[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29578-29580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13570]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Improvements for Juvenile Salmon Migration, Lower Snake River

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft EIS.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) intends to prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will investigate proposals for 
use of reservoir drawdown and surface-oriented bypass sytems to improve 
juvenile salmon migration by decreasing water travel time through 
reservoirs and reducing stress associated with dam passage at the four 
lower Snake River dams and reservoirs. Alternatives will consider 
various designs for structural modifications and combination of the 
proposed modifications to these four dams.
    Drawdown of the four lower Snake River reservoirs below minimum 
[[Page 29579]] operating pool elevation is being evaluated as a means 
to increase flow velocities through the lower Snake River. Increased 
flow velocities are thought to decrease juvenile salmon travel time 
through the reservoir system and thereby presumably increase survival. 
Surface oriented bypass is being evaluated to improve guidance, and 
thereby reduce stress and associated mortality from passage of juvenile 
salmon through the dams.
    Proposed alternatives focus on major structural modifications to 
existing Corps dams. These include Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower 
Monumental, and Ice Harbor dams, located between Lewiston, Idaho and 
Pasco, Washington. A ``no action'' alternative will also be considered.
    This action is being considered in response to a need to protect 
stocks of Snake River salmon that have been listed as threatened and 
endangered under the Endangered Species Act. National Marine Fisheries 
Service, on March 2, 1995, issued a biological opinion (BiOp) on 
operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The subject 
alternatives are being evaluated in response to recommendations 
contained in that document and the Federal agencies decision to 
implement the BiOp. The ``Reasonable and Prudent Alternative'' 
identified in the BiOp calls for an interim operation and examination 
of long-term configuration changes including drawdowns and surface 
bypass.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is the lead 
agency in preparing this EIS. Cooperating agencies may be identified 
during the scoping process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Peter F. Poolman, Walla Walla 
District, Corps of Engineers, CENPW-PL-ER, 201 North Third Avenue, 
Walla Walla, Washington 99362-1876, (509) 527-7261.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed actions are being considered 
under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife 
Coordination Act, and the authorizing legislation for the respective 
projects potentially involved in the proposed actions. This EIS is 
being developed as part of the Corps' System Configuration Study (SCS) 
Phase II. The SCS was initiated in response to the Northwest Power 
Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program Amendments, issued in 
December 1991, and is the Corps of Engineers' program for evaluating 
structural modifications at the Lower Snake and Columbia River dams to 
improve survival of salmon. Phase II is being proposed in response to 
evaluation requested by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in its 
Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation, Biological Opinion for 
Reinitiation of Consultation on 1994-1998 Operation of the Federal 
Columbia River Power System and the Juvenile Transportation Program in 
1995 and Future Years, (BiOp), issued March 2, 1995.
    In the BiOp, NMFS included a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative 
which includes immediate, intermediate and long-term actions concerning 
the operation and configuration of certain dams and reservoirs in the 
Columbia and Snake River basins. The strategy is an adaptive approach 
which requires aggressively pursuing studies and decisions on possible 
intermediate and long-term structural configuration changes, and 
obtaining scientific information to make those decisions. In the near-
term, the operation is designed to provide conditions NMFS considers 
will improve mainstream survival while providing conditions to maximize 
the ability to gather scientific information to make intermediate and 
long-term decisions. For each of these decisions, NEPA documentation 
will be prepared as needed. For instance, the System Operation Review 
EIS is addressing power system operational strategy recommended in the 
BiOp.
    This EIS is addressing one of the potential long-term alternatives 
for implementation of drawdown and/or surface bypass at the four lower 
Snake River dams. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternative included a 
schedule for completing the major modifications required under drawdown 
and bypass alternatives to these four dams. By mid-1996, an interim 
evaluation report on the drawdown and surface bypass alternative is 
scheduled to be completed to assist in identifying a preferred drawdown 
and surface bypass alternative for detailed engineering and design 
evaluations. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternative also specifies 
completion of necessary studies and engineering/design work no later 
than 1999 in preparation for potential drawdown and/or surface bypass 
implementation at the four lower Snake River Reservoirs by the year 
2000.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific Division, published 
a Record of Decision (ROD) on Reservoir Regulation and Project 
Operation for 1995 and Future Years on March 10, 1995, in response to 
the NMFS BiOp. The ROD identified actions to be taken by the Corps, 
including the drawdowns and bypass being considered in the proposed 
EIS.
1. Proposed Actions

    The proposed actions are being considered in response to the 
listing of certain salmon species and designation of critical habitat 
for these species. The Snake River sockeye salmon was listed as 
endangered on November 20, 1991 with an effective date of December 20, 
1991 (56 FR 58,619). The spring/summer chinook and fall chinook were 
originally listed as threatened on April 22, 1992 with an effective 
date of May 22, 1992 (57 FR 14,653). Subsequently, the spring/summer 
chinook and fall chinook were proposed for listing as endangered 
(Interim Emergency Rule, August 18, 1994, 59 FR 42,529 with correction 
published on April 17, 1995 at 60 FR 19,342 and proposed rule, December 
28, 1994, 59 FR 66,784). Critical habitat was designated for the Snake 
River sockeye, spring/summer chinook, and fall chinook salmon on 
December 28, 1993 (FR 68,543).
    The proposed actions include potential use of reservoir drawdown 
and surface oriented bypass systems to improve juvenile salmon 
migration through the four lower Snake River dams and reservoirs as 
recommended by NMFS as a ``Reasonable and Prudent Alternative to the 
Proposed Action'' in the BiOp. The actions ultimately proposed for 
implementation in future years may involve some combination of measures 
for the lower Snake River Basin.

2. Alternatives

    Alternatives being considered for the proposed action include a 
range of measures to improve downstream passage for juvenile anadromous 
salmon at the four lower Snake River projects. Alternatives address: 1) 
reducing reservoir-associated mortality; and/or 2) reducing dam-passage 
mortality.
    a. No action--The no action alternative identifies the ``without 
project condition'', or those activities which will occur or continue 
to occur whether or not the proposed actions identified in the EIS are 
implemented. Development of technology for juvenile bypass, operation 
of juvenile salmon transportation programs, flow augmentation releases 
from storage reservoirs, spill for fish passage, and monitoring and 
evaluation are planned to continue with the no action alternative.
    b. Lower Snake River Drawdown--Drawing down the lower Snake River 
reservoirs below designed operations levels during the juvenile salmon 
out migration season is intended to decrease [[Page 29580]] the water 
travel time by reducing the cross-sectional area of the reservoir and 
presumably reduce the juvenile downstream migration time. There are a 
number of drawdown options of the four lower Snake River reservoirs 
which will be examined in the EIS. These include: (1) Drawing the 
reservoirs down to the near-natural river elevation during the entire 
year; (2) drawing down to natural river for a portion of the year; and 
(3) drawing the reservoirs down to a mid-elevation level, such as 
spillway crest (lowest structural elevation that water will pass over 
the dam), for a portion of the year.
    c. Surface Bypass Systems--This element defines and evaluates 
potential improvements to juvenile fish facilities at the four 
projects. This includes: (1 a new surface bypass structure for passage 
of salmon around the powerhouse, utilizing spill or a bypass flume; (2) 
a new surface bypass structure to collect fish by transport by barge 
and truck; (3) utilizing a combination of transport and bypass around 
the dams at one or a combination for the four lower Snake River 
projects; and (4) use of surface bypass systems in drawdown 
alternatives.

3. Scoping Process

    The Corps invites affected Federal, state, and local agencies, 
Native American tribes, and other interested organizations, parties and 
the public to participate in the scoping process for the EIS. Input 
from other agencies and organizations that have a special interest and 
expertise in key resource areas such as fisheries, wildlife, water 
quality, navigation, hydropower production, recreation, cultural 
resources, and irrigation is welcome. The Corps seeks input on specific 
drawdown concepts and operational scenarios, and potential surface 
bypass alternatives. Resources impacts and other effects of the 
alternatives are solicited. The EIS process includes environmental 
review and consultation in accordance with other environmental 
statutes, rules, and regulations which apply to the proposed action. 
Further compliance with the Endangered Species Act may include 
preparation of one or more Biological Assessments and formal 
consultation with NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

4. Scoping Meetings

    Four public scoping meeting and workshops for the EIS will be held 
in the region in mid-July, 1995. They will be held in Boise and 
Lewiston, Idaho, Spokane and Pasco, Washington. Confirmation dates, 
location and times will be advertised and provided in a scoping letter 
that will be widely distributed throughout the region.

5. Availability

    An Interim Status Report is tentatively scheduled for release to 
the public and agencies for review during October, 1996 in order to 
facilitate decisions necessary to the BiOp. The Draft EIS should be 
available in 1998.

    Dated: May 19, 1995.
James S. Weller,
LTC, En Commanding.
[FR Doc. 95-13570 Filed 6-2-95; 8:45 am]
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