[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 134 (Thursday, July 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36122-36123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17179]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Proposed Reallocation of Storage at Jennings Randolph Lake in 
Mineral County, West Virginia, and Garrett County, Maryland

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is 
investigating the feasibility of reallocating existing storage (flood 
control and/or water quality) to water supply storage at Jennings 
Randolph Lake. Jennings Randolph Lake is located on the North Branch 
Potomac River in Mineral County, West Virginia, Garrett County, 
Maryland. The intent of the reallocation is to meet identified regional 
water supply demands.
    A feasibility study of the proposed action is being conducted under 
Section 301 of the Water Supply Act of 1958, Section 216 of the Rivers 
and Harbors and Flood Control Act of 1970, and Section 105 of the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1986. The feasibility study was initiated 
in December 1990. The study was undertaken as a result of the State of 
Maryland's 1985 consumptive use regulation, as well as identified need 
by the Washington area water supply utilities for additional storage 
for future municipal water supply needs. The purpose of the feasibility 
study is to determine the feasibility of reallocating storage at 
Jennings Randolph Lake to meet water supply needs and to evaluate the 
potential impacts on the authorized project purposes and environmental 
resources. The State of Maryland is the non-Federal sponsor for the 
feasibility phase of the reallocation study. A notice of intent was 
first published for the study in the June 6, 1991, Federal Register. 
However, in the spring of 1992, study activities were suspended due to 
concerns regarding technical issues. A detailed investigation of the 
issues and a reassessment of the remaining study tasks resolved the 
concerns, and study activities were resumed in February 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be answered by Ms. Laura Seebeck, Project Manager, 
Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENAB-PL-PR, 
P.O. Box 1715, Baltimore, Maryland 21203-1715, telephone (410) 962-
4958.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Jennings Randolph Lake is located on the 
North Branch Potomac River, approximately 8 miles upstream of its 
confluence with the Savage River. It is situated on the border between 
Mineral County, West Virginia, and Garrett County, Maryland, about 230 
miles upstream of Washington D.C. Construction of Jennings Randolph 
Lake was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962 (Public Law 87-
874), under the name of Bloomington Lake, to provide water quality 
control in the North Branch Potomac River, industrial and municipal 
water supply for the Potomac River basin, flood control protection for 
the North Branch communities, and recreation associated with the lake 
and the surrounding facilities. The construction of the dam was 
initiated in 1971, completed in 1981, and is operated by the Corps of 
Engineers. In May 1987, Bloomington Lake was renamed Jennings Randolph 
Lake, in honor of the longtime West Virginia senator. The dam controls 
263 square miles of drainage and is authorized to provide flood 
control, water supply, water quality control, and recreation. The 
reservoir storage is currently allocated to water supply (41,000 acre-
feet), water quality control (51,000 acre-feet) and flood control 
(36,200 acre-feet). The present use of the Jennings Randolph water 
quality storage has produced significant improvements to the North 
Branch Potomac River downstream of the dam, particularly during low 
flow conditions; however, extensive lake drawdowns have resulted from 
water quality releases.
    Jennings Randolph Lake extends 5.5 miles covering 952 acres at the 
full conservation pool of 1,466 feet, mean sea level. The 4,700 acres 
of project lands lie in a densely wooded, winding gorge in the 
Appalachian Highlands. A variety of recreational opportunities exist 
along the lake. The major attractions offered at Jennings Randolph Lake 
are a nature trail, sightseeing at two project overlooks, picnic 
facilities, campgrounds, fishing access, and a boat launch.
    2. Increasing population, industrial development and economic 
growth in the Potomac River basin are causing additional demands on the 
basin's water and related land resources. In 1985, the State of 
Maryland enacted consumptive use legislation which regulates facilities 
that withdraw water from the Potomac River and its tributaries. During 
periods of low flow, the Maryland regulation mandates that consumptive 
users replace their consumptive loss or, alternatively, shut down their 
operation. Several water users are interested in the purchase of 
storage at Jennings Randolph Lake to meet their consumptive use 
requirements. The proposed action consists of reallocating some of the 
existing storage (flood control and/or water quality) to water supply 
storage.
    3. During 1991 and 1992, baseline or existing conditions were 
identified for environmental and cultural resources, recreational 
facilities, social and economic conditions, hydrologic and hydraulic 
conditions, and slope stability within the study area. During the 
alternative analysis, concerns regarding the intake tower's capability 
to accommodate the proposed reallocation 

[[Page 36123]]
were raised. In the spring of 1992, study activities ceased while a 
detailed review of the existing operations manual was conducted, which 
concluded that the existing intake tower was adequate for the 
reallocation.
    4. The Jennings Randolph Reallocation Feasibility Study will 
investigate a range of alternatives including:
    (a) No action.
    (b) Reallocation of a portion of the present water quality storage 
to water supply. No increase in the present conservation lake elevation 
would occur. The maximum amount of storage to be considered for 
reallocation is 6,000 acre-feet.
    (c) Reallocation of the present flood control storage to water 
supply. The present conservation pool elevation would be increased, and 
maintained at the new level throughout the year, as much as possible. 
Several levels of reallocation will be investigated ranging from a 
minimum of a 6-foot rise to a maximum of an 18-foot rise in the present 
conservation lake level. These rises would mean an additional 5,800 to 
18,200 acre-feet of water supply storage, respectively.
    (d) Reallocation of the present flood control storage to water 
supply by operating the lake on a seasonal pool basis. The lake would 
be gradually drawn down throughout autumn, maintained at an elevation 
of about 1,450 feet over the winter, and gradually brought back up 
during the spring for the summer season. Historically, lake levels at 
the project have followed a similar pattern to meet downstream water 
quality objectives.
    The feasibility study will evaluate the beneficial and adverse 
impacts of the proposed reallocation alternatives including the 
following issues: additional water supply releases, lake drawdowns 
beyond the current operations, decreased flood control storage, 
decreased water quality storage, and the increased frequency of gas 
supersaturation.
    5. The Baltimore District is preparing a draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS) which will describe the impacts of the proposed action 
on the environmental, cultural, recreational, social and economic 
resources in the study area, as well as the existing level of flood 
protection. The overall public interest will also be addressed. If 
applicable, the DEIS will also apply guidelines issued by the 
Environmental Protection Agency, under authority of Section 404(b)(1) 
of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95-217).
    6. A notice of study status will be distributed to interested 
private individuals and organizations, as well as Federal, state, and 
local agencies informing them of the study and our intent to prepare a 
DEIS, and requesting their comments. The Baltimore District invites 
potentially affected Federal, state, and local agencies, and other 
interested organizations and parties to participate in this study. 
Agencies that will be involved in the feasibility study and EIS process 
include, but are not limited to, the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Geological Survey; U.S. 
Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. National Park Service; 
West Virginia Department of Natural Resources; Maryland Department of 
Natural Resources; Maryland Department of the Environment; Maryland 
Historical Trust; West Virginia Department of Culture and History; 
Mineral County, West Virginia; Garrett County, Maryland; the Interstate 
Commission on the Potomac River Basin; the Tri-County Council for 
Western Maryland; and the Upper Potomac River Commission. Additional 
study bulletins, notices and workshops will be included as part of the 
public involvement program, as needed.
    7. The DEIS is tentatively scheduled to be available for public 
review in December 1996.
Neal T. Wright,
LTC, Corps of Engineers, Acting Commander.
[FR Doc. 95-17179 Filed 7-12-95; 8:45 am]
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