[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18441-18442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9943]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Tucson Aqueduct System Reliability Investigation, Central Arizona 
Project, INT-FES 98-12

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability on the final environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (as 
amended) (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a 
final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the Tucson Aqueduct 
System Reliability Investigation (TASRI) project, Tucson Division, 
Central Arizona Project (CAP). The FEIS addresses alternatives that 
have been studied to incorporate short-term delivery reliability into 
the CAP system for the Tucson area. This short-term reliability would 
ensure the delivery of CAP water to Tucson area users during periods of 
planned maintenance outages of the CAP. Reclamation proposes the 
construction of a 15,000 acre-foot surface storage reservoir, located 
southwest of the Tucson metropolitan area, to provide reliability to 
Tucson area CAP water users.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:

 Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Liaison Office, Room 7624, 
1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240; telephone (202) 208-6269
 Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225; 
telephone (303) 236-6963
 Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Director's 
Office, Nevada Highway and Park Street, Boulder City, NV 89005; 
telephone (702) 293-8000
 Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, Attn: PXAO-1500, 
2222 W. Dunlap Avenue, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85021-2801; telephone 
(602) 216-3864

[[Page 18442]]

 Bureau of Reclamation, Tucson Field Office, 4257 W. Ina Road, 
Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85742; telephone (520) 744-5180
    Libraries: Copies of the FEIS are also available for inspection at 
the following libraries: County Courthouse Law Library, University of 
Arizona Main Library, City Hall Annex Library, and the City Hall 
Government Reference Library (9th Floor), in Tucson, AZ; Arizona State 
University Hayden Library, (Arizona Collection), in Tempe, AZ; and the 
Phoenix (Burton Barr) Public Library in Phoenix, AZ.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Pryor, TASRI Project Manager, 
PXAO-2500, or Ms. Sandra Eto, NEPA Compliance Specialist, PXAO-1500, 
Reclamation, PO Box 81169, Phoenix AZ 85069-1169; telephone (602) 216-
3931, or 216-3857, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CAP, authorized as part of the Colorado 
River Basin Project Act of 1968, is a multipurpose water project which 
develops water for municipal and industrial use, as well as for Indian 
uses and non-Indian agricultural uses in central and southern Arizona. 
Because of Tucson's greater exposure to water service interruptions, 
the TASRI was initiated in 1986 to study alternatives that would 
provide as ``reasonably reliable'' a supply of CAP water to the Tucson 
area as is available to Phoenix area cities. The FEIS analyzes the 
environmental consequences of the construction and operation of a 
15,000 acre-foot surface storage reservoir (the Agency proposed 
action), two additional alternatives, and a no Federal action 
alternative. The FEIS describes environmental consequences to the 
following resources: Biological, cultural, geologic, air, water, land, 
recreational, socio-economic, and Indian trust assets. Construction and 
operation of a surface storage reservoir would provide opportunities 
for incorporating recreational facilities. A local sponsor(s) would 
need to agree to be responsible for at least 50 percent of the capital 
costs to construct the recreational developments, as well as accept 
responsibility for recreation-related operating and maintenance costs. 
Reclamation estimates 214 Pima pineapple cacti would be impacted from 
the proposed action. The Pima pineapple cactus is a federally 
endangered plant that occurs on the proposed surface storage reservoir 
site. Fish and Wildlife Service's Biological Opinion for this project 
indicates implementation of a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) 
will avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of the Pima pineapple 
cactus. One of the RPA actions directs Reclamation to establish a 
refugium for the Pima pineapple cactus that is of similar acreage, 
cactus population, and of similar or better habitat of the project 
area, if this proposed action is implemented. Recreational development 
within the project area is not precluded by the Opinion.
    The draft EIS was issued April 18, 1995. Responses to comments 
received from interested organizations and individuals, both in writing 
and during two public hearings held in June 1995, are addressed in the 
FEIS.
    Reclamation's development and evaluation of the alternatives 
described in the FEIS, and selection of the proposed action, were based 
upon the assumption that the great majority of CAP water allocated to 
the Tucson metropolitan area would be treated at Tucson Water's Hayden-
Udall Water Treatment Plant and delivered for direct use through Tucson 
Water's delivery system. Many changes have occurred, since the draft 
EIS was issued for public review and comment in April 1995, related to 
water management in the Tucson area. Consequently, assumptions that 
were used in developing and sizing the systems considered under the 
action alternatives discussed in the FEIS may no longer be valid. In 
light of the uncertainty regarding future use of CAP water in the 
region, Reclamation does not intend to issue a Record of Decision in 
the immediate future regarding implementation of the project. However, 
the fiscal year 1997 Appropriations Act specifically directed 
Reclamation to finalize the EIS; therefore, this FEIS is being filed 
with the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Dated: April 10, 1998.
Robert W. Johnson,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 98-9943 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P