[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 151 (Friday, August 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 47973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19800]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) for the American River Project, Long Term Evaluation, 
California

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), lead agency under 
the National Environmental Policy Act, and the California State 
Reclamation Board (The Board), lead agency under the California 
Environmental Quality Act, intend to prepare a joint document to 
evaluate the environmental effects of proposed flood control and 
ecosystem restoration components for the Sacramento, California, area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed 
action and draft SEIS should be addressed to Ms. Patricia Roberson, 
Environmental Resources Branch, Planning Division, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814-2922, telephone 
(916) 557-6705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Project Location

    Sacramento is located where the American River joins the Sacramento 
River. The American River watershed, or drainage basin, covers 
approximately 2,100 square miles northeast of Sacramento and includes 
portions of Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. Runoff from 
this basin flows through Folsom Reservoir and passes through Sacramento 
in a channel controlled by a system of levees. In addition to providing 
flood control to Sacramento, Folsom Dam and Reservoir are part of the 
Federal Central Valley Project, California's largest water delivery 
system. The primary study areas include Folsom Dam and Reservoir, lower 
American River, Sacramento Bypass, and the Yolo Bypass. These features 
are located within Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, and El Dorado Counties.

2. Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The Corps and the Board are conducting a supplemental feasibility 
evaluation of alternative measures to provide additional flood 
protection to the City of Sacramento. This documentation and the 
accompanying SEIS/EIR are supplements to the 1996 American River 
Watershed Project Supplemental Information Report and SEIS/EIR, which 
in turn supplement the 1991 American River Watershed Investigation 
feasibility study and EIS. Alternatives to address resource problems 
and needs identified to date will include in whole or in part: (1) 
Enlarging Folsom Reservoir; (2) a downstream levee plan, which would 
involve raising and strengthening levees, raising bridges, and widening 
the Sacramento Bypass, and (3) a combination of downstream levee work 
and Folsom enlargement. Potential for ecosystem restoration will also 
be evaluated.

3. Scoping Process

    a. Scoping is a process to identify the actions, alternatives, and 
effects to be evaluated in an environmental document. The public is 
invited to assist the Corps and non-Federal sponsor in scoping this 
SEIS. The Process provides an opportunity for the public to identify 
Significant resources in the study area that may be affected by the 
project. To facilitate this involvement, a series of public scoping 
meetings will be held in Folsom and Sacramento in August/September 
2000. Individuals, organizations, and agencies are also encouraged to 
submit written scoping comments by September 30, 2000.
    b. After the draft SEIS is prepared, it will be circulated to all 
interested parties for review and comment. Public meetings will be held 
to receive verbal and written comments. All comments will be considered 
and responded to in the final SEIS/EIR.

4. Availability

    The draft SEIS/EIR is scheduled to be distributed for public review 
and comment in June 2001.

Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-19800 Filed 8-3-00; 8:45 am]
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