[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43748-43749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18905]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[DES 03-43]


Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan and Cachuma Project 
Biological Opinion for Southern Steelhead Trout, Santa Barbara County, 
CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a Draft EIS/
EIR for the Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan (Plan) and 
Cachuma Project Biological Opinion (Opinion) for Southern Steelhead 
Trout. The Plan and Opinion include various flow and non-flow measures 
to be implemented by Reclamation and the Cachuma Project Member Units 
to protect and enhance habitat for the endangered southern steelhead 
trout along the Santa Ynez River downstream of Bradbury Dam.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR will be accepted for 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR in the Federal 
Register, anticipated to occur in April 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent or hand-delivered to: David 
Young, Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 
1243 N Street, Fresno, California, 93721, phone: 559-487-5127. Comments 
submitted by electronic mail should be sent to: [email protected]. 
Please include ``Cachuma EIS/EIR'' and your name and return address in 
the text of the message.
    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR for the Plan and Opinion are available 
in the South-Central California Area Field Office at the above address, 
or at the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board Office, 3301 Laurel 
Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, California, 93105, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Young, Bureau of Reclamation, at 
the above address, or at 559-487-5127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cachuma Project consists of Bradbury 
Dam, Cachuma Lake, and various water conveyance facilities. The dam 
impounds water along the Santa Ynez River in northern Santa Barbara 
County. Water is provided to the Cachuma Project Member Units for 
irrigation, domestic, and municipal and industrial water uses. The 
current Member Units consist of the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta Water 
District, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, 
and the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District--Improvement 
District 1. Reclamation owns all project facilities and 
operates Bradbury Dam. Operation and maintenance of the Cachuma Project 
facilities, other than Bradbury Dam, was transferred in 1956 to the 
Member Units who formed Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB) 
to carry out these responsibilities.
    In August 1997, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
designated the anadromous steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of the 
Southern Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), which includes the 
lower Santa Ynez River below Bradbury Dam, as an endangered species 
under the Federal Endangered Species Act. In April 1999, Reclamation 
requested initiation of consultation with NMFS regarding ongoing 
operations of the Cachuma Project under the provisions of Section 7 of 
the Federal Endangered Species Act. Reclamation submitted a Biological 
Assessment (BA) to NMFS in 1999. The proposed actions described in the 
BA are designed to improve the availability and quality of habitat for 
the steelhead in the lower river. NMFS issued a final Opinion in 
September 2000. The Opinion concluded that the proposed actions 
described in the BA would not jeopardize the continued existence of the 
anadromous steelhead of the Southern ESU, nor destroy or adversely

[[Page 43749]]

modify critical habitat. The Opinion included mandatory terms and 
conditions that require Reclamation to implement 15 specific reasonable 
and prudent measures to minimize ``take'' of the southern steelhead. 
Reclamation will implement the management actions and projects in the 
Opinion to ensure compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act.
    Prior to, and concurrent with, the endangered species consultation, 
Reclamation and the Cachuma Member Units prepared a Fish Management 
Plan (FMP) for the lower Santa Ynez River. The FMP management actions 
include (1) creating new habitat and improving existing habitat in the 
lower river and tributaries; (2) improving access to spawning and 
rearing habitats in the lower river and tributaries; and (3) increasing 
public awareness and support for beneficial actions on private lands. 
The FMP identifies specific reaches of the mainstem and tributaries for 
habitat protection and improvement. The highest priority has been 
assigned to lower Hilton Creek, which is located on Reclamation 
property, and the mainstem of the river between Bradbury Dam and 
Highway 154. A high priority is also assigned to enhancing habitats on 
the following tributaries which have favorable flows and habitat 
conditions for aquatic resources: Quiota, El Jaro, and Salsipuedes 
creeks.
    The overall purposes of the BO and FMP management actions are two-
fold:
    (1) Ensure that operation of the Cachuma Project is consistent with 
the Federal Endangered Species Act regarding effects on the southern 
steelhead; and (2) improve conditions for native fish, particularly the 
endangered southern steelhead, in the Santa Ynez River watershed below 
Bradbury Dam.
    Reclamation and Cachuma COMB have prepared the draft EIS/EIR to 
evaluate the incidental adverse impacts of the proposed management 
actions and projects to improve fish habitat conditions on the Santa 
Ynez River below Bradbury Dam in northern Santa Barbara County. These 
impacts include temporary construction related disturbances to riparian 
and aquatic habitat during fish habitat restoration work in the river 
and tributaries; impacts to oak trees and recreational facilities at 
Cachuma Lake due to surcharging the reservoir to store additional water 
for downstream releases for fish; and others described in the Draft 
EIS/EIR.
    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. 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.

    Editorial Note:  This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on July 21, 2003.


    Dated: March 31, 2003.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 03-18905 Filed 7-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P