[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41212-41213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19758]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS)/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) 
for the Llagas Creek Flood Control Project

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District 
(Corps) in coordination with the Santa Clara Valley Water District 
(SCVWD) is preparing a joint Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS)/Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for 
the Llagas Creek Flood Control Project. This project will provide flood 
protection for residential, commercial, and agricultural developments 
in southern Santa Clara County, to protect and improve water quality in 
the watershed and to preserve and enhance the rivers's habitat, 
fisheries, and wildlife.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher K. Eng either by 
telephone at (415) 977-8543, by fax at (415) 977-

[[Page 41213]]

8695, by e-mail: [email protected], or by mail at the address 
below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SEIS/SEIR will supplement the original 
Llagas Creek Watershed Final EIS/EIR that was released in 1982 by the 
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service formerly the Soil 
Conservations Service) and the SCVWD to examine the potential 
environmental impacts of the original Llagas Creek Flood Control 
Project. The original Llagas Creek Project was implemented in 1969 by 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pursuant to the 
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (Pub. L. 83-566). 
To date, the NRCS has completed about half of the authorized project on 
the lower Reaches of Llagas Creek. Congress, in the House Report to the 
1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act (HR 105-190, July 
1997), urged the Corps to develop plans and specifications of the 
authorized Llagas Creek project, in anticipation of the Corps assuming 
the construction of the remaining project elements. The Water Resources 
and Development Act (WRDA) of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-53) authorized the 
Corps to complete the remaining upper reaches of the project 
``substantially in accordance with the NRCS watershed plan for the 
Llagas Creek.'' The SEIS/SEIR will address the environmental impacts of 
two alternatives, those being the proposed action and the no action (or 
no project) alternative, and will focus on changes to environmental 
setting and conditions, regulatory context and/or new information that 
has become available since release of the final SEIS/EIR. The project 
area extends approximately 12.3 miles along the upper reaches of Llagas 
Creek from the Pajaro River south of Bloomfield Road upstream to just 
beyond Wright Avenue. The proposed alternative would provide a 100-year 
level of flood protection in the urban areas of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, 
and an approximately 10-year level of flood protection in the 
agricultural areas. In addition, the proposed alternative would provide 
channel stabilization measures, thus reducing erosion and 
sedimentation. Structural measures would include the replacement of 
more than 35 bridges and culverts at road crossings. Potential impacts 
of the proposed action and no action alternatives that may be examined 
by the SEIS/SEIR include impacts to water resources, geology and soils, 
biological resources, environmental justice and socioeconomics.
    Scoping: Federal, state and local agencies, and interested 
individuals are encouraged to participate in the SEIS/SEIR scoping 
process to assist the Corps and SCVWD in determining the range of 
issues and alternatives to be addressed. Public meetings and workshops 
will be held in Morgan Hill, CA. Dates, times and locations will be 
published in the newspaper and provide by mail to all those requesting 
notification. At these meetings, Corps and SCVWD representatives will 
briefly summarize the description of the proposed project, the 
environmental impact assessment process, and will then solicit public 
comments. Attendees will be invited to submit written comments about 
the proposed alternatives and ``no project'' alternative either at the 
meeting, or following the meeting by fax, e-mail or by mail. The Draft 
SEIS/SEIR is expected to be published in early September 2002, and a 
public hearing to receive comments on the Draft SEIS/SEIR will be held 
after it is published. Comments, suggestions, and requests to be placed 
on the mailing list for announcements and for the Draft SEIS/SEIR, 
should be sent to Mr. Christopher K. Eng, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
San Francisco District, 333 Market Street, 7th floor (CESPN-ET-PP), San 
Francisco, California, 94105-2197.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-19758 Filed 8-6-01; 8:45 am]
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