[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51786-51787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24963]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation
[FES 99-31]


Contra Costa Water District's Future Use and Operation of Contra 
Loma Reservoir Project, Contra Costa County CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact 
report/final environmental impact statement (FEIR/FEIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), 
the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Contra Costa Water District 
(CCWD) prepared a joint FEIR/FEIS for CCWD's Future Use and Operation 
of Contra Loma Reservoir Project. In 1997, the California State 
Department of Health Services (DOHS) issued a compliance order to CCWD 
requiring either that recreational body contact activities in Contra 
Loma Reservoir (Reservoir) cease, or that CCWD stop using the Reservoir 
for domestic water supply storage. The proposed action is to continue 
to use the Reservoir for its historic domestic water supply purposes 
and to construct a separate swimming lagoon within the existing 
Reservoir footprint to allow swimming and wading to continue. Action 
taken by Reclamation would allow CCWD to construct the swimming lagoon 
on lands owned by the United States at the Reservoir.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until 30 days after release of the FEIR/FEIS. After the 30-day waiting 
period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD 
will state the action that will be implemented and will discuss all 
factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIR/FEIS may be requested from Ms. Frances I. 
Garland, Principal Planner, CCWD, 2300 Stanwell Drive, Concord CA 
94524; telephone: (925) 688-8312.
    Copies of the FEIR/FEIS are available for public inspection and 
review. These locations are listed in the ``Supplementary Information'' 
section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Frances I. Garland, CCWD, 2300 
Stanwell Drive, Concord CA 94524; telephone: (925) 688-8312; or Mr. 
Robert B. Eckart, Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento CA 95825; telephone: (916) 978-5051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to continue to use 
the Reservoir for its historic domestic water supply purposes and to 
construct a separate swimming lagoon within the existing Reservoir 
footprint to allow swimming and wading to continue. A concrete-covered 
earthen berm would physically separate the lagoon from the main portion 
of the 80-acre reservoir. Water in the lagoon would be pumped, filtered 
and treated to appropriate water quality standards for recreation use. 
This project would allow existing drinking water and swimming uses to 
continue at the Reservoir. The proposed action does not affect other 
existing recreation uses at the Reservoir such as fishing, boating, 
hiking, and picnicking.
    Contra Loma Reservoir was built as part of the Contra Costa Canal 
unit of the Central Valley Project in 1967. The purpose of the 
Reservoir was to provide peaking and stand-by storage. CCWD has used 
the Reservoir for these purposes since 1967. A secondary purpose of the 
Reservoir is recreation. Recreation facilities at the Reservoir are 
operated by the East Bay Regional Park District under an agreement with 
Reclamation.
    The FEIR/FEIS evaluates in detail five alternatives, including two 
no-action alternatives, and also describes the existing environment and 
environmental consequences of the proposed action. The FEIR/FEIS 
considers the environmental effects of the five alternatives in all 
topical areas required under NEPA and CEQA. Of particular importance 
for this project are the following topics: public health, surface-water 
quality, recreation, biological resources, aesthetics, socioeconomic 
environment, and cumulative impacts. Both Reclamation and CCWD have 
selected the proposed action as their preferred alternative. The 
proposed action was determined to provide a public health benefit and 
to minimize the impacts on recreation of complying with the DOHS order.
    Notice of the draft environmental impact report/draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIR/DEIS) was published in the Federal Register on 
January 26, 1999 (64 FR 3974). A public hearing was held on February 
18, 1999. The written comment period closed on March 25, 1999. The 
FEIR/FEIS contains responses to all comments received and changes made 
to the text of the DEIR/DEIS as a result of those comments.

[[Page 51787]]

Locations for Inspecting/Reviewing the FEIR/FEIS

     Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Policy, Room 7456, 1849 C 
Street, NW, Washington DC 20240; telephone: (202) 208-4662.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, at the Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling in Denver CO 
80225; telephone: (303) 445-2064.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Public Affairs Office, 2800 Cottage 
Way in Sacramento CA 95825-1898; telephone: (916) 978-5100.
     Contra Costa Water District, Public Reading Room at 1331 
Concord Ave in Concord CA 94524; telephone: (925) 688-8312.
     Antioch Branch Library at 501 W. 18th Street in Antioch CA 
94509.
     Bay Point Branch Library at 205 Pacifica Avenue in 
Pittsburg CA 94565.
     Pittsburg Branch Library at 80 Power Avenue in Pittsburg 
CA 94565.
     Oakley Branch Library at 118 East Ruby in Oakley CA 94561.
     Concord Branch Library at 2900 Salvio in Concord CA 94519.
     Contra Costa County Public Library at 1750 Oak Park 
Boulevard in Pleasant Hill CA 94523.

    Dated: September 9, 1999.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 99-24963 Filed 9-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P