[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 140 (Wednesday, July 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 39275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19478]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Wichita River Basin Portion of the Red River Chloride Control Project 
(RRCCP), Texas and Oklahoma

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the EIS is to address alternatives and 
modifications to the authorized plan for chloride control in the 
Wichita River Basin to provide improved water quality at Lake Kemp, 
Texas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions or comments concerning the proposed action should be 
addressed to Mr. David L. Combs, Chief, Environmental Analysis and 
Compliance Branch, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. 
Box 61, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74121-0061, telephone 918-669-7188.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wichita River Basin portion was 
authorized as part of a larger chloride control project by the Flood 
Control Act of 1966, approved 7 November 1966, Public Law 89-789, SD 
110; as modified by the Flood Control Act approved 31 December 1970, 
Public Law 91-611; and as amended by the Water Resources Development 
Acts of 1974 (Public Law 93-251) and 1976 (Public Law 94--587). Section 
1107 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 amended the above 
authorization to separate the overall project into the Arkansas River 
Basin and the Red River Basin and authorized the Red River Basin for 
construction subject to a favorable report by a review panel on the 
performance of Area VIII. The review panel submitted a favorable report 
to the Public Works Committee of the House and Senate in August 1988 
indicating that Area VIII was performing as designed. The portion of 
the authorized project on the upstream forks of the Wichita River 
consists of collection Areas VII, VIII, and X and Truscott Lake. The 
authorized plan consisted of four low flow dams for collection of 
brine-laden waters, two brine storage lakes for holding concentrated 
brine solutions, and the necessary pumps and pipelines to transport 
brine solutions from the low flow dams to the brine storage lakes.
    Facilities constructed to date include the Areas VIII and X low 
flow collection facilities, Truscott Brine Lake, and a pipeline from 
the Area VIII collection facility to the Truscott Brine Lake. 
Approximately 10,000 acres of lands have also been purchased at the 
Crowell Brine Lake site near Crowell, Texas. The Crowell Brine Lake 
component will not be constructed, but the lands will be used for fish 
and wildlife mitigation requirements associated with completion of the 
Wichita River Basin facilities. The EIS will evaluate the impacts 
associated with construction and operation of only the Wichita River 
Basin chloride control facilities.
    Reasonable alternatives to be considered include various 
combinations of constructed facilities in combination with plans for 
deep well injection, construction of the Area VII collection facility, 
abandonment of the Area X collection facility, an increase in the size 
of Truscott Brine Lake, and no action.
    Significant issues to be addressed in the EIS include: (1) 
hydrological, biological, and water quality issues concerning fish, 
aquatic invertebrates, algae/biofilm, aquatic macrophytes, wetland/
riparian ecosystem of the Wichita River, Lake Kemp, and Red River above 
Lake Texoma to the confluence of the Wichita River; (2) the Lakes Kemp 
and Texoma components, including chloride/turbidity relationships, 
chloride/fish reproduction issues, chloride/plankton community issues, 
chloride/nutrient dynamics issues, and impacts on recreational values; 
(3) a selenium (Se) component addressing Se concentrations and impacts 
on biota; (4) alternative studies involving constructed facilities and 
remaining facilities to be constructed; (5) man-made brines and 
associated reduction (6) mitigation as it relates indirectly to habitat 
losses resulting from irrigated cropland and direct impacts resulting 
from construction of project components; (7) Section 401 water quality 
issues; (8) impacts on the commercial bait-fishery of the upper Red 
River; (9) Federally-listed threatened and endangered species; and (10) 
unquantifiable/undefined impacts.
    Scoping meetings for the project are planned to be conducted in 
August 1998. News releases, informing the public and local, state,and 
Federal agencies of the proposed action will be published in local 
newspapers. Comments received as a result of this notice and the news 
releases will be used to assist the Tulsa District in identifying 
potential impacts to the quality of the human or natural environment. 
Affected Federal, state, or local agencies, affected Indian tribes, and 
other interested private organizations and parties may participate in 
the Scoping process by forwarding written comments to the above noted 
address or attending the Scoping meetings.
    The draft EIS (DEIS) is expected to be available for public review 
and comment by 1 August 1999. Any comments and suggestions should be 
forwarded to the above noted address no later than 1 October 1999 to be 
considered in the DEIS.
Timothy L. Sanford,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 98-19478 Filed 7-21-98; 8:45 am]
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