[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 2 (Thursday, January 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 343-344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-33]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Water Exchange Agreements With Mendota Pool Group, 2003-2013, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), will prepare an EIS, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the proposed exchange of 
up to 25,000 acre-feet of water per year over a 10-year period with the 
Mendota Pool Group. Alternatives will be identified and evaluated on 
the basis of criteria adopted to maintain environmental quality and 
provide for continued agricultural production. The purpose of the 
proposed project is to provide water to irrigable lands on Mendota Pool 
Group properties in Westlands Water District and San Luis Water 
District to offset substantial reductions in contract water supplies 
attributable to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), the 
Endangered Species Act listings and regulations, and new Delta water 
quality rules. Providing this water would enable the Mendota Pool Group 
farmers to maintain production on historically irrigated lands. The 
project is not intended to increase the amount of water for farming 
activities, but would replace some of the contract water lost because 
of increased environmental regulations that restrict water deliveries 
south of the export pumps at Tracy, California.
    Through initial scoping meetings, Reclamation will seek public 
input on the scope of the project and potential alternatives, or 
combination of alternatives, for consideration in the EIS.
    There are no known Indian Trust Assets or environmental justice 
issues associated with the proposed action.

DATES: One scoping meeting will be held to solicit comments from 
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the 
environmental analysis and to identify the significant issues related 
to this proposed action. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 
14, 2002, 6 to 8 p.m., in Mendota, California.
    Submit written comments on the proposed project scope on or before 
January 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the City Council 
Chambers, Mendota City Hall, 643 Quince St., Mendota, CA 93640; 
telephone: (559) 655-3291.
    Written comments on the scope of the alternatives and impacts to be 
considered should be sent to Mrs. Judi Tapia, Bureau of Reclamation, 
South-Central California Area Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno CA 93721-
1813; by telephone at (559) 487-5179 (TDD 559-487-5933); by E-mail at 
[email protected]; or faxed to (559) 487-5397.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Tapia, Environmental Specialist, 
at the above address or by telephone at (559) 487-5179 (TDD 559-487-
5933).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Delta export service area of the Central 
Valley Project (CVP) has total contractual obligations and delivery 
losses of approximately 3.45 million acre-feet per year. The 
theoretical maximum pumping capability of CVP facilities serving this 
area is approximately 3.09 million acre-feet per year. Available 
supplies are apportioned under a hierarchy of allocation in which 
agricultural water service contracts, totaling about 1.85 million acre-
feet per year, are provided water only after all other obligations are 
met. Implementation of the CVPIA provided water only after all other 
obligations are met. Implementation of the CVPIA (1992), Endangered 
Species Act (1993-1995), and revised Bay-Delta water quality standards 
has further reduced pumping capabilities and water supplies available 
to agricultural contractors. Currently these parties can expect to 
receive a long-term average supply of about 50 to 55 percent of 
contract water as compared to a pre-1992 average of 88 to 92 percent.
    The project proponents propose to pump an average of 27,000 acre-
feet of groundwater per year over the 10-year period from non-CVP wells 
located adjacent to the Mendota Pool into the Mendota Pool to make up 
for a portion of the annual shortfall in the contract water to be 
delivered via the CVP. The actual quantity of water to be pumped would 
depend on whether the year is classified as wet (0 acre-feet per year),

[[Page 344]]

normal (31,600 acre-feet per year), or dry (40,000 acre-feet per year). 
Of the total quantity pumped, a maximum of 25,000 acre-feet per year 
would be exchanged with Reclamation. This water would be made available 
to Reclamation in the Mendota Pool to offset their existing water 
contract obligations. In exchange, Reclamation would make an equivalent 
amount of CVP water available to the members of the Mendota Pool Group 
for irrigation purposes at Check 13 of the Delta-Mendota Canal. Any 
quantity of water pumped beyond the 25,000 acre-feet exchanged would be 
delivered directly to other lands that are presently under irrigation 
around the Pool. As part of this program, a maximum of 12,000 acre-feet 
per year of groundwater would be pumped from deep wells (i.e., screened 
interval greater than 130 feet deep), with the remainder coming from 
shallow wells (i.e., screened interval less than 130 feet deep). The 
proposed project will comply with the terms specified in the Settlement 
Agreement for Mendota Pool Transfer Pumping Program, effective January 
1, 2001.
    The primary environmental resource issues that have been 
identified, and that will be evaluated in the EIS, include groundwater 
levels, groundwater quality, subsidence, surface water quality, and 
biological resources.
    The environmental review will be conducted pursuant to NEPA, the 
Endangered Species Act, and other applicable laws, to analyze the 
potential environmental impacts of implementing each of the feasible 
alternatives. All reasonable alternatives as required by NEPA and its 
implementing regulations will be examined. The final Environmental 
Impact Report, certified by Westlands Water District in 1998, will 
provide a useful beginning, as will subsequent environmental reports 
and ongoing sampling activities, thus allowing Reclamation to expedite 
completion of the analysis. Alternatives, with their related designs 
and cost estimates identified in the earlier document, will be re-
evaluated and updated to reflect current conditions. Public input on 
additional alternatives, or combinations of alternatives, that should 
be considered will be sought through the initial scoping meeting. In 
addition, public input will be sought on the criteria that should be 
used to carry forward alternatives, or combination of alternatives, for 
further consideration.
    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 letter. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials or organizations or 
businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

    Dated: December 3, 2001.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-33 Filed 1-2-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-M