[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 140 (Friday, July 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37669-37670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17548]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on the Proposed Acquisition of Water Rights for Lahontan Valley 
Wetlands, Churchill County, Nevada

AGENCIES: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (lead agency); Nevada Division 
of Wildlife, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, Naval Air Station--Fallon, Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribes, and 
Churchill County (cooperating agencies).

ACTION: Notice of availability and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for water rights acquisition for the Lahontan 
Valley Wetlands, Churchill County, Nevada, is available for public 
review. five alternatives are being considered, including the Proposed 
Action. Comments and suggestions are requested. This notice is being 
furnished pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969.

DATES: Written comments are requested by September 20, 1995. An open-
house workshop will be held on August 9, 1995, between 3 pm and 8 pm, 
at the Fallon Community Center. Fish and Wildlife Service 
representatives will be available to answer questions and explain the 
draft EIS at the workshop. Public hearings will be held on September 6, 
1995 at 3 pm and at 7 pm to receive written and oral comments 
concerning the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Project Leader, 
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1236, Fallon, NV 89407.
    Copies of the draft EIS may be inspected at the following 
locations:

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, 1000 Auction Road, Fallon, NV 
89406
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Refuge and Wildlife, 911 N.E. 11th 
Avenue, Portland, OR 97232
Churchill County Public Library, 553 South Maine St., Fallon, NV 89406
Nevada State Library and Archives, Reference Desk, 100 Stewart Street, 
Carson City, NV 89701
Reno Branch, Washoe County Public Library, 301 S. Center Street, Reno, 
NV 89501

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ron Anglin, Project Leader, or Gary Shellhorn, Stillwater National 
Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1236, Fallon, NV 89407, (702) 423-5128.
    Individuals desiring a copy of the draft EIS for review should 
immediately contact the above address. Copies have been sent to 
agencies and individuals who participated in the scoping process and to 
those people that later requested to be added to the mailing list.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights 
Settlement Act, (Title II of Public Law 101-618), directs the Secretary 
of the Interior to acquire enough water and water rights to sustain, on 
a long-term average, approximately 25,000 acres of primary wetland 
habitat in the Lahontan Valley. As defined in Public Law 101-618, 
primary wetland habitat is wetland habitat is wetland lying within 
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Stillwater Wildlife Management 
Area, Carson Lake and Pasture, and Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Indian 
Reservation wetlands. The Service developed and analyzed four 
alternatives, including the Proposed Action, for securing up to 125,000 
acre-feet (AF) of water for Lahontan Valley wetlands. A No Action 
Alternative was also developed and analyzed. The purpose of the Draft 
EIS is to analyze the potential consequences of the five alternatives 
being considered.
    The five alternatives are: (1) No Action, which entails the 
acquisition of 20,000 AF of water rights from within the Carson 
Division of the Newlands Irrigation Project (Newlands Project); (2) 
Proposed Action, which proposes the acquisition of an additional 
102,000 AF of water rights for a total of up to 122,000 AF of water 
rights; (3) Least Cost Alternative, which would result in the 
acquisition of up to 100,000 AF of water rights (including the initial 
20,000 AF of acquisition); (4) Maximum Acquisition Alternative, which 
would result in up to 133,500 AF being acquired (which includes the 
initial 20,000 AF of acquisition); and (5) Minimum Acquisition 
Alternative, which would cap or limit Carson Division Newlands Project 
purchase acquisitions at 75,000 AF of water rights and would utilize a 
variety of other sources of water to meet the Fish and Wildlife 
Service's primary wetland habitat objective.
    Under the Proposed Action, the Service proposes to acquire 
sufficient water and water rights to provide a total annual average of 
125,000 AF of inflow to primary wetland areas to achieve the objective 
of sustaining 25,000 acres of primary wetland habitat in the Lahontan 
Valley. The amount acquired by the Service would supplement available 
drainwater, spills, water being acquired by the Service under earlier 
authorizations, and would incorporate water being acquired by the State 
of Nevada for Lahontan Valley wetland areas.
    To meet the needed 125,000 AF of annual average wetland inflow, the 
Service would, under the Proposed Action, acquire up to 122,000 AF of 
water rights, which amounts to about 66 percent of the water rights 
that are in currently in private ownership in the Carson Division of 
the Newlands Project. In addition, approximately 13,000 AF of 
drainwater and 11,000 AF of spills would supplement inflows to the 
primary wetland habitats.
    Puchase of water rights would be from willing sellers only. In 
addition, leasing, donations, and exchange of water rights would be 
utilized as opportunities arise.

[[Page 37670]]

    The draft EIS evaluates the Proposed Action and other alternatives 
relative to their potential effects on: (1) Newlands Project operations 
and infrastructure; (2) water resources; (3) biological resources; (4) 
regional agriculture, farmlands, and the local economy; (5) regional 
recreation; (6) land use; and (7) social values. Estimated acquisition 
costs are also disclosed.

    Dated: July 11, 1995.
Thomas Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 95-17548 Filed 7-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M