[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26683-26684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12140]


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UTAH RECLAMATION MITIGATION AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment and 
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Rehabilitation or Replacement 
of Diversion Dams on the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers in Utah

AGENCY: Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission 
(Mitigation Commission).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Assessment 
and Finding of No Significant Impact for the rehabilitation or 
replacement of diversion dams on the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers in 
Utah.

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SUMMARY: The Central Utah Project Completion Act (Pub. L. 102-575) 
authorized Federal funds to rehabilitate diversion dams on the Duchesne 
and Strawberry Rivers in Utah. The project is needed to reduce adverse 
effects on fish and wildlife resources.
    The Final Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared as a 
Programmatic document. It discusses potential environmental impacts 
associated with reconstructing and operating an unspecified diversion 
dam on the Duchesne or Strawberry River. The new diversion dam could 
serve single or multiple diversion rights. Potential environmental 
impacts addressed in the document are those impacts that would be 
expected regardless of which diversion dam is rehabilitated. Potential 
impacts to wetlands, threatened and endangered species and cultural 
resources are generally site specific and/or require special permits. 
Potential impacts to these environmental disciplines would be addressed 
in a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA), if needed.
    After considering the public comments received during scoping and 
agency consultation, and the analyses in the EA of environmental 
effects, it is my decision to select Alternative 3 for implementation, 
excepting the combination of the Farm Creek, Jasper-Pike and New Tabby 
diversions. With Alternative 3, several of the existing diversions on 
the Duchesne River and several of the existing diversions on the 
Strawberry River would be combined and new diversion dams that would 
serve multiple diversion rights would be constructed. This would 
involve transferring points of diversion from the downstream 
diversion(s) to the upstream diversion that would be constructed. 
Diversions would be combined only when the involved water rights would 
not be adversely affected.

[[Page 26684]]

However, not every diversion structure can be potentially combined with 
one or more of the other diversions. The combination of the Farm Creek, 
Jasper-Pike and New Tabby diversions as described under Alternative 3 
is not approved to be combined into a single diversion because 
cumulative depletions of stream flows in the intervening approximately 
1.4 miles of Duchesne River channel between the Farm Creek and Jasper-
Pike diversions would cause a substantial adverse impact that would not 
be compensated for by the elimination of one or two of the diversions 
from the river. Alternative 3 was formulated to include consolidation 
of diversions that appeared feasible and reasonable based on physical 
and logistical considerations. At this time, potential legal, social, 
and institutional constraints have only been considered at a cursory 
level. Further examination of consolidation options could preclude some 
projects from being implemented. In those instances wherein Alternative 
3 is determined not to be feasible, and in the case of the Farm Creek, 
Jasper-Pike and New Tabby diversions, Alternative 2 is selected for 
implementation. Alternative 2 involves the rehabilitation or 
construction of a new diversion facility on the Duchesne or Strawberry 
River at or in very close proximity to the location of the existing 
diversions.
    The Final Environmental Assessment is a programmatic analysis. 
Potential environmental impacts addressed in the EA are those impacts 
that would be expected regardless of the diversion dam that is 
rehabilitated. Potential impacts to wetlands, threatened and endangered 
species and cultural resources generally are site specific and/or 
require special permits. As a subsequent decision to rehabilitate or 
reconstruct a particular diversion structure is made, the site-specific 
impacts will be assessed using a site-specific environmental evaluation 
checklist. If no additional impacts beyond those assessed in this EA 
are identified, the checklist will be approved as a decision document, 
and no further NEPA analysis will be conducted.
    If any item on the checklist has not been satisfied, or if a 
project is expected to create impacts not described in the EA, to 
create impacts greater in magnitude or duration than described in the 
EA or would require mitigation measures that are not described in the 
EA to keep impacts below significant levels, a Supplemental EA (SEA) to 
address site specific impacts would be prepared for each diversion dam 
concurrent with the preparation of the final engineering or design 
report for a specific structure.
    The EA was developed with the public in accordance with the 
Commission's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rule (43 CFR part 
10010.20). The Final EA and Decision Notice were sent to 28 agencies 
and individuals on May 2, 2003.
    The EA is related to other potential future actions, specifically 
the detailed design and implementation of diversion dam replacements or 
rehabilitation. The programmatic perspective has been considered in the 
document. Future construction projects may require separate or 
supplemental NEPA compliance.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments and/or requests for further information 
to Mark Holden, Projects Manager, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and 
Conservation Commission, 102 West 500 South, Suite 315, Salt Lake City, 
UT, 84101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Holden, Projects Manager, 801-
524-3146 [email protected].

    Dated: May 2, 2003.
Michael C. Weland,
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission Executive 
Director.
[FR Doc. 03-12140 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-05-P