[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 47897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23172]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Proposed Randleman Lake, Guilford and Randolph Counties, NC

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) has 
applied for a Department of the Army permit to discharge fill material 
for the construction of a dam to impound water to form Randleman Lake. 
The dam would be about 15 miles south of the city of Greensboro, North 
Carolina, and would be located on the Deep River, a tributary of the 
Cape Fear River. Projected regional water demands indicate that 
existing water supplies are inadequate for future needs and that water 
shortages will occur shortly after the year 2000. The proposed lake 
would meet the projected water supply needs of the PTRWA member 
governments for approximately 50 years.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and DEIS can be answered by: Mr. John C. Meshaw, Environmental 
Resources Section; or Mr. E. David Franklin, Regulatory Branch, both at 
the U.S. Army Engineer District, Wilmington, Post Office Box 1890, 
Wilmington, North Carolina 28402-1890; telephone: (910) 251-4175 or 
(910) 251-4952, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Construction of the dam for Randleman Lake 
will require a permit pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 
as amended, for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters 
of the United States and their contiguous wetlands. The project would 
inundate 121 acres of jurisdictional wetlands and approximately 28 
miles of rivers and streams.
    1. The proposed 6,000-acre project would consist of a 3,000-acre 
lake and a 3,000-acre perimeter buffer strip. Randleman Lake would be 
constructed at the same dam site and conservation pool elevation which 
was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1968 for the proposed Federal 
Randleman Lake multipurpose reservoir. Three major aspects of the 
currently proposed project which are different from the previously 
proposed Federal project include the following:
    a. The project purpose is water supply only, not multipurpose.
    b. Land requirements total approximately 6,000 acres rather than 
10,000 acres.
    c. Treated wastewater from the Highpoint Eastside Wastewater 
Treatment Plant would be released directly into the upstream portion of 
the lake rather than discharging through a sewer bypass to a point 
downstream from Randleman dam.
    2. Alternatives to the proposed project include other water supply 
reservoirs, purchase of water from other municipalities, development of 
groundwater wells, water conservation, a combination of groundwater 
wells with a smaller reservoir, and no action. Other reservoir sites 
considered include Upper Deep River Lake, Altamahaw Lake, and a 
combination of two smaller sites at Benaja Lake and Polecat Creek Lake.
    3. Public and agency review and input for the proposed project have 
been ongoing since 1988. An environmental impact statement (EIS) was 
prepared by the State of North Carolina in order to satisfy the 
requirements of the North Carolina Environmental Policy Act and North 
Carolina General Statutes 162A-7 and 153-285 concerning the use of the 
power of eminent domain and the interbasin transfer of water. The 
State's Draft EIS was circulated for review in July 1989; a public 
hearing was conducted on February 6, 1991; and the State's Final EIS 
was published on October 23, 1991. Subsequently, issues and concerns 
were discussed at an interagency scoping meeting conducted January 22, 
1992, and at a meeting with the Deep River Citizens Association on 
February 25, 1992.
    a. The public involvement program will continue through public 
announcements, letters, report review periods, telephone conversations, 
and meetings. All private interests and Federal, State, and local 
agencies having an interest in the project are hereby notified that 
their participation is invited.
    b. The significant issues to be addressed in the DEIS are the 
impacts of the project on wetlands, hydrology, water quality, aquatic 
resources, fish and wildlife habitat, cultural resources, 
transportation, and the social and economic conditions of the project 
area.
    c. The lead agency for this project is the U.S. Army Engineer 
District, Wilmington. Cooperating agency status has not been assigned 
to, nor requested by, any other agency.
    d. The DEIS is being prepared in accordance with the requirements 
of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and will 
address the project's relationship to all other applicable Federal and 
State laws and Executive Orders.
    4. No formal scoping meetings are planned at this time, but based 
on the responses received, meetings may be held with specific agencies 
or individuals as required.
    5. The Draft EIS is currently scheduled for distribution to the 
public in fall 1996.

    Dated: August 27, 1996.
Terry R. Youngbluth,
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 96-23172 Filed 9-10-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-GN-M