[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74949-74950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31894]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent to Prepare a Joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Wilson Creek/Oak Glen Creek 
Feasibility Study in the City of Yucaipa, San Bernardino County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Los Angeles 
District, in cooperation with the County of San Bernardino Flood 
Control District, will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) in support of the proposed Wilson 
Creek/Oak Glen Creek Feasibility Study for flood protection for City of 
Yucaipa, in San Bernardino County, California. The study will also 
investigate the feasibility of habitat restoration opportunities and 
preservation of watershed resources in balance with the need for 
economic development. The drainage from Wilson Creek/Oak Glen Creek 
creates a high volume of sediment and debris through the City of 
Yucaipa. This condition creates a threat of flood damage to existing 
residential and commercial development and infrastructure along these 
creeks. The EIS/EIR will address foreseeable environmental impacts, 
including beneficial effects, associated with alternative flood 
protection plans. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the County of 
San Bernardino Flood Control District will cooperate in conducing this 
Feasibility Study. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead Federal 
Agency for this study.

DATES: A public scoping meeting is scheduled at the City of Yucaipa 
Council Chambers, 34272 Yucaipa

[[Page 74950]]

Boulevard, Yucaipa, California 92399 from 6 pm to 9 pm on January 14, 
2004.
    Comments: Written comments concerning the Draft EIS/EIR should be 
submitted by February 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Los Angeles District, ATTN: CESPL-PD-RL (L. Goodman), P.O. 
Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lois Goodman, Environmental 
Coordinator, telephone (213)-452-3869, or Mr. Robert Stuart, Study 
Manager, telephone (213)-452-3811. The cooperating entity, the County 
of San Bernardino Flood Control District, requests that inquiries be 
addressed to Mr. Jim Borcuk, at (909)-387-7962.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authorization. Congress has authorized 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a Feasibility Study to 
investigate flood damage prevention and related opportunities along the 
Wilson Creek and Oak Glen Creek confluence area in Yucaipa, California, 
pursuant to House Resolution of the Committee on Public Works, dated 
May 8, 1964. Section 105 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 
(Pub. L. 99-662, as amended) specifies the cost sharing requirements 
applicable to this study.
    2. Background. The proposed study will investigate the feasibility 
of providing improved flood protection for the City of Yucaipa in San 
Bernardino County, California. The city of Yucaipa is located 
approximately 20 miles southeast of the city of San Bernardino. Wilson 
and Oak Glen Creeks originate in the San Bernardino Mountains and flow 
in a southerly direction through the city of Yucaipa, where they join.
    Wilson Creek is an earth-bottomed channel from Yucaipa Boulevard, 
downstream to Interstate 10. A system of rail, cable, wire fencing, and 
corrugated steel protects the toe of the banks. The channel width 
averages about 50 feet, and the channel depth is about 10 feet. At 
Yucaipa Boulevard, the low bridge clearance severely restricts the 
channel depth. This constriction would likely divert major flood 
overflows to the southeast, away from the channel, where they could 
inundate a large portion of the developed area of Yucaipa before 
returning to the channel near the freeway. Based on Flood Insurance 
Rate Maps (FIRM), the 100-year floodplain is up to one half mile wide 
along one and one half miles of the north bank of Wilson Creek. The 
FIRM also indicates a significantly wide floodplain from 2nd street 
downstream top Oak Glen Boulevard, a distance of about two miles. 
Proposed new development along both sides of the creek may increase 
runoff in the near future. Overflows from Oak Glen Creek could inundate 
existing structures located along about one mile of the south overbank. 
The County of San Bernardino Flood Control District owns and operates a 
series of five large, interconnected, off-line water conservation 
basins along the south overbank of Wilson Creek, between Fremont Street 
and Bryant Street.
    3. Proposed Action/Preliminary Alternatives. Two preliminary 
alternatives, in addition to the No Action alternative, were identified 
in the Reconnaissance Study. Preliminary Alternative 1 involves 
converting the off-line water conservation basins on the south overbank 
of Wilson Creek to flood detention basins. These basins appear to have 
the potential to contain substantial flood storage volume. Preliminary 
Alternative 2 involves deepening and widening sections of the channel 
in order to control the 100-year flood event, possibly in combination 
with additional detention basins upstream from the flooding problem. 
Subsequent to completion of the Reconnaissance Study, the City of 
Yucaipa developed a preliminary plan that includes a series of six 
interconnected in-stream detention basins at the confluence of Wilson 
Creek and Oak Glen Creek and immediately upstream on both Creeks. This 
preliminary plan also includes a nature trail and interpretive 
features.
    4. Scoping Process. All interested Federal, State, County and local 
resource agencies, as well as Native American peoples, groups with 
environmental interests, and all interested individuals are encouraged 
to participate in the scoping process. Benefits of public involvement 
include: identification of pertinent environmental issues that need to 
be addressed; identification of issues that are not significant that 
may be eliminated from detailed study; contribution of useful 
information, such as published or unpublished data, direct personal 
experience, or knowledge which may support the decision-making process; 
assistance in defining the scope of appropriate plans and alternatives 
to be considered; and recommendations for suitable measures to mitigate 
potential adverse impacts of implementing plans or alternatives.
    A public scoping meeting is scheduled on January 14, 2004 (see 
DATES). The purpose of the scoping meeting will be to gather 
information from the general public and interested organizations about 
issues and concerns that they would like to see addressed in the EIS/
EIR. Comments may be delivered verbally at the meeting or sent in 
writing to the Los Angeles District. (See DATES and ADDRESSES above.)
    5. Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR is expected 
to be available to the public for review and comment beginning in late 
2005.

    Dated: December 16, 2003.
Richard G. Thompson,
Colonel, US Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 03-31894 Filed 12-24-03; 8:45 am]
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