[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 54432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23733]



[[Page 54432]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers


Intent To Preapre an Environmental Impact Statement for Denver 
Water's Moffat Collection System Project

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the direct, indirect 
and cumulative effects of a water supply project (Moffat Collection 
System Project) by the City and County of Denver, acting by and through 
its Board of Water Commissioners (Denver Water). The Moffat Collection 
System Project will provide a solution to four needs identified by 
Denver Water in its municipal water supply system: (1) A reliability 
problem associated with the Moffat Collection System (the norther 
portion of Denver Water's system); (2) a system-wide vulnerability 
problem; (3) a lack of operational flexibility in the entire system; 
and (4) an additional firm yield of 18,000 acre-feet to address near-
term water supply demands. Denver Water has not selected a project but 
will be exploring alternatives through the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) process to result in a preferred alternative. 
Construction of the Moffat Collection System Project is expected to 
result in temporary and permanent impacts to jurisdictional waters of 
the United States, thereby requiring a Clean Water Act section 404 
permit.
    The COE has prepared a scoping document to familiarize other 
agencies, the public and interested organizations withe the preliminary 
project alternatives and potential environmental issues that may be 
involved. The scoping document includes a description of the problems 
that the Moffat Collection System Project must address, a preliminary 
list of project alternatives, and various environmental/resource issues 
that will be addressed in the EIS. Copies of the scoping document will 
be available at the public scoping meetings or can be requested by 
mail. The EIS will be prepared according to the COE's parocedures for 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and consistent with the COE's policy to 
facilitate public understanding and review of agency proposals.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held at three locations:
    1. October 7, 2003, 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Fairview High School 
Cafeteria, (address), Boulder, CO.
    2. October 8, 2003, 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Highlands Masonic Temple, 
3550 Federal Boulevard, Denver, CO.
    3. October 9, 2003, 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Silver Creek Lodge, 
(address), Silver Creek, CO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the proposed 
action and EIS should be addressed to Chandler Peter, Project Manager, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2232 Dell Range Blvd., Suite 210, 
Cheyenne, WY 82009 or at (307) 772-2300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Denver Water is responsible for providing 
reliable, high quality drinking water to over 1.2 million customers. 
Through Denver Water's Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), developed in 
1997 and updated in 2002, and recent events, they identified four needs 
in the Moffat Collection System that have to be solved. These needs 
are: (1) Moffat Collection System reliability, (2) System 
vulnerability, (3) Lack of operational flexibility in the system, and 
(4) Providing additional firm yield of 18,000 acre-feet.
    The Reliability Need: Existing water demands served by Denver 
Water's Moffat Collection System exceed available supplies during a 
drought, causing a water supply reliability problem. In a severe 
drought, even in a single severe dry year, the Moffat Treatment Plant--
one of three treatment plants in Denver's system--is at a significant 
level of risk of running out of water.
    The Vulnerability Need: Denver Water's collection system is 
vulnerable to manmade and natural disasters because 90 percent of 
available reservoir storage and 80 percent of available water supplies 
rely on the unimpeded operation of Strontia Springs Reservoir and other 
components of Denver's Water's South System.
    The Flexibility Need: Denver Water's treated water transmission, 
distribution, and water collection systems are subject to failures and 
outages caused by routine maintenance, pipe failures, treatment plant 
problems, and a host of other unpredictable occurrences that are 
inherent in operating and maintaining a large municipal water supply 
system. These stresses to Denver Water's ability to meet its customers' 
water supply demands require a level of flexibility within system 
operations that is not presently available.
    The Firm Yield Need: Denver Water's near-term water resource 
strategy and water service obligations that have occurred since the IRP 
was developed, has resulted in a need for 18,000 acre-feet of new near-
term water supplies. This need was identified after first assuming 
successful implementation of a conservation program construction of a 
non-potable recycling project, and implementation of a system 
refinement program.
    Denver Water has identified four preliminary alternatives that 
would address these needs: (1) Enlarge Gross Reservoir; (2) Build a new 
reservoir at Leyden Gulch; (3) Build a potable water recycling project; 
or (4) A combination of these alternatives. Additional alternatives 
will be considered during the NEPA process.
    Scoping meetings will be held at three locations (see DATES) to 
describe the project needs, preliminary alternatives, the NEPA 
compliance process and to solicit input on the issues and alternatives 
to be evaluated and other related matters. Written comments will also 
be requested.
    The COE has invited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Forest Service to be 
cooperating agencies in the formulation of the EIS.

Chandler J. Peter,
Project Manager, Regulatory Branch.
[FR Doc. 03-23733 Filed 9-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-62-M