[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 105 (Friday, May 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38074-38075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13684]


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

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Arkansas River Navigation Study, Phase II, AR and OK

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Little Rock District will prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Arkansas River 
Navigation Study, Phase II.
    The purpose of the EIS will be to present alternatives and assess 
the impacts associated with the deepening of several portions of the 
McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (McKARNS) channel, so 
that portions of or the entire system would have a navigable depth up 
to 12 feet, instead of the existing 9-foot deep channel. Under 
direction of the U.S. Congress, the USACE is conducting this study. The 
study area includes the Arkansas River Basin in Arkansas and Oklahoma. 
Deepening the navigation channel would allow the hauling of heavier 
loads on barges that use the system. Proposed improvements resulting 
from the study could impact (positively or negatively) agriculture, 
hydropower, recreation, flood control, and fish and wildlife along the 
McKARNS.
    The EIS will evaluate potential impacts (positive and negative) to 
the natural, physical, and human

[[Page 38075]]

environment as a result of implementing any of the proposed project 
alternatives that may be developed during the EIS process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or comments concerning the 
proposed action should be addressed to: Ms. Tricia Anslow, Chief, 
Environmental Section, Planning Branch, P.O. Box 867, Little Rock, AR 
72203-0867, Telephone 501-324-5032, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. McKARNS: The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System 
consists of a series of 18 locks and dams (17 existing and 1 currently 
under construction) and provides navigation from the Mississippi River 
to the Port of Catoosa near Tulsa, OK. River flow in the Arkansas River 
is modified primarily by 11 reservoirs in Oklahoma. The reservoirs are: 
Keystone, Oologah, Pensacola, Hudson, Fort Gibson, Tenkiller Ferry, 
Eufaula, Kaw, Hulah, Copan, and Wister. These lakes provide flood 
control, water supply, hydropower, fish & wildlife, water quality, 
recreation, and other benefits.
    2. Study History: The Arkansas River Navigation Study, Phase II is 
being undertaken by USACE, Little Rock and Tulsa Districts under the 
direction of the U.S. Congress. The study includes major hydraulics 
investigations, economics analyses, alternatives development and 
related analyses in addition to the EIS.
    3. Comments/Scoping Meeting: Interested parties are requested to 
express their views concerning the proposed activity. The public is 
encouraged to provide written comments in addition to or in lieu of, 
oral comments at scoping meetings. To be most helpful, scoping comments 
should clearly describe specific environmental topics or issues, which 
the commentator believes the document should address. Oral and written 
comments receive equal consideration.
    Scoping meetings will be held with government agencies and the 
public. Public Scoping Meetings will be held in the summer of 2002 in 
Pine Bluff, AR, Fort Smith, AR, and Tulsa, OK. The location, time, and 
date will be published at least 14 days prior to each scoping meeting. 
Comments received as a result of this notice and the news releases will 
be used to assist the Districts in identifying potential impacts to the 
quality of the human or natural environment. Affected local, state, or 
Federal agencies, affected Indian Tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties may participate in the scoping process by 
forwarding written comments to the above noted address. Interested 
parties may also request to be included on the mailing list for public 
distribution of meeting announcements and documents.
    4. Alternatives/Issues: The EIS will evaluate the effects of 
channel deepening and other practical alternatives, and other 
identified concerns. Anticipated significant issues to be addressed in 
the EIS include impacts on: (1) navigation, (2) flooding, (3) 
hydropower production, (4) recreation and recreation facilities, (5) 
river hydraulics, (6) fish and wildlife resources and habitats, and (7) 
other impacts identified by the Public, agencies or USACE studies.
    5. Availability of the Draft EIS: The Draft EIS is anticipated to 
be available for public review in the fall of 2004 subject to the 
receipt of federal funding.
    6. Authority: The River and Harbor Act of 1946 authorized the 
development of the Arkansas River and its tributaries for the purposes 
of navigation, flood control, hydropower, water supply, recreation, and 
fish and wildlife. Public Law 91-649 stated that the project would be 
known as the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The 
Arkansas River Navigation Study began as a Fiscal Year (FY99) 
Congressional Add to investigate flooding problems along the Arkansas 
River in Crawford and Sebastian Counties in the vicinity of Fort Smith, 
AR.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-13684 Filed 5-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-57-M