[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 136 (Monday, July 18, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-17329]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 18, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation

 

Southern Nevada Water Authority Treatment and Transmission 
Facility, Clark County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement and notice of scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) proposes to 
construct an intake structure, water treatment plant and associated 
transmission pipelines to treat and convey Colorado River water from 
Lake Mead to the Las Vegas Valley. Studies and analysis have indicated 
that there is a need for the additional Treatment and Transmission 
Facility (TTF). Reclamation proposes to prepare a draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to address the additional impacts associated 
with the construction of the facilities. A series of public meetings 
are planned to provide information and receive oral comments from 
interested parties.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: There will be five public meetings:
     August 22, 1994, 7 p.m., Boulder City Hall, City Council 
Chambers, 401 California Avenue, Boulder City, NV.
     August 24, 1994, 2 p.m., Cashman Field Center, Meeting 
Rooms 101-102, 850 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV.
     August 24, 1994, 7 p.m., Cashman Field Center, Meeting 
Rooms 101-102, 850 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV.
     August 30, 1994, 6:30 p.m., North Las Vegas City Library, 
Community Room, 2300 Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas, NV.
     September 1, 1994, 7 p.m., Henderson Convention Center, 
200 South Water Street, Henderson, NV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael T. Walker, Chief, 
Environmental Compliance and Technical Services Branch, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, 
Nevada 89006-1470, Telephone: (702) 293-8526; or Michael D. Noah, EIS 
Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority, 1850 East Flamingo Road, 
Suite 234, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119, Telephone: (702) 732-7954.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Las Vegas Valley currently relies on the 
Southern Nevada Water System (SNWS) to provide 85 percent of the Valley 
water supply. Because the SNWS is currently the only major water supply 
system serving southern Nevada's population of nearly 1 million 
residents and over 20 million visitors each year, planning efforts have 
been initiated to identify the necessary elements required to develop a 
back-up water treatment and transmission facility to provide relief 
capacity. The goal of the planning efforts for a SNWA TTF project is:

    To develop a reliable and demand-responsive municipal water 
system that will supplement the existing Southern Nevada Water 
System during periods of curtailed production or system failure, and 
provide the State of Nevada full access to its Colorado River water 
entitlement.

    The results of supply and demand projections for the SNWA service 
area suggest that summer shortages due to insufficient facility 
capacity could occur as soon as the summer of 1996 unless system 
improvements are made. Improvements to the SNWS, and the groundwater 
pumping and distribution systems, may prolong the ability of the SNWA 
purveyors to provide adequate water supplies to the year 2000.
    Planning efforts have focused on identifying potential projects 
that provide reliable, efficient, and environmentally acceptable 
alternatives to supply water drawn from Lake Mead and delivered to the 
Las Vegas Valley.
    The alternatives contain three major components: a raw water intake 
structure, a water treatment plant, and a transmission system. 
Preliminary analyses have been conducted on each of these major project 
components to identify and evaluate possible configurations of the 
project. The results of these studies have defined three primary 
groups, or ``families,'' of project alternatives grouped geographically 
into Northern, Central, and Southern Families.
    The Northern Family includes intake locations in the north shore of 
Las Vegas Bay to Callville Bay. Studies indicate that the water quality 
at Callville Bay is adequate, but visual impacts resulting from the 
construction of an intake and new overhead power lines to service the 
treatment plant could pose significant environmental constraints. 
Treatment of water from Las Vegas Bay would be more expensive than 
water from the mainstream of the Colorado River or Lake Mead, because 
the Bay is affected by its proximity to existing and proposed 
wastewater treatment plant outfalls.
    The Central Family of alternative alignments includes an intake at 
or near the existing SNWS intake. Evaluation of this alternative 
benefits from a vast amount of water quality data collected during 
ongoing SNWS research. However, proximity to the SNWS would likely 
expose the SNWA-TTF to any catastrophic event that could impair the 
SNWS, thus defeating one of the primary goals of developing an 
independent back-up system.
    The Southern Family alternative includes intake sites at either 
Promontory Point or Hoover Dam. This alternative alignment is benefited 
by its accessibility to an available power supply, and its distance 
from wastewater discharge. While the Hoover Dam intake alternative is 
potentially less environmentally damaging, approvals from Reclamation 
to alter the design of Hoover Dam must be secured for this option to be 
viable.
    Preliminary analyses have been conducted for project need, water 
demand, geotechnical and seismic conditions, water quality, intake 
depth, water treatment facility, water delivery system requirements, 
and power supply alternatives. Planning analyses will continue 
throughout the course of the project. To ensure that the full range of 
issues related to this proposed action are addressed and that all 
significant issues are identified, comments or questions concerning 
this action and the EIS should be directed to the contact provided 
above.

    Dated: July 11, 1994.
Robert W. Johnson,
Acting Regional Director, Lower Colorado Region.
[FR Doc. 94-17329 Filed 7-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P