[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1581]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 26, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

 

Central Utah Project Completion Act; Scoping on the Daniel 
Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project EIS

AGENCY: Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings to invite public input for use in 
preparing the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency 
Project EIS.

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SUMMARY: Public Law 102-575 Section 202(a)(3) and 303(b)(3)(a) directs 
the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) to conduct, within 
two years from the date of enactment of this Act, a feasibility study 
with public involvement, of efficiency improvements in the management, 
delivery and treatment of water in Wasatch County; and to construct a 
Daniel Replacement pipeline from the Jordanelle Reservoir to the 
existing Daniel Irrigation Company water regulating facilities for the 
purpose of providing a permanent replacement of water in an amount 
equal to the water being diverted from the Strawberry watershed 
(Colorado River Basin) to the Daniels Creek irrigation area. This 
replacement would allow the water currently being diverted from streams 
tributary to Strawberry Reservoir to flow unrestricted into the 
reservoir, resulting in improvement to the fishery resources. This 
improvement is a segment of the aquatic mitigation plan for the 
Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project.
    CUWCD will serve as the joint lead agency with the Secretary of the 
Interior for preparation of the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water 
Efficiency Project EIS pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the NEPA of 
1969 as amended and the Central Utah Project Completion Act.
    A Federal Register notice 57 FR 62576 issued on December 31, 1992, 
announced the CUWCD's intent to prepare an EIS. The purpose of this 
notice is to invite the public's participation in the EIS scoping 
process. The purpose of scoping is to solicit public input on the scope 
and content of the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency 
Project EIS.
    The EIS for the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency 
Project will be prepared in two sections. One section will evaluate the 
environmental impact of the Daniel Replacement Project and alternatives 
for providing greater water efficiency and certain environmental 
improvements in Wasatch County, Utah. Preliminary alternatives to be 
included in this section of the EIS are: Daniel Replacement Project 
using only a pipeline to transport the water; Daniel Replacement 
Project using a combination of pipeline and enlarging existing canals; 
Daniel Replacement Project in combination with efficiency projects 
(i.e. conversion of flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation) using 
only pipelines to convey the water; Daniel Replacement Project in 
combination with efficiency projects (i.e. conversion of flood 
irrigation to sprinkler irrigation) with maximum use of existing canals 
to transport the water; and Daniel Replacement Project in combination 
with efficiency projects (i.e. conversion of flood irrigation to 
sprinkler irrigation) and use of River Ditch, Wasatch Canal and 
enlarged Timpanogos Canal to transport the water. The EIS will also 
evaluate the impact of the No-Action alternative.
    Type of potential issues include impacts to wetlands and downstream 
water users associated with the conversion from flood to sprinkler 
irrigation; impacts associated with flow reduction in upper Daniels 
Creek; impacts on threatened and endangered species; and, the impact of 
restoring the natural flow to several streams in the upper Strawberry 
River basin.
    The second section of the EIS will cover the Provo River 
Restoration Prject (PRRP). The principal objective of the PRRP is to 
return the Provo River between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir 
to a naturally functional state, wherein long-term dynamic equilibrium 
and stability would be self-sustaining. Three alternatives for the PRRP 
will be analyzed in the EIS. They are: no action, which would consist 
of making only those improvements (i.e. fisherman access to the river 
and installation of in-channel fish habitat enhancement structures) 
covered by the 1987 Final Supplement to the Municipal & Industrial 
System Bonneville Unit EIS; existing channel enhancement, which would 
consist of transforming the channel into a step-pool system to the 
extent possible within the existing flood easements; and maximum 
practical restoration which would involve reconstructing essentially 
the entire river channel as a meandering riffle-pool system which may 
extend well beyond the present diked and flood easement area.
    Type of potential issues include impacts to wetlands and riparian 
vegetation; and impact of increased recreational use along the Provo 
River corridor on ranching operations.

DATES: The scoping meetings which will begin at 7 p.m. will be held: 
March 1, 1994 at the Utah Department of Natural Resources auditorium, 
1636 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah; and March 2, 1994 at the 
Wasatch County High School, 64 East 600 South, Heber, Utah. The CUWCD 
seeks participation in the scoping process from interested members of 
the public, including potentially affected landowners, public 
officials, agency representatives, special interest groups and 
interested individuals. CUWCD will make every effort to make these 
meetings accessible to disabled attendees. Please contact CUWCD at 801-
226-7171 with any special needs or requests at least three days prior 
to the meeting. For those who are unable to attend the meetings, 
written input on the issues or alternatives which should be included in 
the EIS should be received no later than April 4, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: An information package on the project 
is available upon request from the CUWCD. All such requests and written 
input should be addressed to: Kirt Carpenter, Project Manager, Daniels 
Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project, 355 West 1300 
South, Orem, Utah 84058-7303, 801/226-7171 or 801/226-7150 (fax).
Ron Johnston,
CUPCA Program Director, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 94-1581 Filed 1-25-94; 8:45 am]
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