[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 118 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37999-38000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14810]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[INT-FES 00-21]


Bostwick Division, Frenchman-Cambridge Division, and Kanaska 
Division, Almena Unit

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability for Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS).

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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, has completed the FEIS on the renewal of one long-term 
water service contract and the conversion of four long-term water 
service contracts to repayment contracts for irrigation water from 
Federal projects in the Republican River basin in Nebraska and Kansas. 
The FEIS describes six alternatives, including no action and a new 
``Negotiated Alternative,'' and evaluates the environmental 
consequences of renewing the long-term water service contract, the 
conversion to repayment contracts, and the modifications to district 
operations.
    Reclamation's proposed action is to renew the long-term water 
service contract for the Frenchman Valley Irrigation District and 
convert long-term water service contracts for the Frenchman-Cambridge, 
Bostwick in Nebraska, Kansas-Bostwick, and Almena irrigation districts. 
The proposed action exercises the provisions of several Federal laws 
applicable to Reclamation.

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of a Summary of the FEIS or the entire FEIS 
(with appendices) may be obtained from Judy O'Sullivan, Nebraska-Kansas 
Area Office, P.O. Box 1607, Grand Island NE 68802 or by telephone at 
(308) 389-4622 x211. Copies are also available for public inspection 
and review on the Internet at ``www.gp.usbr.gov'' in the ``Current 
Activities'' section under ``Environmental Activities.''
    See Supplementary Information section for additional addresses 
where the FEIS is 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

FEIS 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, Program Analysis Office, Room 7456, 
1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240--telephone (202) 208-4662
     Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska, Red Cloud NE
     Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No. 2, Courtland KS
     Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District, Cambridge NE
     Frenchman Valley Irrigation District, Culbertson NE
     Almena Irrigation District No. 5, 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
    The FEIS considers the effects of renewing one long-term water 
service contract and converting four long-term water service contracts 
to repayment contracts. The authority for contract renewal and 
conversion is found in the Act of July 2, 1956, 70 Stat. 483, and the 
Act of June 21, 1963, 77 Stat. 68, which requires the Secretary of the 
Department of the Interior to renew long-term water service contracts 
and to convert long-term water service contracts to repayment contracts 
upon request.
    Federally-developed impoundments in the Republican River Basin have 
been providing supplemental irrigation water to the irrigation 
districts since 1956. These irrigation districts include the Almena, 
Bostwick, Frenchman Valley, Frenchman-Cambridge, and Kansas-Bostwick 
irrigation districts. The original long-term water service contracts 
had terms of 40 years and began to expire in 1996. In order to continue 
the rights and obligations of the original contracts during the 
contract renewal process, these contracts were extended for an 
additional four years as authorized by Congress in the Irrigation 
Project Extension Act of 1996, Public Law 104-326.
    The long-term water service contract with the Frenchman Valley 
Irrigation District will have a term of 40 years beginning on January 
1, 2001. The repayment contracts with the Almena, Bostwick, Frenchman-
Cambridge, and Kansas-Bostwick irrigation districts will each have a 
repayment period of 40 years.
    The FEIS evaluated six alternatives, including the No Action 
Alternative and a new Negotiated Alternative, and described the 
environmental consequences of contract renewal and conversion. The 
following issues are considered in the FEIS: water resources, water 
quality, recreation, regional income, environmental justice, reservoir 
riparian vegetation, riverine riparian vegetation, wetlands, threatened 
and endangered species, avian and terrestrial wildlife, migratory 
waterfowl, aquatic resources, biodiversity, Indian trust assets, 
cultural resources, sacred sites, and cumulative impacts.

[[Page 38000]]

    The terms and conditions of the proposed long-term water service 
and repayment contracts represent Reclamation's preferred alternative 
described as the Negotiated Alternative in the FEIS. The Negotiated 
Alternative combines features of the Irrigation and Multi-Use 
alternatives that are designed to continue delivery of irrigation water 
and maintain limited reservoir recreation and fisheries. When compared 
to the No Action Alternative, there are no significant environmental, 
socioeconomic, or agricultural impacts associated with the Negotiated 
Alternative. The current operations of some of the reservoirs will be 
modified to establish a new minimum pool elevation to benefit reservoir 
recreation and fisheries.
    Ten Indian tribes, the Mni-SOSE Intertribal Water Rights Coalition, 
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, have been contacted regarding Indian 
trust assets that may be affected by the proposed action. No 
potentially-affected Indian trust assets have been identified.
    The DEIS was issued on October 14, 1999. Responses to comments 
received from agencies, interested organizations, and individuals on 
the DEIS are addressed in the FEIS. No decision will be made on the 
proposed action until 30 days following the release of the FEIS. 
Following the 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete and sign 
a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD will describe the action to be 
implemented and will discuss factors contributing to that decision.

    Dated: June 6, 2000.
Fred R. Ore,
Area Manager, Nebraska-Kansas Area Office.
[FR Doc. 00-14810 Filed 6-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P