[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 231 (Friday, December 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61693-61694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29290]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2496-006 Oregon]


Eugene Water & Electrical Board; Notice of Intent to Hold a 
Public Meeting in Springfield, Oregon, to Discuss the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed Relicensing of 
the Leaburg-Walterville Hydroelectric Project

November 27, 1995.
    On October 13, 1995, the Commission staff mailed the DEIS to the 
Environmental Protection Agency, resource and land management agencies, 
and interested organizations and individuals. This document evaluates 
the environmental consequences of the proposed relicensing of the 
Leaburg-Walterville Hydroelectric Project at the installed capacity of 
21.5 megawatts. The project is located on the Mckenzie River in Land 
County, Oregon.
    The public meeting will be recorded by a court reporter and is 
scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19, 1995, at the 
Thurston High School auditorium which is located just off Highway 126, 
at 333 North 58th Street, Springfield, Oregon.
    At the meeting, Commission Staff will summarize major DEIS findings 
and recommendations. Resource agency personnel and other interested 
persons will have an opportunity to submit oral and written comments on 
the DEIS for the Commission's public record. Written comments on the 
DEIS may also be sent to: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street N.E., Washington, DC. 20426. Comments must be received 
before December 26, 1995. All correspondence should include the project 
name and number on the first page of the correspondence.
    The DEIS considers recommendations of government agencies, 
nongovernmental organizations, affected Indian tribes, the public, 
Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), and the Commission's staff. It 
evaluates natural and social resource benefits, the economic costs, and 
the project-specific 

[[Page 61694]]
and cumulative environmental impacts associated with relicensing the 
project.
    To maintain and enhance the project's power generation efficiency 
and capacity, the DEIS recommends raising Leaburg Lake by 1.5 feet, 
installing structures in the McKenzie River near the Walterville 
intake, excavating the Walterville tailrace, and upgrading powerhouse 
generation equipment. The environmental impacts of these actions would 
be minor and could be mitigated by staff recommended measures.
    To enhance highly valued McKenzie River fishery resources, EWEB 
would install a fish screen in the Walterville canal intake and would 
install tailrace barriers in the Leaburg and Walterville tailraces. To 
further improve fish habitat and boating opportunities, enhanced year-
around minimum in-stream flows, including a flow allotment that could 
be used during late-summer low-flow conditions are recommended.
    To enhance recreation access and opportunities along the McKenzie 
River, EWEB proposes trust fund donations to acquire lands along the 
river for access and habitat protection. EWEB also proposes several 
lesser measures to enhance wildlife habitat values and recreation 
opportunities on project lands.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-29290 Filed 11-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M