[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38519-38520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15647]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability (NOA) of Draft General Re-Evaluation 
Report/Environmental Impact Report and Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (Draft Report) for Proposed Modifications to the 
Guadalupe River Project, Downtown San Jose, California, and Notice of 
Public Hearing

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Hearing.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(s)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended), the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (Corps) and the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) 
have prepared a Draft General Re-Evaluation Report/Environmental Impact 
Report and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Report) 
for proposed modifications to the multiple-purpose Guadalupe River 
Project located in downtown San Jose, California. This Draft Report is 
being made available for a 45-day public comment period. A public 
hearing will be held to receive oral and written comments on the Draft 
Report. Interested Federal, state, and local agencies, organizations, 
and persons are invited to the hearing.

DATES: Comments on the Draft Report should be submitted on or before 
August 9, 2000. The public hearing will be held July 26, 2000 from 7:00 
to 9:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft Report should be submitted to the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District Planning Division, 
Attention: Nina Bicknese, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814-
2922. The Public Hearing will be held a the Santa Clara Valley Water 
District, Headquarters Board Room, 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, 
California 95118-3686. Printed copies of the Draft Report are available 
for public inspection and review at the location listed below in 
Supplementary Information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information 
related to this Report, interested persons are invited to contact the 
following: Nina Bicknese, Biological Sciences Environmental Manager, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California, 
95814-2922, (916) 577-7948. (916) 577-5138 (FAX), 
[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Report Availability

    In addition to availability for viewing and downloading on the 
Internet at the following World Wide Web address: 
www.spk.usace.army.mil/civ/civ.html, printed copies of the Draft Report 
are available for public inspection and review at the following 
locations:
Santa Clara Valley Water District, 5750 Almaden Expressway San Jose, 
CA, 95118

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, 1325 J Street, 
Sacramento, CA, 95814-2922
Almaden Library, 6455 Camden Ave. San Jose, CA, 95120-2823
Alviso Library, 5050 North First Street, Alviso, CA, 95002
Biblioteca Latino America, 921 South First Street, San Jose, CA, 95110
Cambrian Library, 1780 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95124
Pearl Avenue Library, 4270 Pearl Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95136
Rosegarden Library, 1580 Naglee Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95126
Willow Glen Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose, CA, 95125
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library, 180 West San Carlos Street, 
San Jose, CA, 95113

2. Report Background and Scope

    This Report is supplemental to the 1985 Final Guadalupe River 
Interim Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement (U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, 1985). It addresses proposed modifications to 
the Guadalupe River Project authorized by Congress under section 401(b) 
of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-662) and 
amended by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act For 
Fiscal Year 1990 (Public Law 101-101). These modifications include 
flood protection, recreation, and

[[Page 38520]]

mitigation measures primarily along 2.6 miles of the Guadalupe River in 
downtown San Jose and two related offsite mitigation areas. This Report 
will support decision making by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Santa 
Clara Valley Water District, and other responsible agencies to 
implement the proposed modifications and to ensure compliance with 
NEPA, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and other 
pertinent laws and regulations. Potential direct and indirect 
environmental, social economic effects of the Proposed Action and other 
alternatives are evaluated, and project modifications are recommended 
for implementation.
    The Draft Report analyses consider an array of alternative plans 
developed to modify the authorized project. These alternatives were 
developed in a manner that would avoid and minimize adverse 
environmental impacts to the maximum extent practicable, while meeting 
the primary planning objectives to (1) provide 100-year flood 
protection for the downtown San Jose area; (2) protect species listed 
under the Endangered Species Act; (3) meet conditions for State water 
quality certification under the Clean Water Act; and (4) further 
improve recreation opportunities along the river corridor. Numerous 
alternatives have been considered including revised channel widening, 
upstream detention, retention of the original authorized project design 
with additional mitigation, several channel bypass alternative, and no 
action. The Proposed Action fulfills all stated objectives and includes 
construction of some remaining components of the original authorized 
project, proposed modifications to include an underground bypass to 
convey flood-waters around existing riparian habitat, expanded onsite 
and offsite mitigation measures to accomplish habitat mitigation goals, 
and refined operation and maintenance requirements. The anticipated 
cumulative effects also have been considered and addressed.

3. Project Area

    The project area for resources evaluated in the Report includes two 
areas along the Guadalupe River and one area Guadalupe Creek in Santa 
Clara County, California. The flood protection project is along the 2.6 
mile reach of the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose between Grant 
Street (just upstream from I-280) and I-880. The mitigation will be 
located (1) in an area along the Guadalupe River just downstream from 
I-880 and adjacent to the San Jose Airport, identified as the Reach A 
mitigation site, and (2) the Guadalupe Creek mitigation site, an area 
along Guadalupe Creek, from 660 feet downstream from Masson Dam to the 
Almaden Expressway. Guadalupe Creek is approximately 4 miles upstream 
from the downtown flood protection area. The project area includes the 
river, its banks, and land adjacent to the bank in each of these three 
locations.

4. Proposed Action

    The Proposed Action is the modification and implementation of the 
remaining components of the Guadalupe River Project. The Proposed 
Action modification to the Authorized Project accomplish the following 
objectives:
     Provide 100-year flood protection for the downtown San 
Jose area.
     Protect species recently listed or proposed for listing 
under the Endangered Species Act.
     Meet conditions for water quality certification under the 
Clean Water Act.
     Refine recreational opportunities along the Guadalupe 
River corridor.
     Implement mitigation commitments specified in the 
Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (MMP).
    Modification to the Guadalupe River Project include (1) 
construction and operation of an underground bypass between Santa Clara 
Street and Coleman Avenue to convey floodwaters around important 
riparian habitat, (2) riverfront recreation trail between Santa Clara 
Street and Coleman Avenue on the west bank, and between New Julian 
Street and Coleman Avenue on the east bank, (3) expanded onsite SRA-
cover mitigation between Woz Way and I-880 (4) an additional offsite 
SRA-cover mitigation site between I-880 and Airport Parkway, and (5) an 
additional offsite SRA-cover mitigation site on Guadalupe Creek between 
Masson Dam and Almaden Expressway. Remaining components of the 
Authorized Project which will be implemented as part of the Proposed 
Action include (1) construction of flood training walls near I-280 to 
direct upstream flood flows back into the river channel, (2) westbank 
pedestrian overlook and recreation trail between Park Avenue and San 
Fernando Street, (3) eastbank recreation trail between Park Avenue and 
West Santa Clara, (4) westbank recreation trail between New Julian 
Street and Coleman, (5) removal of two railroad bridges between New 
Julian and Coleman Avenue.

5. Commenting

    Comments received in response to this report, including names and 
addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public 
record on this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person may 
request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by 
showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such 
confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be 
aware that, under the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very 
limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Corps will 
inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding the request for 
confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the agency will 
return the submission and notify the requester that the comments may be 
resubmitted with or without the name and address.

John A. Hall,
Alternate Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-15647 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-EZ-M