[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 219 (Thursday, November 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64323-64324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28321]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Grayson and Murderer's 
Creeks Project, Contra Costa County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Sacramento District, is preparing a 
Draft Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental 
Impact Report (Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR) to evaluate the 
opportunities to reduce flood damages, restore wetland and riparian 
habitat, and support recreation adjacent to Grayson and Murderer's 
Creeks watershed, Contra Costa County, California. A reconnaissance 
study was funded under the Energy and Water Development Appropriations 
Bill of 2002. The Corps completed the resulting study in October 2002. 
The report found a Federal interest in reducing flood damages, 
restoring the ecosystem, and improving recreational opportunities in 
Contra Costa County. The basic study authority for the Walnut Creek 
watershed was provided under a House Resolution adopted on June 19, 
1963.
    The feasibility study will consist of two phases. Phase I will 
start with a public workshop designed to solicit input from the public 
and interested agencies on the nature and extent of issues to be 
addressed in the Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR. It will conclude 
with a conference to present and discuss the detailed evaluation of 
existing and future conditions, including the comprehensive mapping of 
the flood plains, flood damages, and the identification of problems and 
opportunities associated with each watershed. Preliminary alternatives 
will be developed, evaluated, and screened. Important cultural and 
environmental resources in the study area along with the associated 
effects and mitigation requirements for each preliminary alternative 
will be considered during the evaluation. Federal interest in at least 
one preliminary alternative will be established.
    Phase II will consist of further development of the preliminary 
alternatives including detailed designs, costs, and benefits. The 
project benefits associated with each final alternative plan will be 
evaluated. The Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR will be completed in 
conjunction with additional public meetings. Upon the review and 
incorporation of the public feedback, the Final Feasibility Report/EIS/
EIR will be published. The final report will be forwarded through the 
Corps' Headquarters to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil 
Works) for transmission to the Office of Management and Budget.

DATES: A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 7 p.m. 
at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill, 
California.
    Comments: Submit comments regarding the study by January 10, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this study 
to Ms. Melisa Helton, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento 
District, Attn: Planning Division (CESPK-PD-R), 1325 J Street, 
Sacramento, California 95814. Requests to be placed on the mailing list 
should also be sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melisa Helton, E-mail at 
[email protected], telephone (916) 557-7948, or fax (916) 
557-5138.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
    1. Public Involvement: The study will be coordinated between 
Federal, State, and local governments; local stakeholders; special 
interest groups; and any other interested individuals and 
organizations. The Corps will hold a public workshop/environmental 
scoping meeting to discuss the scope of the Draft Feasibility Report/
EIS/EIR (see DATES). The meeting will be advertised in advance in local 
newspapers, and meeting announcement letters will be sent to interested 
parties. The purpose of this meeting is to involve local stakeholders 
and the public early in the study process. The meeting will focus on 
collecting public input regarding the study scope, historic and current 
problems, and potential opportunities. All public comments will be 
documented for future consideration and reference. Written comments 
regarding the meeting may also be submitted via mail and should be 
directed to Ms. Melisa Helton at the address listed above. The Corps 
intends to issue the Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR in the summer of 
2006. The Corps will announce availability of the draft document in the 
Federal Register and other media, and will provide the public, 
organizations, and agencies with an opportunity to submit comments, 
which will be addressed in the Final Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR.
    2. Project Information: Grayson and Murderer's Creeks are located 4 
miles northwest of Walnut Creek in Pleasant Hill, Contra Costa County. 
The study area is located 15 miles northeast of Berkeley, 20 miles east 
of San Francisco. It is located in the upper Walnut Creek Basin and is 
composed of approximately 180 square miles, including the cities of 
Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Concord in Contra Costa County.
    Flooding in the 1950's and 1960's spurred Contra Costa County to 
initiate additional flood control studies with the Corps of Engineers 
on Grayson and Murderer's Creeks. In both a 1973 and a 1992 Feasibility 
Report, no Federal interest was found due to insufficient economic 
benefits. As a result of flooding during the 1990's, local 
municipalities renewed efforts to resolve these flooding problems. The 
1997 flood, an estimated 18-year event, caused damage to about 100 
homes in the City of Pleasant Hill. In addition, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA) is currently revising the floodplain maps to 
include 700 homes within the 100-year floodplain.
    3. Proposed Action: The proposed project would reduce flood 
damages,

[[Page 64324]]

restore the ecosystem along the channels, and improve recreational 
opportunities adjacent to the creeks. Numerous plans have already been 
studied by Contra Costa County and the City of Pleasant Hill. The 
primary focus of these studies has been to reduce damages from 
significant flood events. These reductions would minimize the number of 
homes required to participate in the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Program.
    4. Alternatives. Potential alternatives to reduce flood damages 
include: (1) No action; (2) a single flood detention basin at Grayson 
branch with inlet and outlet control and no channel improvements; (3) 
multiple flood detention basins at Grayson and Murderer's branch with 
inlet and outlet control and no channel improvements; (4) multiple 
flood detention basins at Grayson branch and Murderer's branch except 
that the flood detention basin at Grayson branch is in a different 
location that occupies a larger area and no channel improvements; and 
(4) a smaller flood detention basin with inlet and outlet control with 
channel improvements.

Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-28321 Filed 11-12-03; 8:45 am]
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