[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35520-35521]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17348]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CO-070-5101-CO12]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on the Plateau Creek Pipeline Replacement Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on the Plateau Creek Pipeline Replacement Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 (2) (C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Grand Junction Resource Area office, 
Grand Junction District, had an Environmental Impact Statement prepared 
to address impacts of the Plateau Creek Pipeline Replacement project 
proposed by the Ute Water Conservancy District (Ute Water). The project 
is a raw water conveyance system proposed on private and public lands 
in Mesa County, Colorado to replace a deteriorated and under sized 
pipeline currently approved under BLM ROW grant C 081282.
    Copies of the EIS and the Technical Memoranda will be available at 
the Mesa County Public Library in Grand Junction, Colorado, at the 
Grand Junction Resource Area, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 
81506 at the BLM, Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, 
Lakewood, Colorado 80215 and at the Ute Water Conservancy District, 560 
25 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until 4:00 PM, MST, on August 
29, 1997. A public meeting will be held from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on August 
12, 1997, at the Two Rivers Convention Center, 159 Main Street, Grand 
Junction, Colorado.

ADDRESS: Comments should be sent to the Grand Junction Area Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506, ATTN: 
Plateau Creek Pipeline Replacement Project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Stevens, (970) 244-3009.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The existing Plateau Creek Pipeline is an 
essential part of the Ute Water system which provides water to more 
than 60,000 Grand Valley residents. The Ute Water service area includes 
most of the Grand Valley area surrounding the City of Grand Junction, 
Colorado, and extends from east of the Town of Palisade to within 5 
miles of the Colorado-Utah stateline. Ute Water is a political 
subdivision of the State of Colorado formed under the Water Conservancy 
Act of 1937, and is considered to be a quasi-municipal entity. In order 
for Ute Water to meet its commitment of providing a reliable, cost 
effective, high quality water source, replacement of the pipeline is 
necessary. Water is conveyed via a 24-inch-diameter pipeline 
approximately 14 miles along Plateau Creek Canyon and adjacent to 
Interstate Highway 70 to Ute Water's treatment plant located on Rapid 
Creek, near the Town of Palisade. As of 1994, the pipeline was no 
longer able to provide an adequate flow rate to meet the peak day 
customer demands. The pipeline is presently subject to frequent breaks 
due to deteriorated pipe condition, and is unreliable due to its 
location within geologic hazards and stream erosion areas.
    The Bureau of Land Management and Ute Water had performed scoping 
to: (1) identify interested stakeholders and agencies, (2) define key 
issues, and (3) identify initial project alternatives for preparation 
of an Environmental Assessment. The initial filing of the Notice of 
Intent was on March 14, 1995. On the basis of subsequent information 
and comments provided to the BLM it was determined that issues and 
concerns would best be analyzed in an EIS.
    During the initial scoping, 16 alternatives were developed. These 
include seven alternatives along the Plateau Creek corridor, three 
different alternatives involving use of water from nearby utilities, a 
Colorado River pump station alternative, two alternatives for supplying 
water from the Kannah Creek watershed, two alternatives for supplying 
water from the Whitewater Creek watershed, and a No Action alternative. 
Groundwater alternatives and conservation actions are also addressed in 
the EIS. Four of the

[[Page 35521]]

initially considered alternatives, selected on the basis of screening 
criteria described in Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act, and the 
National Environmental Policy Act. These are:
    Alternative A--Replacement of the pipeline in a modified alignment 
parallel to Plateau Creek such that impacts to all resources are 
minimized.
    Alternative B--Replacement of the pipeline parallel to Plateau 
Creek mainly within the existing state highway 65 and 330 rights-of-
way.
    Alternative C--Replacement of the pipeline in either alignment A 
with a smaller pipeline. This alternative includes provisions for 
construction of a booster pump station at the mouth of Plateau Canyon 
to be built at a future date to meet long-term demands.
    Alternative D--A ``no federal action'' alternative (Denial of the 
proposed action or reasonable alternatives).
    Major issues identified during the scoping include: (1) wetlands 
and riparian areas, (2) threatened and endangered species, (3) Prime 
and Unique Farmlands, (4) water depletion issues, and (5) impacts to 
State Highway 65.
Mark T. Morse,
District Manager
[FR Doc. 97-17348 Filed 6-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P