[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50286-50287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24551]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers; Department of the Army


To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Willamette River Basin Review Feasibility Study

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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SUMMARY: The alternatives to be evaluated in this feasibility study and 
EIS address the modification of operation and storage allocation of the 
Corps' 13-reservoir Willamette Basin, Oregon, system to better serve 
current and anticipated future water resource needs. A proposed action 
will be identified in the Final EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Address questions about the 
alternatives and EIS to: Lynne Hamilton, telephone (503) 326-6169, 
Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental 
Resources Branch, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Oregon, 97208-2946.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Willamette River Basin lies in 
northwestern Oregon. The Willamette Basin is the largest river basin 
wholly within Oregon and supports most of the State's population, 
larger cities, and many major industries. It also contains some of 
Oregon's most productive agricultural lands and supports nationally and 
regionally significant fish, wildlife, and plant species. There are a 
number of streams in the basin designated as State scenic waterways and 
Federal wild and scenic rivers. Water-related recreational 
opportunities in the basin are numerous.
    The basin is bounded on the east by the Cascade mountain range, on 
the south by the Calapooya mountains, and on the west by the Coast 
range. The basin has a drainage area of over 29,000 square kilometers 
(11,200 square miles) at its confluence with the Columbia River. At 
Salem, the capital of Oregon, near the middle of the basin, the 
drainage area is about 18,900 square kilometers (7,300 square miles). 
The mainstem Willamette River forms at the confluence of the Coast Fork 
and Middle Fork Willamette rivers near the cities of Eugene and 
Springfield. The river flows northward for a total of about 317 
kilometers (197 miles). Major cities on the Willamette River downstream 
of Eugene-Springfield include Corvallis, Albany, Salem, and Portland. 
Major eastside tributaries include the Middle Fork Willamette, 
McKenzie, Santiam, and Clackamas rivers. Major westside tributaries 
include the Coast Fork Willamette, Long Tom, Marys, Luckiamute, 
Yamhill, and Tualatin rivers.
    The purposes of the Corps' Willamette projects include flood damage 
reduction, power generation, navigation, irrigation, recreation, 
domestic water supply, fish and wildlife conservation, and pollution 
abatement. Of the 13 Corps reservoirs in the Willamette River Basin, 11 
are multiple-purpose, and 2 are re-regulating reservoirs for 
hydropower.
    Six of the Corps' multipurpose projects in the Willamette Basin 
generate hydropower and have exclusive reservoir storage for this 
purpose. Releases from the power projects are used to generate 
electrical energy for local and regional consumption. Energy generated 
by the Corps' projects is marketed by Bonneville Power Administration 
to help meet local and regional energy demand within the Federal 
Columbia River Power System.

[[Page 50287]]

    Water uses, needs, and public expectations have changed 
dramatically since the reservoir system was originally authorized in 
1938. A full range of beneficial uses needs to be considered for the 
reservoir system. Because the Willamette Valley is heavily populated 
and one of fastest growing regions in the State, the demands placed on 
Corps reservoirs for municipal and industrial water supplies as well as 
irrigation needs are expected to increase in the future.
    The water quality strategy for the Willamette River is currently 
based on release of stored water for low flow augmentation. Water 
quality permits based on the existing minimum flows provide no 
allowance for new waste loads in the future and presume that increased 
growth and development would be achieved within existing permit limits. 
Also, recreation has become a major economic and social use at many of 
the reservoirs and is dependent upon maintaining high conservation pool 
levels.
    In recent years, the regional awareness for rebuilding fish and 
wildlife populations in the Willamette Basin has steadily increased. 
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has adopted a Wild 
Fish Management Policy to protect the genetic resources of Oregon's 
wild fish and has adopted management strategies by subbasin based on 
increasing natural production. Natural production is accepted as the 
key to restoration and recovery of the declines in native fish stocks 
as an effort to prevent more listings of fish species under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA). In the Willamette Basin, steelhead and 
spring chinook salmon are native anadromous fish listed by the ODFW as 
sensitive species; recently, these species were petitioned for listing 
under the ESA. As of July 1996, the National Marine Fisheries Service 
proposed some steelhead stocks for listing; stocks originating above 
Willamette Falls were not included. Other sensitive fish species in the 
basin include the Oregon chub and bull trout. Oregon chub was listed as 
Federally endangered in November 1993, and bull trout is a candidate 
species for listing under the ESA. Because of their regional and 
national significance, these fish species are given high priority with 
respect to current and future management activities in the Willamette 
Basin.
    Five alternative scenarios reflecting changed system conditions 
from the base (without project or No Action) condition will be 
developed by varying the emphasis of the beneficial uses of the system. 
Beneficial uses to emphasize in addition to the purposes of flood 
protection, navigation, irrigation, and power include acquatic habitat 
and fish life-cycle needs, water quality, reservoir and downstream 
recreation, municipal and industrial water supply, and possibly other 
uses. The alternative of no action, i.e., continuing to operate the 
system as presently done, will also be considered. This includes 
development of a scenario reflecting the greatest net National Economic 
Development benefits (NED plan). The alternative scenarios will be 
analyzed in the feasibility study to determine physical, economic, 
environmental, cultural, and other possible benefits and effects from 
the base condition.
    The EIS scoping process will commence in October 1996 with the 
issuance of a scoping letter. Federal, State and local agencies, Indian 
tribes, and interested organizations and individuals will be asked to 
comment on the significant issues relating to the potential effects of 
the alternatives. Potentially significant issues to be addressed in the 
EIS include: Effects on populations and habitat of anadromous and 
resident fish, especially threatened, endangered, or sensitive species; 
Effects on wetlands and flood plains; Effects on power production, 
recreation, irrigation, water quality.
    Other environmental review and consultation requirements to be 
addressed in the EIS include:

(1) Clean Water Act of 1977, as amended
(2) Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
(3) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(4) Cultural Resources Acts
(5) Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management
(6) Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands

    A series of scoping meetings/public workshops are planned for 
February-March 1997 at various locations in the basin. Other public 
workshops will be held periodically throughout the study. Times and 
locations of these public workshops will be announced via the media. 
The DEIS is scheduled to be published and distributed for public review 
and comment in October 1999.

    Dated: September 13, 1996.
Howard B. Jones,
Chief, Planning and Engineering Division.
[FR Doc. 96-24551 Filed 9-24-96; 8:45 am]
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