[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39534-39536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18977]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Wellton-Mohawk Title Transfer

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the proposed Wellton-Mohawk title transfer.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the 
potential effects of the proposed title transfer of property in Yuma 
County, Arizona, to

[[Page 39535]]

the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (District). This 
information will be used in the decision-making process pursuant to the 
Wellton-Mohawk Transfer Act of June 20, 2000 (Pub. L. 106-221), whereby 
the Secretary of Interior was authorized to convey certain works, 
facilities, and lands of the Gila Project (61 Stat. 628), including the 
conveyance of designated acquired, public, and withdrawn lands within 
or adjacent to the Gila Project, to the District. The District shall be 
a cooperating agency with Reclamation in the NEPA review of this 
proposed project. At present it is not clear whether the scope of the 
action will require the preparation of an EIS or an environmental 
assessment (EA). However, to ensure a timely and appropriate level of 
NEPA compliance and to limit future delays in completing the 
environmental analysis for the proposed title transfer, Reclamation is 
at this time proceeding as if the project will require the preparation 
of an EIS. Reclamation will reevaluate the need for an EIS after 
receiving public comment on the proposed action and initiating the 
environmental analysis for the title transfer. Reclamation will publish 
a notice of cancellation if, as the result of additional information 
and analysis, a decision is made to prepare an EA rather than an EIS.

DATES: Public meetings are planned for the purpose of defining the 
scope of the EIS, identifying reasonably foreseeable alternatives to 
the proposed action, and noting specific issues that need to be 
addressed. Meeting dates, times, and locations are as follows:
     Wednesday, August 15, 7 p.m. at Antelope Union High 
School, 9168 South Avenue 36E, Wellton, Arizona; and
     Thursday, August 16, 7 p.m. at Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma 
Area Office, 7301 Calle Agua Salada, Yuma, Arizona.
    Persons with disabilities or language barriers are requested to 
contact Rhoda Thomas, telephone (602) 258-0234, Fax. (602) 258-2352, to 
arrange specific accommodations for either of these meetings.
    Written comments will be received by Reclamation regarding the 
proposed project and the scope of the environmental impacts analysis to 
be conducted as part of the NEPA review process. The comment period 
shall extend for 30 days from the date of publication of this notice 
through August 30, 2001. Comments may be sent to Mr. Richard Strahan at 
the address provided below.
    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: To request additional information about the 
proposed project and public meetings and to provide written comments on 
the scope of the EIS, contact Mr. Richard Strahan, Project Manager, 
Yuma Area Office, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 7301 Calle Agua Salada, 
Yuma, AZ 85364-9763; telephone (928) 343-8277; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States holds title to works and 
facilities in the Wellton-Mohawk Division of the Gila Project, which 
was authorized by the Gila Project Reauthorization Act of July 30, 1947 
(61 Stat. 628), and lands within and adjacent to the District. The 
Wellton-Mohawk Transfer Act (Public Law 106-221) of June 20, 2000, 
authorized the Secretary of Interior to transfer title to these works, 
facilities, and lands.
    Pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (No. 8-AA-34-WA014, dated 
July 10, 1998), the District and Reclamation shall jointly identify 
lands within and adjacent to the District to be purchased or exchanged 
or otherwise transferred by and between the District and Reclamation. 
Acquired Lands, Public Lands, and Withdrawn Lands shall be appraised in 
accordance with practices approved by the Secretary to ensure that the 
United States receives fair market value for the lands purchased or 
exchanged.
    The District, whose jurisdiction covers approximately 63,000 acres 
of arable land along the Gila River in an area east of Yuma, Arizona, 
receives irrigation water through canals and related works and 
facilities constructed by Reclamation as part of the Wellton-Mohawk 
Division of the Federal Gila Project. Over the years, the District has 
repaid the costs of their construction, and it operates and maintains 
the works and facilities and administers the distribution of water and 
collection of revenues from water users. Reclamation, as the owner of 
the Federal facilities and associated rights-of-way, monitors the use 
and maintenance of the facilities and administers the legal aspects of 
the landownership.
    Jointly, Reclamation and the District will evaluate the 
environmental aspects associated with the proposed transfer of title to 
the works and facilities and to certain lands currently vested in the 
United States. The works and facilities include canals, canal 
structures, pumping plants, pumps, motors, transformers, laterals, 
drains, roads, buildings, and works, including Gila River flood 
protection and control works rights-of-way and easements for facilities 
and other interests in lands. The District has also expressed an 
interest in purchasing, at fair market value, various tracts of 
Reclamation land associated with the Wellton-Mohawk Division of the 
Gila Project that were not included in the construction cost repayment 
schedule.
    Responsibility for ownership of Reclamation works and facilities 
and associated land would be assumed by the District as part of its 
established irrigation, drainage, and flood control operation program 
and in the interest of maintaining a viable agricultural economy in 
Yuma County.
    The proposed title transfer would eliminate duplication of 
administrative costs and divided responsibilities that exist because of 
Federal ownership of works and facilities that are operated and 
maintained by the District. These include Reclamation's oversight of 
the District's operation and maintenance of facilities as well as 
distribution and use of irrigation water, and the reporting required of 
the District by Reclamation. The proposed change in title would not 
change the purpose, operation, or use of the facilities and works, nor 
actions and relationships outside of District operations, such as 
allocation of Colorado River water, conveyance of agricultural return 
flows from the District, Federal programs related to Colorado River 
water quality, and power contracts involving the District.

Preferred Alternative

    The preferred alternative would involve the proposed transfer to 
the District of Reclamation-owned irrigation and drainage water 
conveyance and distribution works and facilities beginning at the Gila 
Gravity Main Canal, the Gila River flood channel and protective dikes, 
and the Federal rights-of-way and easements on which these facilities 
are located. In addition, the preferred alternative includes the 
District's purchase, at fair market value, of other lands in the 
District that

[[Page 39536]]

Reclamation has withdrawn from the public domain for project purposes 
or has acquired in connection with the Colorado River Salinity Control 
Project, and lands that are still in the public domain which would 
complement the operational integrity of the Wellton-Mohawk Division.
    Anyone interested in more information concerning the proposed title 
transfer should contact Mr. Strahan as provided above.

    Dated: July 16, 2001.
J.F. Williams,
Deputy Area Manager, Yuma Area Office.
[FR Doc. 01-18977 Filed 7-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P