[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 61859-61861] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-29731] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the Santa Rosa Ecosystem Restoration Project, City of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD. ACTION: Notice of intent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Santa Rosa Creek watershed encompasses approximately 78.6 square miles in Sonoma County, California, and includes most of the City of Santa Rosa. The area of interest includes the approximately 6.5 miles of the Creek from Railroad Street to Laguna de Santa Rosa, which is proposed for restoration. The project also includes construction of a fish passageway along a 1,400-foot portion of Matanzas Creek in downtown Santa Rosa. The Corps has determined that the proposed action may have significant effect on the quality of the human environment. To comply with the requirements of Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Corps of Engineers (Corps) is required to prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) with the City of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, and with Sonoma County Water Agency. The Corps will also prepare a Feasibility Study report. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the project and the alternatives, contact Ms. Elizabeth Dyer of the Plan Formulation Section, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District, 333 Market Street, 717H, CESPN-ET-PF, San Francisco, CA 94105-2197. Phone number (415) 977-8676, Fax: 415-977-8695, Email: [email protected]. Written comments and questions regarding the scoping process or preparation of the EIS/EIR may be directed to Roger Fernwood, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 333 Market Street, 717V, CESPN-ET-PP, San Francisco, CA 94105-2197, (415) 977-8544, Fax: 415-977-8695, Email: [email protected]. Mr. Roger Golden is the Project Manager, and can be contacted at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 333 Market Street, 822D, CESPN-PM, San Francisco, CA 9405-2197, (415) 977-8703, Fax: 415-977- 8431, Email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authority Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Corps, City of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma County Water Agency hereby give notice of intent to prepare a joint (EIS/EIR) for the Santa Rosa Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project, Santa Rosa California. 2. Comments/Scoping Meeting Interested parties are requested to express their views concerning the proposed activity. The public is encouraged to provide written comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the scoping meeting. To be most helpful, scoping comments should clearly describe specific environmental topics or issues that the commentator believes the document should address. Oral and written comments receive equal consideration. Please address all correspondence, including requests for additional information, to the District Engineer, USAED San Francisco, 333 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105-2197. A scoping meeting will be held Wednesday, December 8, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. for all interested parties. The meeting will be held in Elsie Allen High School Performing Arts Center, aka The Theater, 599 Bellevue Road, Santa Rosa, California. 3. Availability of EIS/EIR The EIS/EIR should be available for public review in the winter of 2002. [[Page 61860]] 4. Agencies Supporting Project The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, City of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma County Water Agency will be the lead agencies in preparing the combined EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will provide an analysis supporting both requirements of NEPA and CEQA in addressing impacts that may result from implementation of the channel widening measures. 5. Purpose and Need for Action The focus will be on restoring Santa Rosa Creek by returning the channelized creek reaches to more natural geomorphic and ecological form and function and improving water quality, while maintaining existing levels of flood protection. The restoration may benefit steelhead, a listed threatened species, and other aquatic life. The project will be consistent with the Santa Rosa Creek Master Plan which on September 21, 1993 by the City of Santa Rosa, the County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma County Water Agency. 6. Study Area Description In the City of Santa Rosa Master Plan, the 12.8 mile-long project has been divided into seven reaches, distinguished by vegetation, hydrology, adjacent land use, ownership, channel morphology, and access. Reaches A and B, which are between Highway 12 near Los Alamos Road and E Street, are characterized as natural channel. The vegetation represents a mature, native riparian community. This area is in private property ownership with limited access. Commercial, residential, and undeveloped land uses are located adjacent to the creek. Reaches C, D and E, are between E Street and Piner Creek west of Fulton Road. They are characterized by a relatively steep; trapezoidal shaped channel with grouted rock in Reach C and riprap in Reaches D and E. There is very little riparian vegetation. The Sonoma County Water Agency owns the two maintenance roads on either side. Adjacent land use is commercial, residential, and industrial. The Rural Reaches F and G are between Piner Creek and Laguna de Santa Rosa. A wider and shallower channel with more sediment bars characterizes them, less rip rap (none in Reach G) and some riparian vegetation. There are levees in Reach F and maintenance roads along both sides of the creek in both reaches. The adjacent land use is agriculture and floodplain. The boundaries of the proposed restoration project include part of Reach C (Pierson Street to Dutten Street) and all of Reach D through Reach G. No action is proposed for Reaches A or B except a proposed fish passageway enhancement project, which would be located on Matanzas Creek in the area generally located between Reach B and Reach C. 7. Project Alternatives Alternatives associated with the Santa Rosa Creek Ecosystem Restoration Project are No-Action and several Action Alternatives. The selected alternatives will be implemented in the project area. It is assumed that the City of Santa Rosa will continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. It is expected that flooding will continue at the same frequency and intensity as it has in the past in areas around Santa Rosa Creek. Habitat values would remain the same. The Action alternatives are to restore habitat and to improve water quality by implementing one or more of the following measures in the various reaches of the Creek. Measure 1: Enlarge channel capacity by removing existing grouted riprap, replacing the southern bank with a steeper engineered wall system which will allow for vegetative growth, and by stepping the north bank with a series of retaining walls which will allow for multiple use, pedestrian and maintenance paths. A soft naturalized creek bottom will be vegetated with native riparian grasses, sedges and shrubs. This restoration measure is proposed for sections of creek between Santa Rosa Avenue and Pierson Street. Measure 2: Enlarge the channel capacity by removing the existing rip rap, laying back the southern bank to a more stable angle, and terracing the northern bank to allow for path installation. The newly constructed channel will be vegetated using native riparian species. The creek bottom will provide a soft meandering low flow channel, which will be shaded and will feature rocks and anchored logs for fish habitat. This restoration measure is proposed for sections of creek between Pierson Street and Piner Creek. Measure 3: Enlarge channel capacity and expand the existing cross sectional area of the creek by removing existing rip rap, laying back one bank, and excavating the other bank to create vegetated terraces on which paths would be placed. The entire creek channel will be revegetated with native riparian plant materials. This restoration measure is proposed for limited sections of creek between Stony Point Road and Piner Creek. Measure 4: Increase the channel width by relocating one or both levees away from the creek a total of not more than 100 feet. The creek channel would be re-contoured to create a naturalized meander pattern with riparian plantings throughout. This restoration measure is proposed for sections of creek between Piner Creek and Willowside Road. Measure 5: The area of riparian vegetation would be expanded by 100 feet or less between Willowside Road and Laguna de Santa Rosa to enhance the riparian vegetation and to allow the development of a meandering low flow channel. In Measures 1 through 5 above, rocks would be placed in the creek to create pools, riffles, runs and define low flow channel. In addition, anchored logs with root wad exposed to the creek will be installed. These features will enhance the structural diversity of the channel bottom and improve fish habitat. Measure 6: Restore salmonid spawning access to Matanzas Creek by raising water levels and decreasing velocities throughout the 1,400 linear-foot Matanzas Creek flood control project. The proposed fish way consists of installing inflatable bladders across the bottom of the culvert to create a series of small dams inside the culvert. A trench will be excavated into the splash apron on the downstream side of the culvert to allow access to the fish way. Fish will pass the inflated bladders by swimming or leaping over them and then continue upstream out of the culvert and into Matanzas Creek. 8. Study Process The Feasibility Study will identify and evaluate measures to restore the creek ecosystem as follows: Define Existing Conditions and Formulate Alternatives The future without-project conditions in the study area will be projected. Input will be sought from resource agencies. Alternative Development Preliminary alternatives will be developed using hydraulic modeling, economics, and cost analysis. Detailed Evaluation Preliminary alternatives will be screened to final alternatives for impact analysis. A draft Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report including a Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) will be prepared to help provide the basis for identifying the most cost-effective alternative acceptable to the agencies and community. Draft Report Preparation The draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement/ Report [[Page 61861]] (DEIS/R) will analyze all reasonable impacts and mitigation, as well as alternatives, and evaluate compliance with federal and state environmental requirements. A formal public review and comment period will be started. Final Report Preparation The last phase of the study includes preparing the final Feasibility Report recommending a preferred alternative and completing the final EIS/R, which will respond to all comments on the draft EIS/R 9. Other Environmental Review and Consultation Requirements The focus of the DEIS/R will be on the restoration of the natural conditions and the construction of a fish passageway. The local sponsors will use the DEIS/R to meet their responsibilities under the California Environmental Quality Act. It may also be used by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board to meet its source of Clean Water Act Section 404 (b) 1 guidelines and responsibilities under the Porter-Cologn Act. Other reviews which the DEIS/R will be used for an information source include the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and Endangered Species Act Consultation. 10. DEIS/R Availability The DEIS/R will be available to the public in summer 2001. Peter T. Grass, LTC, EN Commanding. [FR Doc. 99-29731 Filed 11-12-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3710-09-U