[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 145 (Tuesday, July 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44542-44543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19264]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[DES03-44]


Ten-Year Water Exchange Agreements With Mendota Pool Group, 
California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact 
statement (EIS) and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), has prepared a draft EIS, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the proposed exchange of 
up to 25,000 acre-feet of water per year over a 10-year period with the 
Mendota Pool Group.
    The purpose of the proposed project is to provide water to 
irrigable lands on Mendota Pool Group properties in Westlands Water 
District and San Luis Water District to offset substantial reductions 
in contract water supplies attributable to the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act (CVPIA), the Endangered Species Act listings and 
regulations, and new Bay-Delta water quality rules. This water would 
thereby enable the Mendota Pool Group farmers to maintain production on 
historically irrigated lands. The project is not intended to increase 
the amount of water for farming activities but would replace some of 
the contract water lost because of increased environmental regulations 
that restrict water deliveries south of the export pumps at Tracy, 
California.
    Reclamation has obtained public input on the scope of the project 
and potential alternatives through comment letters and a public scoping 
meeting. The EIS addresses the comments received.
    There are no known Indian Trust Assets or environmental justice 
issues associated with the proposed action.

DATES: The draft EIS is available for a 60-day public comment period 
ending on September 29, 2003. Submit written comments on the draft EIS 
on or before this date at the address provided below.

ADDRESSES: The draft EIS may be obtained by contacting Mr. David Young 
at the address provided below. The draft EIS is also available on the 
Internet at http://www.usbr.gov or http://www.entrix.com.
    Written comments on the draft EIS should be sent to Mr. David 
Young, Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 
1243 N Street, Fresno CA 93721-1813; by telephone at 559-487-5127; (TDD 
559-487-5933); by e-mail at [email protected]; or faxed to 559-487-
5397.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Young, Environmental Specialist, 
at the above address or by telephone at 559-487-5127 or TDD 559-487-
5933.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Delta export service area of the Central 
Valley Project (CVP) has total contractual obligations and delivery 
losses of approximately 3.45 million acre-feet per year. The 
theoretical maximum pumping capability of CVP facilities serving this 
area is approximately 3.09 million acre-feet per year. Available 
supplies are apportioned under a hierarchy of allocation in which 
agricultural water service contracts, totaling about 1.85 million acre-
feet per year, are provided water only after all other obligations are 
met. Implementation of the CVPIA (1992), Endangered Species Act (1993-
1995) and revised Bay-Delta water quality standards have further 
reduced pumping capabilities and water supplies available to 
agricultural contractors. Currently these parties can expect to receive 
a long-term average supply of about 50 to 55 percent of contract water 
as compared to a pre-1992 average of 88 to 92 percent.
    Alternatives identified and evaluated provide for continued 
agricultural production, and include the proposed project, construction 
of new wells, and fallowing of farmland. The project proponents propose 
to pump up to 269,600 acre-feet of groundwater over the 10-year period 
from non-CVP wells located adjacent to the Mendota Pool into the 
Mendota Pool to make up for a portion of the annual shortfall in the 
contract water to be delivered via the CVP. The actual quantity of 
water to be pumped would depend on whether the year is classified as 
wet (0 acre-feet per year), normal (maximum of 31,600 acre-feet per 
year), or dry (maximum of 40,000 acre-feet per year). Of the total 
quantity pumped each year, a maximum of 25,000 acre-feet would be 
exchanged with Reclamation. This water would be made available to 
Reclamation in the Mendota Pool to offset their existing water contract 
obligations. In exchange, Reclamation would make an equivalent amount 
of CVP water available to the members of the Mendota Pool Group for 
irrigation purposes at Check 13 of the Delta-Mendota Canal. Any 
quantity of water pumped beyond the 25,000 acre-feet exchanged would be 
delivered directly to other lands that are presently under irrigation 
around the Pool. As part of this program, a maximum of 12,000 acre-feet 
per year of groundwater would be pumped from deep wells (i.e., screened 
interval greater than 130 feet deep), with the remainder coming from 
shallow wells (i.e., screened interval less than 130 feet deep). The 
proposed project will comply with the terms specified in the Settlement 
Agreement for Mendota Pool Transfer Pumping Program, effective January 
1, 2001.
    The primary environmental resource issues that are evaluated in the 
EIS include groundwater levels, groundwater quality, subsidence, 
surface water quality, and biological resources. Other resource areas 
evaluated include cost of water, CVP operations, archaeological and 
cultural resources, Indian Trust assets, environmental justice, 
socioeconomic resources, land use, transportation, air quality, and 
noise.
    The environmental review was conducted pursuant to NEPA, the 
Endangered Species Act, and other applicable laws, and analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of implementing each of the feasible 
alternatives. The EIS is based upon previously prepared environmental 
reports and ongoing monitoring activities. Public input on alternatives 
and the criteria for evaluation of the alternatives was obtained 
through the initial scoping meeting and initial comment letters.
    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 letter. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of

[[Page 44543]]

organizations or businesses, available for public disclosure in their 
entirety.

    Dated: April 23, 2003.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 03-19264 Filed 7-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P