[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3323-3324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-470]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[DES-05-80]
Upper Rio Grande Basin Water Operations Review
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Meetings for the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Upper Rio Grande Basin
Water Operations Review.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), with and on
behalf of other joint-lead agencies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
[Corps], Department of Defense; and the New Mexico Interstate Stream
Commission [Commission], State of New Mexico), has prepared a draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS) to assess the consequences of
proposed changes to water operations in the Rio Grande basin above Fort
Quitman, Texas. The DEIS is programmatic and is not intended to
authorize specific projects that may also be applied to the upper Rio
Grande system. It is anticipated that a plan for water operations at
existing Reclamation and Corps facilities will be developed.
The DEIS presents alternatives with respect to water operations and
evaluates the environmental, economic, and social effects of these
alternatives. Some of the alternatives considered include changing the
channel capacity criteria at Albuquerque, storage or non-storage of Rio
Grande water in authorized San Juan-Chama space in Abiquiu Reservoir,
and operation of the Low Flow Conveyance Channel.
DATES: A 60-day public review period commences with the publication of
this notice. Comments on the DEIS should be submitted no later than
Tuesday, March 21, 2006, to Ms. Valda Terauds, Bureau of Reclamation,
Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, Albuquerque, New
Mexico 87102. Comments may also be submitted electronically at: http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/urgwops/.
The joint-lead agencies will conduct eight public meetings to
obtain public input on the DEIS. All of the meetings will take place
from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The public meetings schedule is as follows:
February 21, 2006, 6-9 p.m., International Boundary and
Water Commission, 4171 North Mesa, El Paso, Texas;
February 22, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Mesilla Valley Inn, 901
Avenida de Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico;
February 23, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Ranchers Steak House, 606
North California Street, Socorro, New Mexico;
February 28, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Indian Pueblo Cultural
Center, 2401 12th Street NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico;
March 1, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Radisson Hotel, 750 North St.
Francis, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
March 2, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Espanola Public Library, Richard
Lucero Center, 313 North Paseo de Onate, Espanola, New Mexico;
March 8, 2006, 6-9 p.m., Corps Abiquiu Res. Office, 2.5
Mile Highway 95, Abiquiu, New Mexico; and
March 9, 2006, 6-9 p.m., U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Rural Development, 101 South Craft Drive, Alamosa, Colorado.
ADDRESSES: The DEIS is electronically available for viewing and copying
at the Corps' Albuquerque District Web site at: http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/urgwops/. Alternatively, a compact disc or hard
copy is available upon written request to Ms. Valda Terauds, Bureau of
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection and review
at the following locations:
Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555
Broadway NE., Suite 100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102;
Southern Peaks Public Library, 423 4th Street, Alamosa,
Colorado 81101;
Taos Public Library, 402 Camino de la Placita, Taos, New
Mexico 87571;
City of Espanola Library, 405 Paseo de Onate, Espanola,
New Mexico 87532;
Albuquerque Main Library, 501 Copper NW., Albuquerque, New
Mexico 87102;
Santa Fe Public Library, 145 Washington Street, Santa Fe,
New Mexico 87501;
El Paso Public Library, Clardy Fox Branch, 5515 Robert
Alva Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79905;
Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 East Picacho Avenue,
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001; and
Socorro Public Library, 401 Park Street, Socorro, New
Mexico 87801.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Valda Terauds, Bureau of
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102; telephone 505-462-3584; facsimile 505-
462-3593; e-mail: [email protected].
Ms. April Sanders, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque
District, 4101
[[Page 3324]]
Jefferson Plaza NE., Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87109; telephone 505-342-
3443; facsimile 505-342-3195; e-mail: [email protected].
Mr. Nabil Shafike, Ph.D., New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission,
121 Tijeras NE., Suite 2000, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102; telephone
505-764-3866; facsimile 505-764-3893; e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to various legal authorities, and
subject to allocation of supplies and priority of water rights under
state law, Reclamation and the Corps operate dams, reservoirs, and
other facilities in the upper Rio Grande basin to:
(1) Store and deliver water for agricultural, domestic, municipal,
industrial, and environmental uses;
(2) Assist the Commission in meeting downstream water delivery
obligations mandated by the Rio Grande Compact;
(3) Provide flood protection and sediment control; and
(4) Comply with existing laws, contract obligations, and
international treaties.
The Upper Rio Grande Basin Water Operations Review (Review)
provides the basis of, and is integral to, preparation of the DEIS. The
purpose of the Review and DEIS is to:
(1) Identify flexibilities in operation of federal reservoirs and
facilities in the upper Rio Grande basin that are within existing
authorities of Reclamation, the Corps, and the Commission, and in
compliance with federal and state laws;
(2) Develop a better understanding of how these facilities could be
operated more efficiently and effectively as an integrated system;
(3) Formulate a plan for future water operations at these
facilities that is within the existing authorities of Reclamation, the
Corps, and the Commission; complies with federal, state, and other
applicable laws and regulations; and assures continued safe dam
operations;
(4) Improve processes for making decisions about water operations
through better interagency communication and coordination, and
facilitation of public review and input; and
(5) Support compliance by the Corps, Reclamation, and the
Commission with applicable law and regulations, including, but not
limited to, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered
Species Act.
The DEIS addresses water operations at the following facilities
with the noted exceptions and limitations:
Flood control operations at Platoro Reservoir (the Review
and EIS will include only flood control operations at Platoro that are
under Corps authority; water supply operations at Platoro are under
local control)
Closed Basin Division--San Luis Valley Project
Heron Dam and Reservoir
Abiquiu Dam and Reservoir
Cochiti Dam and Reservoir
Low Flow Conveyance Channel
Flood control operations at Elephant Butte Dam and
Reservoir (because of current litigation, water supply operations at
Elephant Butte are not included in the Review or DEIS)
Flood control operations at Caballo Dam and Reservoir
(because of current litigation, water supply operations at Caballo are
not included in the Review or DEIS).
Public Disclosure
Our practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public
disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There
also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a respondent's
identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish us to
withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at
the beginning of your comment. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: January 10, 2006.
Rick L. Gold,
Regional Director--Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region.
[FR Doc. 06-470 Filed 1-19-06; 8:45 am]
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