[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 186 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52102-52104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25187]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Imperial Irrigation District/San Diego County Water Authority 
Water Conservation and Transfer Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR)/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and notice of public 
scoping meetings on the Imperial Irrigation District/San Diego County 
Water Authority Water Conservation and Transfer Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 (2) (c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and the State of California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), the

[[Page 52103]]

Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Imperial Irrigation District 
(IID or District) will prepare a joint EIR/EIS to assess the impacts of 
the proposed IID/San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Water 
Conservation and Transfer Project. The proposed project consists of the 
conservation by IID of up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water 
per year (af/yr), and the subsequent transfer of all or a portion of 
the diverted water to the SDCWA and, under certain circumstances, other 
designees. IID and Reclamation are holding public scoping meetings 
soliciting input from the public on the types of issues and extent of 
analysis that should be contained in the EIR/EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the NOI will be accepted until October 25, 
1999. Public scoping meetings will be held at the following locations 
(both written and oral comments will be accepted at the public scoping 
meetings):
    1. Northern Imperial Valley--Elks Lodge #1420, 161 South Plaza, 
Brawley, CA 92227, Tuesday, October 12, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.
    2. Salton Sea Area--Salton Sea Community Service District, 2098 
Frontage Road, Salton City, CA 92275, Wednesday, October 13, 1999, 7 PM 
to 9 PM..
    3. Southern Imperial Valley--IID Board Room, 1285 Broadway, El 
Centro, CA 92243, Thursday, October 14, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.
    4. Lower Colorado River Region--Clark County Library, 1401 East 
Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119, Monday, October 18, 1999, 7 PM to 9 
PM.
    5. Northern San Diego County--Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine 
Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008, Tuesday, October 19, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.
    6. Southern San Diego County--SDCWA Building, 3211 Fifth Avenue, 
San Diego, CA 92103, Wednesday, October 20, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.
    Hearing impaired, visually impaired, and/or mobility impaired 
persons planning to attend the meeting(s) may arrange for necessary 
accommodations by calling Ms. Molly Sweat at (702) 293-8415 no later 
than October 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Bureau of Reclamation, 
Lower Colorado River Region, Boulder Canyon Operations Office, P.O. Box 
61470, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470, Attn: William Rinne, BC-00-1000; or 
to: Imperial Irrigation District, 333 East Barioni Boulevard, P.O. Box 
937, Imperial CA, 92251, Attn: Steven R. Knell.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Rinne, at the Bureau of 
Reclamation (702) 293-8414; or Mr. Steven Knell, Special Projects 
Coordinator, Imperial Irrigation District, at (760) 339-9266. Further 
information can also be obtained on the website at http://
www.is.ch2m.com/iidweb.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IID was organized in 1911 to deliver 
Colorado River water to lands within the Imperial Valley, California 
for agricultural, domestic, industrial, and other beneficial uses. 
Water is diverted via the All American Canal and flows through the 
Colorado River at Imperial Dam based upon water rights obtained prior 
to the beginning of this century under state law, pursuant to a 1932 
water delivery contract for permanent service, for potable and 
irrigation purposes within the boundaries of the District, with the 
Secretary of the Interior under the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 
[45 Stat. 1057, as amended, 43 U.S.C. 617 et seq.], and pursuant to 
appropriations applications filed with the state between 1933 and 1936. 
Water flows through the Imperial Valley in a complex system of delivery 
canals, laterals, and drains serving over 450,000 acres of some of the 
most intensively farmed land in the nation. Agricultural drainage water 
flows into the New and Alamo Rivers and into the Salton Sea, a 
designated reservoir for irrigation drainage.
    IID seeks to develop a long-term program for the conservation of up 
to 300,000 af/yr. IID proposes to transfer all or a portion of the 
conserved water to SDCWA and, under certain circumstances, other 
designees for beneficial use and to meet current and projected water 
supply needs. The proposed conservation program would include the 
participation of Imperial Valley landowners and tenants in order to 
implement on-farm conservation methods, such as improved or alternative 
water management techniques and revised irrigation methods. The program 
may also include system-based conservation methods implemented by IID, 
which improve distribution and drainage facilities.
    IID intends that the transferred water will retain IID's priority 
among Colorado River water users and that the transfer will not affect 
IID's historic water rights. IID, the Department of Interior, and other 
potentially affected water rights holders are engaged in quantification 
discussions regarding Colorado River water.
    On April 29, 1998, IID and SDCWA executed an Agreement for Transfer 
of Conserved Water (Agreement). The Agreement provides parameters for 
the water conservation and transfer transaction. The Agreement calls 
for IID to conserve and transfer an annual amount of water (the 
``primary'' transfer) not to exceed 20,000 af in the first year. The 
primary transfer would increase in quantity in subsequent years until a 
stabilized annual primary quantity is established by IID, which shall 
be not less than 130,000 af/yr or more than 200,000 af/yr. After at 
least 10 years of primary transfers, an additional discretionary 
component not to exceed 100,000 af/yr may be transferred to SDCWA or, 
at IID's option, to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern 
California or Coachella Valley Water District in connection with the 
settlement of water rights disputes between IID and these agencies. The 
initial term of the project is 45 years after transfers first commence. 
Each party has the option to extend the term for an additional 30 
years.
    The Water Conservation and Transfer Project is the result of a 
collaboration between IID and SDCWA. The purpose and need for the 
proposed project is to advance objectives of both agencies, consistent 
with the Law of the River for the Colorado River, relating to water 
availability and management. IID has identified specific objectives for 
the proposed project. The District proposes to sell the conserved water 
in a market-based transaction in order to provide IID with sufficient 
funds to implement a water conservation program, including the cost of 
on-farm and system improvements, environmental mitigation costs, and 
other implementation costs. IID intends to implement a conservation 
program which includes participation of Imperial Valley landowners and 
tenants so that on-farm, in addition to system-based conservation 
methods, can be implemented efficiently. IID seeks to maintain its 
historic senior priority water rights in a manner consistent with state 
and federal law during project implementation and operation. Additional 
IID objectives include providing an economic stimulus to Imperial 
Valley's agricultural economy and the surrounding community and lessen 
increased demand for water for southern California from the State Water 
Project.
    SDCWA has also identified specific project objectives. SDCWA seeks 
to acquire an independent, reliable alternate long-term water supply to 
provide drought protection and to accommodate current and projected 
demand for municipal, domestic, and agricultural water uses. In order 
to enhance the reliability of its water supply, SDCWA intends to 
diversify its

[[Page 52104]]

sources of water supply and decrease its current dependence on a single 
source. Through the establishment of a stabilized source, SDCWA seeks 
to pay a fair, competitive price for its water supply and in the 
process lessen increased demand for water for southern California from 
the State Water Project.
    A water transfer from IID to SDCWA is a key element of the 
``California 4.4 Plan'' which is being developed by the Colorado River 
Board of California and the California State Department of Water 
Resources, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior and the 
other Colorado River basin states. This Plan is intended to address the 
need for California to reduce its reliance on Colorado River water to 
its legal entitlement of 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water. 
California currently is diverting approximately 5.2 million acre-feet 
of Colorado River water per year.
    Implementation of the proposed project will require certain state 
approvals, including approval by the State Water Resources Control 
Board and compliance with CEQA and the California Endangered Species 
Act. Implementation will also require certain federal approvals, 
including approval of the proposed transfer between IID and SDCWA, 
compliance with NEPA, the federal Endangered Species Act and other 
related federal environmental laws, statutes, Executive Orders, and 
regulations. Reclamation will act as the federal lead agency pursuant 
to NEPA because certain actions taken to facilitate the transfer will 
require approval by the Secretary of the Interior. Such actions could 
potentially include amendments to IID's contract with the Secretary, 
change in the point of diversion of Colorado River water, change in 
type of use, change in place of use, verification or concurrence in the 
amount of water conserved by this Project, and verification of 
beneficial use of Colorado River water. Reclamation is therefore 
seeking comments from the public on the scope of the issues and extent 
of analysis that should be evaluated in the EIR/EIS.
    Additional information can be obtained from the project website at 
http://www.is.ch2m.com/iidweb.

Alternatives

    The EIR/EIS will evaluate other feasible project alternatives, 
including a range of alternative conservation measures, water supply 
and transfer alternatives, and various alternative measures in addition 
to the No Project/No Action Alternative.
    Potential water supply alternatives that will be considered in the 
EIR/EIS include the following:

 Additional water conservation in the San Diego service area
 Additional water repurification and recycling
 Desalination
 Additional water transfers from Northern California
 Transfer of water conserved in another agricultural region 
with conveyance through the State Water Project and Metropolitan Water 
District system

Potential Environmental Effects

    The full range of environmental impacts has not been quantified 
temporally and spatially. Until specific conservation alternatives have 
been developed, potential environmental effects could include the 
following:

Lower Colorado River Area

 Reduction in Colorado River water flows between Parker and 
Imperial Dams
 Impacts to Colorado River water quality
 Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats
 Cumulative impacts to water quality

San Diego County

 Growth-inducing impacts
 Salton Sea
 Effects on water levels, salinity, and water quality
 Effects on fisheries habitat
 Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats
 Impacts to recreational uses

Imperial Valley

 Impacts to water flow and quality
 Effects on selenium, boron, and pesticide concentrations
 Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats
 Socio-economic impacts
 Air quality impacts

    The draft EIR/EIS is expected to be completed by a target date of 
April 3, 2000. Availability of the draft EIR/EIS for public review and 
comment will be announced and noticed in the local media and by a 
Federal Register Notice.

    Dated: September 23, 1999.
Steven Richardson,
Chief of Staff, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 99-25187 Filed 9-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P