[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1988-1989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-689]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[Nevada, INT-DES 01-43]


Implementation Agreement, Inadvertent Overrun and Payback Policy 
and Related Federal Actions, Colorado River in the Lower Basin

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of and public hearing for a draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's 
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, the 
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has issued a DEIS on the proposed 
execution of an Implementation Agreement (IA) that would commit the 
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to make Colorado River water 
deliveries in accordance with the terms and conditions of the IA to 
enable certain southern California water agencies to implement the 
proposed Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA). (The QSA is an 
agreement in principle among several southern California water 
agencies. It establishes a framework of conservation measures and water 
transfers within southern California for up to 75 years. It provides a 
substantial mechanism for California to reduce its diversions of 
Colorado River water in normal years to its 4.4 million acre-feet per 
year apportionment.) The proposed Federal action includes the following 
components: Execution of an IA, wherein the Secretary agrees to changes 
in the amount and/or location of deliveries of Colorado River water 
that are necessary to implement the QSA; adoption of an Inadvertent 
Overrun and Payback Policy (IOP), which establishes requirements for 
payback of inadvertent overuse of Colorado River water by Colorado 
River water users in Arizona, California, and Nevada; and 
implementation of biological conservation measures to offset potential 
impacts from the proposed action that could occur to federally listed 
fish and wildlife species. Information on public hearings may be found 
below in the DATES section.

DATES: A 60-day public review and comment period begins with the filing 
of the draft EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency. Written 
comments must be received no later than March 12, 2002 [see ADDRESSES, 
below].
    Public hearings are scheduled to be held to receive written or 
verbal comments about the DEIS from interested organizations and 
individuals, on the adequacy with which the EIS identifies and 
describes the potential impacts associated with approving and 
implementing the proposed Federal action. The hearings will be held at 
the following times and locations:
     February 5, 2002, VFW Hall, 148 N. First St., Blythe, 
California, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
     February 6, 2002, Henderson Convention Center, 200 S. 
Water St., Henderson, Nevada, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
     February 7, 2002, Marriott Hotel (Downtown), 333 S. 
Figueroa St., Los Angeles, California, 2:00-5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mr. Bruce Ellis, Chief, 
Environmental Resources Management Division, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Phoenix Area Office (PXAO-1500), PO Box 81169, Phoenix, AZ 85069-1169; 
fax number (602) 216-4006.
    A copy of the draft EIS is available upon request from Ms. Janice 
Kjesbo, Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office (PXAO-1500), PO Box 
81169,

[[Page 1989]]

Phoenix, AZ 85069-1169, telephone (602) 216-3864, faxogram (602) 216-
4006. A copy of the draft EIS is also available for public inspection 
and review at the libraries listed under Supplementary Information 
below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the draft EIS 
should be directed to Mr. Ellis, at the address provided above, 
telephone (602) 216-3854.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary, pursuant to the Boulder 
Canyon Project Act of 1928 and Arizona v. California 1964 Supreme Court 
Decree (376 U.S. 340), proposes to take Federal actions necessary to 
support the implementation of the QSA. The purpose of the Federal 
action is to facilitate implementation of the QSA, which incorporates 
contractual agreements necessary for California to reduce its use of 
Colorado River water. The need for the Federal action is to assist 
California's efforts to reduce its use of Colorado River water to its 
4.4 million acre-feet apportionment in a normal year. This reduction in 
California's use of Colorado River water would benefit the entire 
Colorado River Basin.
    The IA, IOP, and Related Federal Actions DEIS describes the 
potential environmental impacts of the three components that make up 
the proposed Federal action. Because the purpose of the proposed action 
is to provide Federal approval of an agreement negotiated among the 
California parties, no other action alternatives to the IA are 
considered in the DEIS. Similarly, the biological conservation measures 
proposed to be implemented under the proposed action relate 
specifically to the water transfers specified in the IA and QSA. These 
measures were developed and agreed to by Reclamation and the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (FWS) in response to an August 2000 Reclamation 
Biological Assessment, and were incorporated into a FWS January 2001 
Biological Opinion; no alternatives to the biological conservation 
measures are considered in the DEIS. With regard to the IOP, in 
response to scoping comments received, Reclamation developed an 
alternative that would eliminate the forgiveness of payment aspect of 
the proposed policy. This alternative has been evaluated and is 
described in the DEIS.
    Copies of the draft EIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Department of the Interior, Natural Resources Library, 
1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225
     Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, 
Nevada Highway and Park St., Boulder City, NV 89006
     Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, 2222 W. Dunlap 
Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85021
     Bureau of Reclamation, Southern California Area Office, 
27710 Jefferson Ave., Suite 201, Temecula, CA 92590-2628
     Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma Area Office, 7301 Calle Agua 
Salada, Yuma, AZ 85364-9763
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
S. State St., Salt Lake City, UT 84138-1102
     Lake Havasu City Library, 1787 McCulloch Blvd. North, Lake 
Havasu City, AZ 86403
     Mohave County Library, 1170 Hancock Rd., Bullhead City, AZ 
86442
     Parker Public Library, 1001 S. Navajo Ave., Parker, AZ 
85344
     Phoenix Public Library (Burton Barr Central), 1221 N. 
Central Ave., AZ 85004
     Yuma County Library, 350 S. 3rd Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364
     Los Angeles Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, 
CA 90071
     Palo Verde Valley Library, 125 W. Canslor Way, Blythe, CA 
92225
     San Bernardino County Library, 1111 Bailey Ave., Needles, 
CA 92363
     San Diego Central Library, 820 E St., San Diego, CA 92101
     Henderson District Public Library, 280 South Water St., 
Henderson, NV 89015
     Salt Lake City Public Library, 209 E 500 S, Salt Lake 
City, UT 84111
    Written comments received by Reclamation become part of the public 
record associated with this action. Accordingly, Reclamation makes 
these 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.

    Dated: December 28, 2001.
Kenneth D. Naser,
Director, Office of Environmental, Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 02-689 Filed 1-14-02; 8:45 am]
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