[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 22, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15351-15352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7055]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Bostwick Division, Frenchman-Cambridge Division, and Kanaska 
Division, Almena Unit INT-DEIS-99-39

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice to reopen comment period for draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS) and announce schedule for public workshop and public 
meeting.

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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), prepared a DEIS for the renewal of long-
term water supply contracts for continued delivery of irrigation water 
from Federal projects in the Republican River basin in Nebraska and 
Kansas. The DEIS described five alternatives, including no action and a 
preferred alternative, and evaluated the environmental consequences of 
renewing the long-term water supply contracts and of modifications to 
reservoir operations. Public hearings were held in Nebraska and Kansas 
to receive public comment on the DEIS.
    The Corps of Engineers (Corps), along with other Federal, State, 
and local entities, is a cooperating agency in the water supply 
contract renewal process. Harlan County Lake in Nebraska is owned by 
the United States and managed by the Corps. Following completion of the 
initial 60-day public review and comment period, Reclamation and the 
Corps continued to receive public comment concerning alternative 
operations at Harlan County Lake. The magnitude of these comments 
prompted Reclamation and the Corps to allow additional time for all 
interested parties to provide comments on the water supply contract 
renewal process.

DATES: A 30-day public review and comment period commences with the 
publication of this notice. Written comments on the DEIS or the Corps' 
technical report should be submitted by April 21, 2000.
    Written comments from interested parties unable to attend the 
hearing, those not wanting to make oral presentations, or those wishing 
to supplement their oral presentations at the public hearing should be 
transmitted to the Nebraska-Kansas Area Office by April 21, 2000, for 
inclusion in the public record.
    A joint Reclamation/Corps public meeting has been scheduled to 
begin at 7 p.m. on April 12, 2000. An informal public workshop has also 
been scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting and workshop will be held at the Johnson 
Community Center, 509 Main Street, in Alma, Nebraska.
    Written comments on Reclamation's DEIS should be submitted to the 
Area Manager (Attention: Judy O'Sullivan), Nebraska-Kansas Area Office, 
P.O. Box 1607, Grand Island NE 68802. Written comments on the Corps' 
technical report should be submitted to District Engineer, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, 700 Federal Building, 601 
East Twelfth Street, Kansas City MO 64106-2896.
    You may request a Summary of the DEIS, the entire DEIS (with 
appendices) in printed copy or on computer disk, or the Corps' 
technical report. Copies may be obtained from the above address or by 
telephone (308) 389-4622 x211. The DEIS and technical report is 
available for public inspection and review on Reclamation's Internet 
site at ``www.gp.usbr.gov'' in the ``Current Activities'' section under 
``Environmental Activities.'' In addition, the technical report can be 
viewed at the two Corps' Internet sites ``www.nwk.usace.army.mil'' and 
``www.nwk.usace.army.mil/haco/harlan__home.htm''
    See Supplementary Information section for additional addresses 
where the DEIS and/or technical report are available for public 
inspection and review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Manring, Basin Study Coordinator, 
Nebraska-Kansas Area Office, P.O. Box 1607, Grand Island NE 68802--
telephone (308) 389-4622 x214; or Maria Chastain-Brand, Project 
Manager-Harlan County Lake Study, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas 
City District, 700 Federal Building, 601 East Twelfth

[[Page 15352]]

Street, Kansas City MO 64106-2896--telephone (816) 983-3107.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation has revised the preferred 
alternative by modifying minimum reservoir surface elevations at 
Reclamation reservoirs and by implementing an agreement with the Corps 
on the operation of Harlan County Lake. A description of the revised 
preferred alternative is being distributed in the Republican River 
Roundup newsletter. Reclamation will not prepare a revised DEIS because 
the impacts associated with the modified minimum reservoir surface 
elevations on Reclamation reservoirs and the Harlan County Lake 
agreement fall within the range of those evaluated in the No Action 
Alternative and Reclamation's Preferred Alternative in the DEIS.
    The Corps has developed a technical report addressing the potential 
impacts of the revised preferred alternative on Harlan County Lake. The 
Corps' technical report is being distributed to the contract renewal 
mailing list on March 22, 2000, and will be incorporated into 
Reclamation's Final EIS. The Corps, as a cooperating agency, will 
consider comments on the effects of the preferred alternative on Harlan 
County Lake. In addition, the Corps will prepare a separate Record of 
Decision (ROD) concerning the relationship of the preferred alternative 
to the Corps' Harlan County Lake water control manual. Both 
Reclamation's revised preferred alternative and the Corps' technical 
report can be reviewed at the locations listed below.

DEIS and Technical Report Public Inspection and Review Locations

Offices

     Bureau of Reclamation, Nebraska-Kansas Area Office, 203 
West Second Street, Grand Island NE 68801--telephone (308) 389-4622.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Great Plains Regional Office, 316 
North 26th Street, Billings MT 59101--telephone (406) 247-7638.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Reclamation Service Center Library, 
Building 67, Room 167, Denver Federal Center, Sixth and Kipling, Denver 
CO 80225--telephone (303) 445-2072.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Policy, Room 7456, 1849 C 
Street NW, Washington DC 20240--telephone (202) 208-4662.
     Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, 700 Federal 
Building, 601 East Twelfth Street, Kansas City, MO 64106-2896--
telephone (816) 983-3107.
     Corps of Engineers, Attention: Jim Bowen, Operations 
Manager, Harlan County Lake, Route 1, Box 123A, Republican City NE 
68971--telephone (308) 799-2105.
     Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska, Red Cloud NE.
     Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No. 2, Courtland KS.
     Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District, Cambridge NE.
     Frenchman Valley and H&RW Irrigation District, Culbertson 
NE.
     Almena Irrigation District, Almena KS.

Libraries

     Alma Public Library, West Second Street, Alma NE 68920-
3378.
     Blue Hill Public Library, 317 West Gage Street, Blue Hill 
NE 68930-2068.
     Butler Memorial Library, 621 Pennsylvania, Cambridge NE 
69022.
     Franklin Public Library, 1502 P Street, Franklin NE 68939-
1200.
     Hastings Public Library, 517 West Fourth Street, Hastings 
NE 68901-7560.
     Imperial Public Library, 703 Broadway Street, Imperial NE 
69033-4017.
     Kearney Public Library, 2020 First Avenue, Kearney NE 
68847-5306.
     McCook Library, 802 Norris Avenue, McCook NE 69001-3143.
     Nelson Public Library, 10 West Third Street, Nelson NE 
68961-1246.
     Red Cloud Public Library, 537 North Webster Street, Red 
Cloud NE 68970-2421.
     Carnegie Public Library, 449 North Kansas Street, Superior 
NE 68978-1852.
     Trenton Village Library, 406 East First Street, Trenton NE 
69044.
     Wauneta City Library, 319 North Tecumseh, Wauneta NE 
69045-2011.
     Almena Public Library, 415 Main, Almena KS 67622.
     Belleville Public Library, 1327 Nineteenth Street, 
Belleville KS 66935.
     Courtland City Library, 403 Main Street, Courtland KS 
66939.
     Northwest Kansas Library System, 2 Washington Square, 
Norton KS 67654.

Meeting Information

    Please notify Judy O'Sullivan, Reclamation (308-389-4622, x211) or 
Jim Bowen, Corps, (308-799-2105) at least 1 week in advance of the 
scheduled hearing if you require special needs in order to participate 
in the public hearing. Those having special needs should contact Judy 
O'Sullivan at (308) 389-4622 x211 or through the Federal Relay System 
at (800) 877-8339 or via e-mail at ``[email protected]'' or 
[email protected]. Smoking will be prohibited in the hearing 
room and surrounding area.

    Dated: March 16, 2000.
Fred R. Ore,
Area Manager, Nebraska-Kansas Area Office.
[FR Doc. 00-7055 Filed 3-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P