[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 132 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42391-42392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17376]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES00-28]


Contra Costa Water District's Multi-Purpose Pipeline Project, 
Contra Costa County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/FEIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), 
the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Contra Costa Water District 
(CCWD or District) prepared a joint FEIR/FEIS for CCWD's Multi-Purpose 
Pipeline (MPP) Project. The MPP Project would increase the reliability 
and capacity of the District's raw water delivery system. The MPP 
Project is being designed not only to remedy immediate canal capacity 
constraints but also to help meet long-term (year 2020) water demands 
for raw water, improve firefighting flows following an emergency or 
natural disaster such as an earthquake, provide an emergency water 
supply to municipal customers from either the east side or west side of 
the service area, provide alternate water conveyance capacity to 
facilitate temporary canal shut-downs and maintenance during low demand 
periods, increase operational flexibility by providing the capability 
of delivering water from the west side of the system or the east side 
of system, and minimize cost and environmental impacts to existing and 
new customers.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until 30 days after this notice of release of the FEIR/FEIS. After 
August 10, 2000, the end of the 30-day waiting period, 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 FEIR/FEIS may be requested from Dr. Gregory 
Gartrell, Director of Planning, CCWD, 2300 Stanwell Drive, Concord CA 
94524; telephone: (925) 688-8100 or Ms. Rossana Riggs, Administrative 
Secretary, CCWD, 2300 Stanwell Drive, Concord CA 94524; telephone: 
(925) 688-8147.
    Copies of the FEIR/FEIS are available for public inspection and 
review. These locations are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Gregory Gartrell, CCWD, telephone: 
(925) 688-8100; or Mr. Robert B. Eckart, Environmental Specialist, 
Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento CA 95825; 
telephone: (916) 978-5051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to implement a Multi-
Purpose Pipeline Project to increase the capacity and reliability of 
the District's raw water delivery system. The District currently 
transports raw (untreated) water through the Contra Costa Canal, which 
is owned by Reclamation and, under contract, is operated and maintained 
by the District. The canal is the District's only raw water conveyance 
facility; it is vulnerable to damage in an earthquake or other 
emergency, which could result in extended water shortages. In addition, 
the canal does not have adequate conveyance capacity to deliver water 
to meet existing plus projected future demands within the District's 
service area. The District proposes to increase the capacity and 
reliability of the raw water delivery system through the construction 
of the MPP, a Raw Water Pipeline, and ancillary facilities in northern 
Contra Costa County. The 20-mile MPP would carry treated water from the 
Randall-Bold Water Treatment Plant in Oakley to the District's Treated 
Water Service Area. With a capacity of 25 million gallons per day, the 
MPP would free up capacity in the canal that is currently used to meet 
customer demands in the Treated Water Service Area. The proposed 4-
mile-long Raw Water Pipeline would be constructed to bypass an existing 
bottleneck along the canal.
    CCWD was formed in 1936 under the authority of the State Water 
Code. CCWD obtains raw water primarily from Reclamation's Contra Costa 
Canal, an element of the Central Valley Project. CCWD's raw water comes 
primarily from Rock Slough and Old River, east of Oakley, the source of 
which is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The water is pumped the 
first 7 miles of the Contra Costa Canal and then flows by gravity 
approximately 20 miles to Mallard Reservoir and Martinez Reservoir. 
Mallard Reservoir, north of the City of Concord, provides raw water 
storage for the adjacent Bollman Water Treatment Plant, which supplies 
potable water to the Treated Water Service Area. Martinez Reservoir 
provides flow regulation for the Contra Costa Canal.
    The FEIR/FEIS (consisting of the DEIR/DEIS and the Response to 
Comments Document) evaluates in detail two alternatives, one of which 
is the proposed action, two subalternatives, and a No-Action 
Alternative. The FEIR/FEIS considers the environmental effects of the 
these alternatives in all topical areas required under NEPA and CEQA. 
CCWD and Reclamation have identified the Canal Alignment as the 
preferred alternative. The MPP Project EIR/EIS focuses on the impacts 
of pipeline construction and operation, including impacts on land use, 
traffic, recreation facilities, threatened and endangered species, 
surface water, and ground water.
    Notice of the draft environmental impact report/draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIR/DEIS) was published in the Federal Register on 
September 10, 1998 (64 FR 3974). A public hearing was held on September 
22, 1998. The written comment period closed on November 25, 1998. The 
Response to Comments Document contains responses to all comments 
received and changes made to the text of the DEIR/DEIS as a result of 
those comments.

Locations for Inspecting/Reviewing the FEIR/FEIS

    Bureau of Reclamation, Office of Policy, Room 7456, 1849 C Street, 
NW, Washington DC 20240; telephone: (202) 208-4662
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, at the Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling in Denver CO 
80225; telephone: (303) 445-2072.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Public Affairs Office, 2800 Cottage 
Way in Sacramento CA 95825-1898; telephone: (916) 978-5100.

[[Page 42392]]

     Contra Costa Water District, Public Reading Room at 1331 
Concord Ave in Concord CA 94524; telephone: (925) 688-8312.
     Antioch Branch Library at 501 W. 18th Street in Antioch CA 
94509.
     Bay Point Branch Library at 205 Pacifica Avenue in 
Pittsburg CA 94565.
     Pittsburg Branch Library at 80 Power Avenue in Pittsburg 
CA 94565.
     Oakley Branch Library at 118 East Ruby in Oakley CA 94561.
     Concord Branch Library at 2900 Salvio in Concord CA 94519.
     Contra Costa County Public Library at 1750 Oak Park 
Boulevard in Pleasant Hill CA 94523.

    Dated: June 28, 2000.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-17376 Filed 7-7-00; 8:45 am]
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