[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 113 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36842-36843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14744]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES 00-20]


Woodbridge Irrigation District and City of Lodi's Lower Mokelumne 
River Restoration Program, San Joaquin County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact 
report/environmental impact statement (Final EIR/EIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation), Woodbridge Irrigation District (WID), and 
the City of Lodi have prepared a joint final EIR/EIS for the Lower 
Mokelumne River Restoration Program (LMRRP). The LMRRP encompasses an 
area located in northern San Joaquin County along the lower Mokelumne 
River between Camanche Dam and the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers. The 
Proposed Project comprises four elements: Improving fish passage at 
Woodbridge Dam, upgrading the fish screen at the WID diversion, placing 
screens on unscreened or underscreened riparian diversions on the 
Mokelumne River between Camanche Dam and the Cosumnes Rivers on a 
voluntary basis, and restoring riparian vegetation along the Mokelumne 
River. The final EIR/EIS describes and presents the environmental 
effects of the four elements of the program. The first two elements are 
addressed at a project level in this final EIR/EIS, including five fish 
passage alternatives and five optional fish passage actions. The 
remaining two elements are addressed at a programmatic level. The 
preferred alternative is to construct a new dam and new fish-passage 
facilities, and includes optional actions to improve predator control 
below the dam, move the WID diversion point to just upstream of the 
dam, and construct a downstream splash pool.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until after Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance has been completed. 
After ESA compliance has been completed, 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 final EIR/EIS may be requested from Mr. Anders 
Christensen, Woodbridge Irrigation District, 18777 N. Lower Sacramento 
Road, Woodbridge, California 95258, or Mr. Buford Holt, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 16349 Shasta Dam Boulevard, Shasta Lake, California 96019.
    See Supplementary Information section for locations where copies of 
the final EIR/EIS are available for public inspection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Buford Holt, Bureau of 
Reclamation, at (530) 275-1554; or Mr. Anders Christensen, Woodbridge 
Irrigation District, at (209) 369-6808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The LMRRP was developed to implement 
important elements from resource management plans prepared by CALFED, 
USFWS, and DFG. The goal of the LMRRP is to substantially increase 
fall-run chinook salmon and steelhead populations, enhance critical and 
limiting aquatic habitats, and restore riparian ecosystem integrity and 
diversity. In addition to a No-Project Alternative, which involves the 
continued operation of the existing Woodbridge Dam and fish passage 
facilities, four action alternatives are examined, including: (1) 
Construct new fish passage facilities on the existing Woodbridge Dam; 
(2) construct a new Woodbridge Dam with operable weir gates and new 
fish passage facilities; (3) construct a new Woodbridge Dam with 
operable weir gates and new fish passage facilities, and diversion 
pumps;

[[Page 36843]]

and (4) replace the existing Woodbridge Dam and pump water from the 
river. The final EIR/EIS 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: 
Fisheries, water quality, vegetation and wetland resources, wildlife, 
recreation, and visual resources.
    Notice of the draft environmental impact report/environmental 
impact statement was published in the Federal Register on November 3, 
1999 (64 FR 0212). A public hearing was held on November 16, 1999. The 
written comment period closed on January 4, 2000. The final EIR/EIS 
contains responses to all comments received and changes made to the 
text of the draft EIR/EIS as a result of those comments.

Locations for Inspecting/Reviewing the Final EIR/EIS

    Copies of the final EIR/EIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Woodbridge Irrigation District Office, 18777 N. Lower 
Sacramento Road, Woodbridge, California 95258; telephone: (209) 369-
6808
     Bureau of Reclamation, Program Analysis Office, Room 7456, 
1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240; telephone: (202) 208-4662
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver CO 80225; 
telephone: (303) 445-2072
     Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Director, Attention: MP-
140, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento CA 95825-1898; telephone: (916) 978-
5100
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 
20240-0001
     Lodi Public Library, 201 W. Locust Street, Lodi, CA 95240-
2099.

    Dated: May 26, 2000.
Lester A. Snow,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-14744 Filed 6-9-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P