[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 208 (Thursday, October 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 64234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27595]



[[Page 64234]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Arrowrock Dam Outlet Works Rehabilitation, INT-DES 00-45

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
and notice of public hearings.

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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 (Reclamation) has prepared a draft environmental impact 
statement (Draft EIS) to examine the impacts of alternatives to 
rehabilitate the outlet works at Arrowrock Dam. The Bureau of 
Reclamation proposes to remove 10 lower level Ensign valves and replace 
them with clamshell gates. Two action alternatives have been identified 
that differ only in the timing of reservoir drawdown and the elevation 
of Arrowrock Reservoir and Lucky Peak Lake in the third construction 
season. The preferred alternative requires a longer period of drawdown 
of Arrowrock Reservoir, but both Arrowrock Reservoir and Lucky Peak 
Lake would remain at a higher elevation than with the other action 
alternative. The No Action Alternative is also evaluated. The No Action 
Alternative is defined as the most likely future without the proposed 
project, and includes actions that would be required for an intensive 
maintenance program if the Ensign valves were not replaced.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted by January 
5, 2001, to the address listed under the Addresses Section. Public 
hearings to accept oral comments on the Draft EIS will be held on 
December 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m. in Boise, Idaho. 
Persons requiring any special services at the public hearing should 
contact Mr. Tiedeman (see below) by December 5, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the Idaho State 
Historical Museum, Second Floor Conference Room, Julia Davis Park, 610 
N. Julia Davis Drive, Boise, ID.
    Written comments on the Draft EIS should be submitted to: Mr. John 
Tiedeman, Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 N. Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise 
ID 83706-1234.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, 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 of organizations or 
businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Tiedeman, (208) 378-5034.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Arrowrock Dam and Reservoir, completed in 
1915, were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) as 
part of the Boise Project. The dam is located on the main stem Boise 
River about 17 river miles upstream from the city of Boise and is 
operated as one of three storage facilities constructed on the Boise 
River. Anderson Ranch Dam and Reservoir, located on the South Fork 
Boise River and generally east of Arrowrock Dam, were completed by 
Reclamation in 1950 as part of the Boise Project. Lucky Peak Dam and 
Lake, located to the southwest and about 11 river miles downstream of 
Arrowrock Dam, were completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(Corps) in 1957. Reclamation and the Corps operate the three storage 
dams in a coordinated method for irrigation water supply (Reclamation 
markets the water supply in Lucky Peak Lake for irrigation), flood 
control, recreation, and fish and wildlife.
    Reclamation began considering modification of Arrowrock Dam outlet 
works in 1982; some conceptual designs for replacement of some of the 
Ensign valves were developed in 1983. Over several years, various 
possible designs were identified and evaluated, and in 1987 a 
conceptual design suggested clamshell gates. Increasing maintenance 
problems resulted in the current effort to identify and evaluate 
solutions to the maintenance problems associated with the now 85-year 
old Ensign valves. The scope of this study was limited to valve 
replacement to retain and improve operational flexibility of Arrowrock 
Dam and Reservoir. Reclamation's scoping process has included numerous 
meetings with state and Federal agencies, local groups, and interested 
individuals. Notices of intent to prepare an EIS and to hold public 
scoping meetings were published and two public scoping meetings were 
held on November 20, 1998. The results of meetings and comments have 
been considered in the development of alternatives.
    The Draft EIS is limited to the potential effects of replacing the 
lower row of Ensign valves with clamshell gates. Reclamation has 
deferred maintenance and replacement activities on the lower Ensign 
valves since 1988 so that action alternatives could be identified and 
compared to a No Action alternative consisting of an aggressive 
maintenance program. Environmental effects of the action and No Action 
alternatives were analyzed for the stream reaches and reservoirs 
upstream and downstream from Arrowrock Dam and Reservoir. Potential 
environmental effects are generally limited to those associated with 
construction and the reservoir drawdowns necessary for maintenance and 
replacement of the lower outlets. A major concern associated with the 
drawdowns is bull trout which are found in Arrowrock Reservoir and the 
streams upstream; bull trout were listed as a threatened species in 
June 1998.
    Those wishing to obtain a copy of the Draft EIS or schedule time, 
in advance, to make oral comments at the hearing(s) may contact Mr. 
Tiedeman. Speakers will be called in order of their requests. Requests 
to comment may also be made at each hearing and speakers will be 
scheduled to follow the advance requests. Comments will be limited to 
10 minutes and will be recorded by a court stenographer to be included 
in the hearing record. The Draft EIS is available for viewing on the 
internet at http://www.pn.usbr.gov/project/arrowrock/arrowrock.shtml.

    Dated: October 16, 2000.
J. William McDonald,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 00-27595 Filed 10-25-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P