data [Form 7-2045]), OMB Control Number: 1006-0001. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost burden.

The 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 (AMWG), a technical work group (TWG), a 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. Date and Location: The AMWG will conduct the following public meeting: Phoenix, ArizonaMarch 7-8, 2006. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m. on the first day and will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. on the second day. The meeting will be held at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2 Arizona Center, 400 N. 5th Street, 12th Floor, Conference Rooms A&B, in Phoenix, Arizona. Agenda: The purpose of the meeting will be to review the Fiscal Year 2005 budget expenditures and proposed FY06 budget modifications and draft FY07-08 budget and workplan proposals, and to receive updates on science plans currently in development along with other monitoring and research reports. Additional topics of discussion will include status of humpback chub efforts, basin hydrology, public outreach, and other administrative and resource issues pertaining to the AMP. Time will be allowed for any individual or organization wishing to make formal oral comments (limited to 5 minutes) at the meeting. To allow full consideration of information by the AMWG members, written notice must be provided to Dennis Kubly, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84138; telephone (801) 524-3715; faxogram (801) 524-3858; e-mail at dkubly@uc.usbr.gov at least five (5) days prior to the meeting. Any written comments received will be provided to the AMWG and TWG members.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Public Resources Code, Section 21000- 21178.1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the lead Federal agency, and the Sonoma County Water Agency (Agency), the lead State agency, propose to prepare a joint EIS/EIR for the proposed North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Project (Project). The purpose of the proposed Project is to: (1) Reduce agricultural reliance on natural regional water supplies; (2) provide an alternative source of water for agricultural irrigation; and (3) address potential regulatory issues.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below for the Lower Colorado River Well Inventory has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is extending the comment period for the DEIS to April 3, 2006. The notice of availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2005 (70 FR 57324). The public comment period was originally to end on November 21, 2005. A notice to extend the comment period to January 17, 2006 was published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2005 (70 FR 72652).

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), as joint lead agencies, have prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on the execution of a long-term contract based upon the 1920 Sale of Water for Miscellaneous Purposes Act (long-term miscellaneous purposes contract) with the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID), New Mexico, and the subsequent conversion and delivery of the full amount of irrigation water addressed in the contract and any related contracts. Reclamation is the lead federal agency and the NMISC is a joint lead agency for NEPA compliance on the proposed federal action.