[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 3714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1602]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, WA, INT-FES 
99-3

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final programmatic environmental 
impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a final programmatic 
environmental impact statement (PEIS) for implementing provisions of 
Phase 2 of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project 
(Enhancement Project). The purpose of the Enhancement Project is to 
meet the competing water needs of the Yakima River basin, including the 
protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources 
and improvement of the reliability of the water supply for irrigation, 
through improved water conservation and management and other 
appropriate means.

DATES: A decision will not be made on the proposed action shall at 
least 30 days after this notice of availability of the final PEIS is 
published in the Federal Register. Soon after the 30-day waiting 
period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision, identifying the 
action that will be taken and discussing all factors leading to the 
decision.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the final PEIS may be obtained without charge from 
the following location:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, 1917 
Marsh Road, Yakima, Washington 98907

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Tiedeman, Environmental 
Specialist, at the above address or at 509-575-5848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final PEIS evaluates the effects of 
Title XII of the Enhancement Project legislation. The provisions and 
measures of the Enhancement Project legislation form the parameters and 
the methods for achieving the protection, mitigation, and enhancement 
of fish and wildlife through improved water management, instream flows, 
water quality, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and improved 
reliability of irrigation water supplies. Central to this legislation 
is the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program which attempts to 
balance competing demands on the basin's water supply. This voluntary 
program will reduce demands on the available water supply by promoting 
conservation measures to improve the efficiency of water delivery and 
use, instream flows for fish and wildlife, and the reliability of the 
irrigation water supply.
    Specific measures that will be implemented depend upon proposals 
contained in the water conservation plans, feasibility investigations 
of measures selected for consideration, and program criteria. 
Consequently, the final PEIS is a broad scope document to provide 
``umbrella'' coverage for implementing the Enhancement Project with 
subsequent tiering for NEPA compliance of specific follow-on actions as 
appropriate.
    Six alternatives, including no action, were evaluated in the final 
PEIS. The no action alternative is presented as the most likely future 
condition that could be expected without the implementation of 
additional Title XII provisions beyond the currently established 
riverflows, which includes the new operational criteria required by the 
legislation. This alternative provided the basis for impact 
comparisons. Five action alternatives presented the implementation of 
all elements of the Enhancement Project at different levels of 
implementation of project components. The preferred and environmentally 
preferred alternative is Alternative 2A, which includes all provisions 
of Title XII, and which would provide for the implementation of water 
conservation measures throughout the basin, rather than concentrating 
in specific areas.
    Beneficial impacts of the project are considered to be enhanced 
water quality, increased streamflow, and overall reinforcement of fish 
and wildlife habitat, as well as an increase in the reliability of 
irrigation water supplies.

    Dated: January 7, 1999.
Steven R. Clark,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 99-1602 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M