[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 122 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39177-39178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15904]



[[Page 39177]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[Arizona, INT-DES-00-24]


Allocation of Water Supply and Long-Term Contract Execution, 
Central Arizona Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for public review and comment on the proposed 
allocation of water supply and long-term contract execution, Central 
Airzona Project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's 
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, the 
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a draft EIS for the 
Central Arizona Project (CAP). The draft EIS describes in detail four 
alternative allocations of remaining available CAP water. A No Action 
Alternative is also described, which provides a baseline for comparing 
the impacts of the four action alternatives. Public hearings will be 
held to receive written or verbal comments on the draft EIS from 
interested organizations and individuals on the environmental impacts 
of the proposal. Notice of the hearings will appear at a future date.

DATES: Written comments must be received no later than August 25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the draft EIS to Mr. Bruce Ellis, 
Environmental Program Manager, Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, P.O. Box 81169, Phoenix, Arizona 85069-1169, by August 25, 
2000.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondends, available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public 
disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There 
also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a respondent's 
identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish us to 
withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at 
the beginning of your comment. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials or organizations or 
businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.
    The draft EIS document is available on the Internet as http://www.apo.lc.usbr.gov. Copies of the draft EIS are also available upon 
request to the following address: Ms. Janice Kjesbo, PXAO-1500, Phoenix 
Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 81169, Phoenix, Arizona 
85069-1169, faxogram 602-216-4006, or telephone 602-216-3864.
    See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for a list of libraries where 
the draft EIS is available for public inspection and review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Question regarding the draft EIS 
should be directed to Ms. Sandra Eto, Environmental Resource Management 
Division, Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 81169, 
Phoenix, Arizona 85069-1169; telephone 602-216-3857.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation is proposing modifications to 
previous CAP water allocations. The purpose and need for the Federal 
action is to allocate remaining available CAP water in a manner that 
would facilitate the resolution of outstanding Indian water rights 
claims in the State of Arizona. Authority for this action is pursuant 
to the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-537).
    The proposed allocation is taking place in the context of 
settlement negotiations concerning operation and repayment of the CAP 
and Indian water rights. These negotiations are being conducted by the 
U.S. Departments of the Interior and Justice, with representatives of 
the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (which operates the 
CAP), several Indian Tribes, Arizona Department of Water Resources, 
non-Indian agricultural districts, and several municipalities. The 
proposed action (or Settlement Alternative) identified in the draft EIS 
is an allocation of CAP water consistent with terms of the negotiated 
settlements currently under discussion with these entities. The draft 
EIS also analyzes three alternative allocations of remaining available 
CAP water. The Secretary of the Interior could implement any one of 
these four action alternatives to achieve the purpose and need for the 
proposed action. A No Action Alternative is also described, which 
provides a baseline for comparing the impacts of the four action 
alternatives.
    A final allocation of remaining available CAP water, and execution 
of contracts for delivery of that water, would provide a level of 
certainty to all entities regarding available future water supplies. 
This, in turn, would enable Arizona water users, Indian and non-Indian 
alike, to develop and implement the systems and infrastructure 
necessary to utilize those water supplies to meet future water demands 
and serve Tribal and community needs.

Libraries Where the Draft EIS is Available for Public Inspection 
and Review

     Department of the Interior, Natural Resources Library, 
1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225
     Arizona Department of Library Archives and Public Records, 
1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007
     Phoenix Public Library (Burton Barr Central), 1221 N. 
Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
     Arizona Collection, Hayden Library, Arizona State 
University, Tempe, AZ 85287
     Government Document Service, Arizona State University, 
Tempe, AZ 85287
     Arizona State University--West Library, 4701 W. 
Thunderbird Rd., Glendale, AZ 85306
     University of Arizona, Main Library, 1510 E. University 
Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721
     Library, City Hall Annex, 111 E. Pennington, Tucson, AZ 
85701
     Law Library, County Courthouse (Lower Level), Tucson, AZ 
85701
     Government Reference Library, City Hall, 9th Floor, 
Tucson, AZ 85701
     Globe Public Library, 339 S. Broad St., Globe, AZ 85501
     Casa Grande Public Library, Casa Grande, AZ 85222
     Coolidge Public Library, 160 W. Central Ave., Coolidge, AZ 
85228
     Coconino County Public Library, 300 W. Aspen Ave., 
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
     Cline Library, PO Box 6022, Northern Arizona University, 
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
     Tuba City Public Library Bldg., 45 W Maple St., Tuba City, 
AZ 86045
     Payson Public Library, 510 W. Main, Payson, AZ 85541
     Sierra Vista Public Library, 2600 E. Tacoma, Sierra Vista, 
AZ 85635
     Cottonwood Public Library, 100 S. 6th St., Cottonwood, AZ 
86326
     Parker Public Library, 1001 Navajo Ave., Parker AZ 85344
     Green Valley Public Library, 601 N. LaCanada, Green 
Valley, AZ 85614
     Octavia Fellin Public Library, 115 W. Hill Ave., Gallup, 
NM 87301


[[Page 39178]]


    Dated: June 20, 2000.
V. LeGrand Neilson,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-15904 Filed 6-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-M