[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 160 (Thursday, August 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45242-45243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21542]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Army, Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent to Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Proposed 
Rock Creek-Keefer Slough Flood Control Project, Butte County, CA

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), lead agency under 
the National Environmental Policy Act, intends to prepare a draft and 
final EIS/EIR evaluating the environmental effects of flood control and 
environmental restoration for the Rock Creek-Keefer Slough watershed in 
Butte County, California. The Corps is working with Butte County and 
the Rock Creek Reclamation District to provide this protection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS/EIR can be answered by Steve Tuggle at (916) 557-6638 or by 
mail at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, ATTN: Steve 
Tuggle, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814-2922.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Project Location

    The project area is located in Butte County approximately 90 miles 
north of Sacramento. The area of primary interest includes portions of 
the town of Nord and agricultural lands affected by flooding from Rock 
Creek and Keefer Slough. The streams of interest in this evaluation 
include portions of Rock Creek, Keefer Slough, Mud Creek, Pine Creek, 
Kusal Slough, and the Sacramento River. The project area is also 
interconnected within the Big Chico Creek Ecological Unit of the Butte 
Basin, a tributary of the Sacramento River. This project covers the 
area of Rock Creek and Keefer Slough between Highway 32 and \1/2\ mile 
above the confluence of Rock Creek with the Anderson Branch of Rock 
Creek, all within Butte County.

[[Page 45243]]

2. Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The Corps, in cooperation with the State of California (Department 
of Water Resources) and the local sponsor (Butte County), is conducting 
a feasibility investigation of the flood control and environmental 
restoration measures identified during the reconnaissance phase and 
described in the Rock Creek-Keefer Slough Initial Assessment dated 
February 1999. This feasibility investigation proposes to develop and 
evaluate alternative flood control and environmental restoration plans 
that would alleviate flooding for the 100-year storm event and enhance 
the existing environment along the Rock Creek-Keefer Slough system.
    The feasibility report will address an array of alternatives and 
resource problems. Alternatives analyzed during the feasibility 
investigation will be a combination of one or more flood control and 
ecosystem restoration measures identified during the reconnaissance 
phase; additional measures maybe considered. These alternative measures 
include (1) setback levees and stream channel improvements, (2) 
environmental restoration measures, (3) bypass and diversion 
structures, and (4) detention storage measures.
    The goal of this project is to provide the greatest environmental 
benefits possible in conjunction with the proposed flood control 
project. Primary objectives include reducing flood risk and property 
damages, preserving existing resources, improving water quality, 
restoring wetlands, increasing riparian and riverine habitat, and 
reducing cobble and sediment transport. Significant issues to be 
analyzed in depth in the EIS/EIR include appropriate levels of the 
flood damage reduction, adverse effects on vegetation and wildlife 
resources, special-status species, esthetics, cultural resources, 
recreation, and cumulative effects of related projects in the study 
area.

3. Scoping Process

    ``Scoping'' is a process to identify the actions, alternative, and 
effects to be evaluated in an environmental document. The project study 
plan provides for public scoping meeting and comments.
    The Corps has initiated a process of involving Federal, State, and 
local agencies, and concerned individuals. After the draft EIS/EIR is 
prepared, a 45-day public review period will be provided for 
individuals and agencies to review and comment on the EIS/EIR. All 
interested parties should respond to this notice and provide a current 
address if they wish to be notified of the EIS/EIR circulation and 
future scoping meeting dates. Public meetings will be held to receive 
verbal and written comments. All comments will be considered and 
responded to in the final EIS/EIR.

4. Public Meetings

    A public scoping meeting will be held in January 2000. Individuals 
are also encouraged to submit written scoping comments by December 31, 
1999, to http://www.buttecounty.net/publicworks/ or by mail to U.S Army 
Corps of Engineers, Planning Division, ATTN: Steve Tuggle, 1325 J 
Street, Sacramento, California 95814-2922.

5. Availability

    The EIS/EIR is scheduled to be available for public review and 
comment in the summer of 2000.

    Dated: August 9, 1999.
Michael J. Walsh,
COL, EN, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 99-21542 Filed 8-18-99; 8:45 am]
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