[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41842-41843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17815]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Operational Changes in Support of Lake Cascade Fishery 
Restoration, Boise Project, Payette Division, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
and conduct public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS), and conduct associated 
public scoping meetings for proposed operational changes at Lake 
Cascade, on the North Fork Payette River near Cascade, Idaho. The 
purpose of the proposed operational changes is to allow the Idaho 
Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to efficiently and effectively 
remove most of the northern pikeminnow and largescale suckers from the 
lake. IDFG has determined that the presence of large numbers of 
northern pikeminnow and largescale suckers in the lake are a major 
cause in the decline of the important yellow perch and trout fishery 
and will prevent recovery of the fishery unless their numbers are 
significantly reduced. The current proposal is for Reclamation to lower 
the water elevation of Lake Cascade to the lowest level possible to 
allow IDFG to remove the undesirable fish and restock the lake with 
perch and trout.
    Reclamation has scheduled public meetings to describe the proposed 
project and obtain public input on potential impacts of the proposed 
operational changes at Lake Cascade. These meetings will assist in 
determining issues and concerns associated with the project that will 
be analyzed in the EIS.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be held on the following dates:
    [sbull] August 11, 2003, in Cascade, Idaho.
    [sbull] August 12, 2003, in Boise Idaho.
    [sbull] August 13, 2003, in Emmett, Idaho.
    Each meeting will begin with a formal presentation about the 
proposed project from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. followed by an informal open 
house from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Comments on the proposed project will 
be accepted through September 12, 2003.
    The meeting facilities are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Please direct requests for sign language interpretation 
for the hearing impaired, or other auxiliary aids, to Steve Dunn by 
August 1, 2003, by telephone, fax, or TTY relay number listed under the 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or requests for inclusion on the EIS 
mailing list may be submitted to Bureau of Reclamation, Snake River 
Area Office, Attention: Steve Dunn, Natural Resources Specialist, 214 
Broadway Avenue, Boise ID 83702-7298.
    The meetings will be held at the following locations:
    [sbull] August 11, 2003, at the American Legion Hall, 105 E Mill 
Street, Cascade, Idaho.
    [sbull] August 12, 2003, at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 
600 S Walnut, Boise Idaho.
    [sbull] August 13, 2003, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Service Center, 1805 Highway 16, Emmett, Idaho.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anyone interested in more information 
concerning the EIS, or who has information that may be useful in 
identifying significant environmental issues, may contact Mr. Steve 
Dunn at telephone 208-334-9844, or e-mail [email protected]. TTY users 
may call 208-334-9844 by dialing 711 to obtain a toll free TTY relay.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cascade Dam and Reservoir, located on the 
North Fork Payette River in west central Idaho, were constructed by 
Reclamation for use as a Federal irrigation facility. Cascade 
Reservoir, now designated Lake Cascade, has a storage capacity of 
693,123 acre feet and encompasses 26,500 surface acres. Lake Cascade, 
along with Reclamation's Deadwood Reservoir, are part of Reclamation's 
Payette Division of the Boise Project. These reservoirs supply 
irrigation water to Idaho Water District 65, which encompasses the 
lower Payette River Basin. Hydropower is generated at Cascade Dam by 
Idaho Power Company.
    At its peak from the late 1970's through the early 1990's, Lake 
Cascade was the most-fished water body in Idaho. The year-round yellow 
perch fishery and stocked rainbow trout and coho salmon not only 
provided thousands of recreation days for anglers but also significant 
income for the local economy. The perch fishery vanished and the trout 
fishery declined significantly in the mid-1990's, and neither has 
recovered.
    IDFG began investigating the decline of the yellow perch fishery in 
Lake Cascade in 1998 and determined that large numbers of northern 
pikeminnow and largescale suckers in the lake are a major cause in the 
decline of the recreational fishery and will prevent recovery of the 
fishery unless their numbers are significantly reduced. Northern 
pikeminnow are predators on both yellow perch and trout, and largescale 
suckers are contributing to the decline of the fishery by competing for 
food resources.
    IDFG has analyzed different methods to remove and/or reduce the 
numbers of northern pikeminnow and has concluded that the most 
economical method with the highest probability for

[[Page 41843]]

success would entail draining the reservoir pool, passing most fish 
downstream, and utilizing a fish toxicant (rotenone) to kill any 
remaining fish. The configuration of Cascade Dam would allow the almost 
complete evacuation of water down to the former river channel. After 
the eradication of the fish, the reservoir would begin to refill with 
the next seasons spring runoff.
    Through preliminary public involvement conducted by IDFG, several 
areas of potential impact and public concern caused by the proposed 
operational changes have been identified. Irrigation supply may be 
affected, and alternative management of flows and operations will need 
to be considered. The flows in the North and South Forks of the Payette 
River provide a commercial whitewater rafting industry, and change in 
water management from Reclamation reservoirs may have adverse effects. 
Water-based recreation on the lake itself may also be impacted. Water 
quality both in Lake Cascade and downstream may be impaired. Lake 
Cascade also supports several nesting pairs of bald eagles, a federally 
listed threatened species, as well as abundant waterfowl and other 
wildlife.
    In response to the issues developed during scoping, other 
alternative means of operating the reservoir system to meet IDFG's 
needs will be explored and analyzed in the EIS if found to be feasible. 
In addition to changes at Lake Cascade, these alternatives may involve 
changes in operations upstream at Payette Lake, as well as at Deadwood 
Reservoir. Federal, state and local agencies, tribes, and the general 
public are invited to participate in the EIS process.

    Dated: June 11, 2003.
J. William McDonald,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 03-17815 Filed 7-14-03; 8:45 am]
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