[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46218-46222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19841]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Sacramento Valley Water Management Program--Implementation of 
Short-term Projects

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact 
statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) and hold public scoping 
meetings.

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[[Page 46219]]

SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) 
propose to prepare a Programmatic EIS/EIR to analyze the potential 
effects of the short-term phase of the Sacramento Valley Water 
Management Program (Short-term Program). The Short-term Program would 
include implementation of multiple short-term water management projects 
and other actions. The short-term projects would be implemented by 
Reclamation, CDWR, and Sacramento Valley water-users, and each project 
would operate for 10 years after implementation. The programmatic 
analysis in this EIS/EIR would include, but is not limited to, projects 
described in the ``Sacramento Valley Water Management Agreement Short-
term Workplan, October 2001'' (``Short-term Workplan''). The purpose of 
implementing the Short-term Program is to promote better water 
management in the Sacramento Valley and develop additional water 
supplies through a cooperative water management partnership. The Short-
term Program was developed to resolve water quality and water rights 
issues as an alternative to determining responsibility for flow-related 
water quality objectives of the 1995 Sacramento/San Joaquin Bay-Delta 
Water Quality Control Plan through a State Water Resources Control 
Board water rights hearing.
    The environmental effects of some short-term projects would also be 
analyzed at a site-specific level of detail in the Programmatic EIS/
EIR, and would constitute the final CEQA or NEPA document for those 
projects. As many short-term projects as possible would be analyzed at 
a site-specific level; however, the specific projects to be analyzed at 
that level are unknown at this time. Specific alternatives have not 
been identified at this time, and will be developed following scoping. 
Public scoping meetings regarding the preparation of the Programmatic 
EIS/EIR will be conducted as described below.
    This notice is published in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations found in 40 CFR 1501.7. The 
purpose of this notice is to obtain suggestions and information from 
other agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed in 
the Programmatic EIS/EIR. A similar notice is being published by the 
CDWR in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. 
Comments and participation in this scoping process are encouraged.

DATES: Two public scoping meetings will be held:
    [sbull] Wednesday, August 20, 2003, 3-5 p.m., Sacramento, CA
    [sbull] Thursday, August 21, 2003, 3-5 p.m., Colusa, CA

ADDRESSES: Scoping meetings will be held at:
    [sbull] Sacramento at the Expo Inn, 1413 Howe Avenue (just south of 
Arden Way), The Expo Room.
    [sbull] Colusa at the Colusa Industrial Properties, 100 Sunrise 
Boulevard (off Highway 45/20), The Conference Room.
    Written comments on the scope of the Short-term Program or issues 
to be addressed in the EIS/EIR should be sent to the California 
Department of Water Resources, Attention: John Fielden, Project 
Manager, P.O. Box 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236-0001 by September 5, 
2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fielden with CDWR via e-mail at 
[email protected] or by calling (916) 651-7053 or Robert Eckart 
with Reclamation via e-mail at [email protected] or by calling (916) 
978-5051. Additional information may also be found on the CDWR Web site 
at www.water.ca.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As an alternative to participating in the 
State Water Resources Control Board's Phase 8 Bay-Delta Water Rights 
Hearings, Reclamation, CDWR, and numerous Sacramento Valley and export 
water interests entered into the ``Short-term Agreement to Guide 
Implementation of the Short-term Water Management Actions to Meet Local 
Water Supply Needs and to Make Water Available to the SWP and CVP to 
Assist In Meeting the Requirements of the 1995 Water Quality Control 
Plan and to Resolve Phase 8 Issues' (the Short-term Settlement 
Agreement). The Short-term Settlement Agreement established a process 
by which parties collaborate in the development and implementation of a 
variety of projects and actions to help meet flow-related water quality 
objectives established for the Sacramento/San Joaquin Bay-Delta, meet 
local water needs, and improve water supplies throughout the State.
    Five categories of short-term projects and actions will be 
considered in the Short-term Program EIS/EIR:
    [sbull] Water Management--includes groundwater substitution in lieu 
of surface water supplies, conjunctive use of groundwater and surface 
water, refurbish existing groundwater extraction wells, install 
groundwater monitoring stations, and install new groundwater extraction 
wells (some actions include construction of facilities)
    [sbull] Reservoir Re-operation--includes changes in the operational 
diagrams and schedules for reservoirs in the Sacramento River watershed
    [sbull] System Improvement--includes canal lining, tailwater 
recovery, and improved operations (some actions include construction of 
facilities)
    [sbull] Surface Water and Groundwater Planning--includes studies, 
modeling, monitoring, and area wide inventory or assessment (actions 
could include minor construction of facilities for monitoring and 
testing purposes)
    [sbull] Other Actions--includes potential water transfer actions 
and/or actions with substantial regulatory/institutional requirements 
(does not involve construction of facilities).
    The effects of implementing the Short-term Program (short-term 
projects and actions) will be evaluated at the programmatic level. The 
known short-term projects proposed throughout the Sacramento Valley are 
presented in Table 1. In addition to the programmatic analysis, some 
proposed projects would also be analyzed at a site-specific level to 
allow for their immediate implementation. As many projects as possible 
would be analyzed at a site-specific level of review; however, the 
specific projects to be analyzed at that level are unknown at this 
time.

      Table 1.--Proposed Short-term Water Management Projects To Be Analyzed in the Programmatic EIS/EIR *
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          Project name (type)                  Proponent                  County                Description
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Redding Sub-basin:
    Conjunctive Use Program (Water      Anderson-Cottonwood      Shasta County..........  Construct monitoring
     Management).                        Irrigation District.                              and extraction wells.

[[Page 46220]]

 
    Churn Creek Lateral Improvements    Anderson-Cottonwood      Shasta County..........  Replace leaky canal
     (System Improvement).               Irrigation District.                              lateral with pipeline
                                                                                           in the reach east of
                                                                                           the Sacramento River
                                                                                           to eliminate seepage
                                                                                           and spills.
    Main Canal Modernization Project    Anderson-Cottonwood      Shasta County..........  Construct canal
     (System Improvement).               Irrigation District.                              improvements to
                                                                                           eliminate spills and
                                                                                           reduce diversions.
    Redding Basin Water Resources       Anderson-Cottonwood      Shasta County..........  Complete Phase 2C--
     Management Plan (Surface Water/     Irrigation District.                              Water Supply and
     Groundwater Planning).                                                                Management
                                                                                           Alternatives, part of
                                                                                           multi-step planning
                                                                                           process.
Feather/Butte Sub-basin:
    Integrated Watershed and Resource   Butte County...........  Butte County...........  Integrated watershed
     Conservation Program (Surface                                                         and resource
     Water/Groundwater Planning).                                                          conservation,
                                                                                           groundwater
                                                                                           monitoring and
                                                                                           modeling, forecast
                                                                                           water use.
    Groundwater Monitoring Program      Butte County...........  Butte County...........  Install additional
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            monitoring wells and
     Planning).                                                                            extensometers,
                                                                                           monitoring.
    Groundwater Modeling Program        Butte County...........  Butte County...........  Update existing model
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            to support decision-
     Planning).                                                                            making about
                                                                                           groundwater
                                                                                           resources, as well as
                                                                                           overall water
                                                                                           resources management
                                                                                           in the County.
    Sutter-Butte Main Canal Lining      Sutter Extension Water   Butte and Sutter         Conduct field study,
     Project (System Improvement).       District, Gridley        Counties.                obtain environmental
                                         Water District,                                   permits, develop
                                         Richvale Irrigation                               final construction
                                         District.                                         drawings, construct.
    Concow Dam (Reservoir Reoperation)  Thermalito Irrigation    Butte County...........  Feasibility study for
                                         District.                                         raising existing
                                                                                           concrete dam.
    Water Management Project (Water     RD 1004................  Colusa County..........  Install extraction
     Management).                                                                          wells.
Colusa Sub-basin:
    Development of Conjunctive Water    Glenn-Colusa Irrigation  Glenn and Colusa         Fully use private
     Management Facilities (Water        District.                Counties.                landowner wells.
     Management).
    Conjunctive Use Project (Water      Maxwell Irrigation       Colusa County..........  Test-hole drilling,
     Management).                        District.                                         evaluation and
                                                                                           production well
                                                                                           construction and
                                                                                           testing, groundwater
                                                                                           monitoring.
    Stony Creek Fan Conjunctive Water   Orland-Artois Water      Glenn County...........  Feasibility study,
     Management Program (Water           District, Orland Unit                             groundwater
     Management).                        Water Users'                                      production
                                         Association, Glenn-                               investigation,
                                         Colusa Irrigation                                 groundwater
                                         District.                                         monitoring program,
                                                                                           integrated
                                                                                           groundwater/surface
                                                                                           water model, and
                                                                                           outreach plan.
    Pilot Well Development/Conjunctive  RD 108.................  Colusa and Yolo          Development of
     Management Project (Water                                    Counties.                production well and
     Management).                                                                          analysis of basin
                                                                                           expenses.
    Tehama-Colusa Canal Extension       Tehama-Colusa Canal      Colusa and Yolo          Prepare hydrologic and
     (Water Management and System        Authority Yolo-Zamora    Counties.                concept reports,
     Improvement).                       Water District.                                   conduct preliminary
                                                                                           design, and collect
                                                                                           information for
                                                                                           project-specific
                                                                                           environmental
                                                                                           analysis.
    Glen County Groundwater Monitoring  Glenn-Colusa Irrigation  Glenn County...........  Develop groundwater
     Program and Model Development       District.                                         data clearinghouse,
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            analyze existing
     Planning).                                                                            data, design
                                                                                           monitoring program,
                                                                                           install new
                                                                                           monitoring wells,
                                                                                           develop groundwater
                                                                                           model.
    Water Inventory and Analysis        Tehama County..........  Tehama County..........  Information gathering
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            process and analysis.
     Planning).

[[Page 46221]]

 
    Feasibility Study: Regulatory       Glenn-Colusa Irrigation  Glenn and Colusa         Feasibility study.
     Reservoirs and Off-canal Storage    District.                Counties.
     (Surface Water/Groundwater
     Planning).
    Flow Measurement Devices in Main    Glenn-Colusa Irrigation  Glenn and Colusa         Permitting, design,
     Canal, Lateral System, and Drain    District.                Counties.                and construction of
     Outflow Points/Existing                                                               12 flow measurement
     Automation Program (System                                                            devices at previously
     Improvement).                                                                         identified system
                                                                                           outflow points/
                                                                                           permitting, design,
                                                                                           and construction of 5
                                                                                           Main Canal check
                                                                                           structures.
    Regional Water Use Efficiency       Orland Unit Water Users  Glenn County...........  Conduct feasibility
     Project (System Improvement).       Association and Tehama-                           studies, build pilot
                                         Colusa Canal Authority.                           projects, and begin
                                                                                           conceptual design of
                                                                                           regional pipeline.
    Development of Conveyance           Tehama-Colusa Canal      Colusa County..........  Feasibility study for
     Alternatives for TCCA Emergency     Authority.                                        Stony Creek
     Water Supplies (System                                                                Conveyance options;
     Improvement).                                                                         investigate an
                                                                                           interim solution to
                                                                                           operate a constant
                                                                                           head orifice; agency
                                                                                           coordination and
                                                                                           permit planning.
    Tehama-Colusa Canal Conveyance of   Tehama-Colusa Canal      Glenn and Colusa         Feasibility study,
     Water to Sites Reservoir (System    Authority.               Counties.                review ability of
     Improvement).                                                                         Tehama-Colusa Canal
                                                                                           to convey potential
                                                                                           water to a Sites
                                                                                           Reservoir.
    Antelope Creek Retention Basin      Tehama County Flood      Tehama County..........  Feasibility study for
     Feasibility Study (Surface Water/   Control and Water                                 construction of a
     Groundwater Planning).              Conservation District.                            retention basin.
    Water Management Project (Water     Princeton-Codora-Glenn   Glenn and Colusa         Construct one
     Management).                        Irrigation District.     Counties.                groundwater
                                                                                           extraction well.
    Water Management Project (Water     Provident Irrigation     Glenn and Colusa         Construct one
     Management).                        District.                Counties.                groundwater
                                                                                           extraction well.
    Water Management Project (Water     River Garden Farms.....  Yolo County............  Construct three
     Management).                                                                          groundwater
                                                                                           extraction wells.
Yuba Sub-basin:
    Coordinated Operations Project      Yuba County Water        Yuba County............  Feasibility
     (Surface Water/Groundwater          Agency.                                           investigation of
     Planning).                                                                            water supply benefits
                                                                                           for out-of-county
                                                                                           use, environmental
                                                                                           and Endangered
                                                                                           Species Act
                                                                                           assessment and
                                                                                           potential increased
                                                                                           flood control
                                                                                           benefits.
    Conjunctive Use and Water           Brown's Valley           Yuba County............  Development of four
     Management Project (Water           Irrigation District.                              groundwater
     Management.                                                                           production wells in
                                                                                           lower portion of
                                                                                           district and a lift
                                                                                           pump and conveyance
                                                                                           pipe to supply water
                                                                                           to upper end of
                                                                                           district.
    Conjunctive Use Project (Water      Yuba County Water        Yuba County............  Installation of
     Management).                        Agency.                                           extraction wells.
Sutter Sub-basin:
    Grounddwater Monitoring Program     Sutter Mutual Water      Sutter County..........  Additional monitoring
     (Surface Water/Groundwater          Company.                                          well, monitoring and
     Planning).                                                                            data collection.
    Watershed Assessment and            Sutter County..........  Sutter County..........  Information gathering
     Monitoring Program (Surface Water/                                                    process and analysis.
     Groundwater Planning).
    Groundwater Management Plan         Sutter County..........  Sutter County..........  Information gathering
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            process and analysis.
     Planning).
    Irrigation Recycle Project (System  Sutter Mutual Water      Sutter County..........  Feasibility analysis
     Improvement).                       Company, RD 1500.                                 of a tailwater
                                                                                           recovery system.
    Canal Lining (System Improvement).  Sutter Mutual Water      Sutter County..........  Canal lining to reduce
                                         Company.                                          diversions, eliminate
                                                                                           spills.
    Ground Water Development (Water     Pelger Mutual Water      Sutter County..........  Construct two
     Management).                        Company.                                          groundwater
                                                                                           extraction wells.

[[Page 46222]]

 
    Water Management Project (Water     Meridian Farms.........  Sutter County..........  Installation of
     Management).                                                                          extraction wells.
American Sub-basin:
    Conjunctive Use Project (Water      Natomas Central Mutual   Sacramento and Sutter    Pump existing wells,
     Management).                        Water Company.           Counties.                monitoring and
                                                                                           analyzing results
                                                                                           after one season.
    Water Management Project (Water     Pleasant Grove Verona    Sutter County..........  Installation of
     Management).                        Mutual Water Company.                             extraction wells.
    Re-operation of the Middle Fork     Placer County Water      Placer County..........  Re-operate primary
     Project (Reservoir Re-operation).   Agency.                                           storage reservoirs.
Yolo Sub-basin:
    Conjunctive Use Project             Yolo County Flood        Yolo County............  Feasibiliy study for
     Feasibility Study for Expanding     Control and Water                                 expanding surface
     Surface Water Supplies to the       Conservation District.                            water supplies to
     Yolo-Zamora Water District                                                            Yolo Zamora.
     (Surface Water/Groundwater
     Planning and System Improvement).
    Conjunctive Use Project             Yolo County Flood        Yolo County............  Feasibility study for
     Feasibility Study for Expanding     Control and Water                                 expanding surface
     Surface Water Supplies to           Conservation District.                            water supplies to
     Agricultural Water Users in Areas                                                     Agricultural areas
     (Surface Water/Groundwater                                                            northwest of
     Planning and System Improvement).                                                     Woodland.
    Groundwater Quality Monitoring      Yolo County Flood        Yolo County............  Development of a
     Program (Surface Water/             Control and Water                                 groundwater-quality
     Groundwater Planning).              Conservation District.                            monitoring program.
Delta Sub-basin:
    Conjunctive Use Proposal (Water     RD 2068................  Yolo County............  Develop a single
     Management).                                                                          production well to
                                                                                           determine conjunctive
                                                                                           use potential.
Sacramento Valley:
    Sub-basin-level Water Measurement   Participants in the      Sacramento Valley--      Feasibility study,
     (Surface Water/Groundwater          Basin wide Management    Various Counties.        design and
     Planning).                          Plan.                                             construction of water
                                                                                           measurement
                                                                                           facilities.
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* The effects analysis in the Programmatic EIS/EIR would not be limited to these projects, and would include all
  short-term projects and actions that could be proposed under the Sacramento Valley Water Management Program.

    This Programmatic EIS/EIR is expected to analyze the adverse and 
beneficial effects of implementing the Short-term Program on these 
environmental resources: surface water, water quality, fisheries, 
wildlife, vegetation, special-status species, land-use, cultural 
resources, air quality, noise, recreation, energy, visual impacts, and 
socioeconomic conditions. Analysis presented in the Programmatic EIS/
EIR will also determine if environmental justice issues are associated 
with the Short-term Program. Although there are Indian Trust Assets 
(ITAs) in the counties where these projects are proposed, any 
association between these ITAs and the proposed projects and actions is 
unknown at this time. The following is a list of tribal trust land, per 
county where these projects are proposed:
    [sbull] Shasta County--Redding Rancheria
    [sbull] Butte County--Berry Creek Rancheria, Enterprise Rancheria, 
Mooretown Rancheria
    [sbull] Glenn County--Grindstone Rancheria
    [sbull] Colusa County--Colusa Rancheria, Cortina Rancheria
    It is Reclamation's practice to make comments on a Notice of 
Intent, 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 may also 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.

    Dated: July 30, 2003.
Robert Eckart,
Chief, Environmental Compliance Branch, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 03-19841 Filed 8-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P