[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5184-5185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1424]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Upper San Joaquin River Basin Storage Investigation, Central 
Valley Project, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), will prepare an EIS, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate proposed actions to 
increase the storage of water from the San Joaquin River. Potential 
uses of stored water may include: contribution to future restoration of 
the San Joaquin River, improvement of water quality in the San Joaquin 
River, or water deliveries that could facilitate additional conjunctive 
management or exchanges that improve the quality of water to urban 
areas.

DATES: Four scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments from 
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the 
environmental analysis and to identify the significant issues related 
to the proposed action. The meeting dates are:

 Tuesday, March 16, 2004, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 
Sacramento, CA
 Tuesday, March 16, 2004, 6-8 p.m., Modesto, CA
 Wednesday, March 17, 2004, 6-8 p.m., Friant, CA
 Thursday, March 18, 2004, 6-8 p.m., Visalia, CA

    Written comments on the scope of the environmental document should 
be mailed to Reclamation at the address below by April 16, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The meeting locations are as follows:

 Sacramento, CA--Federal Building, Cafeteria 
Conference Room 1, 2800 Cottage Way
 Modesto, CA--Modesto Irrigation District, 
Multipurpose Room, 1231 11th Street
 Friant, CA--Table Mountain Rancheria, Governmental 
Building, 23736 Sky Harbour Road
 Visalia, CA--Tulare County Farm Bureau, 737 Ben 
Maddox Way

    Written comments on the scope of the alternatives and impacts to be 
considered should be sent to Mr. Jason Phillips, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Division of Planning, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; or by 
telephone at (916) 978-5070, or faxed to (916) 978-5094.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jason Phillips, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Division of Planning, at (916) 978-5070; or Waiman Yip, 
Project Manager, California Department of Water Resources, P.O. Box 
942836, Sacramento, CA 94236-0001, phone (916) 651-9280. If you would 
like to be included on the EIS/EIR mailing list, please contact Marian 
Echeverria at (916) 978-5105 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CALFED Programmatic EIS Record of 
Decision (ROD) described five potential surface storage projects and 
recommended additional study to determine the potential for the 
projects to meet identified objectives. One such project would involve 
water storage in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin through the 
enlargement of Friant Dam or other alternatives. Friant Dam on the San 
Joaquin River is owned and operated by Reclamation as part of the 
Central Valley Project (CVP). Federal authorization for preparation of 
a feasibility report was provided in Public Law 108-7, Division D, 
Title II, section 215, the Omnibus Appropriations legislation for 
Fiscal Year 2003. Reclamation is the responsible Federal agency for 
preparation of this report.
    The ROD recognized that additional storage in the Upper San Joaquin 
River Basin could contribute to future restoration of the San Joaquin 
River. The reach of the San Joaquin River from Friant Dam to the 
confluence with the Merced River does not support a continuous natural 
riparian and aquatic ecosystem. Since completion of Friant Dam, most of 
the water supply in the San Joaquin River has been diverted for 
agricultural and urban uses with the exception of releases to satisfy 
riparian water rights upstream of Gravelly Ford and flood releases. 
Consequently, the reach from Gravelly Ford to Mendota Pool is often 
dry.
    The ROD also recognized that releases of water from Friant Dam to 
the San Joaquin River could result in improved water quality in the San 
Joaquin River. Water quality in various segments of the San Joaquin 
River has been a problem for several decades due to low flow and 
discharges from agricultural areas, wildlife refuges, and municipal and 
industrial treatment plants. Initial locations of concern for water 
quality include areas near Stockton and at Vernalis, downstream of the 
Stanislaus River as the San Joaquin River enters the Delta. Over time, 
the requirements for water quality in the river have become more 
stringent, and the number of locations along the river at which 
specific water quality objectives are identified has increased.
    Additional storage in the Upper San Joaquin River Basin could also 
result in increased reliability of surface water deliveries to CVP 
Friant Division contractors or other regional water users that could 
receive water through CVP facilities. Delivery of additional surface 
water would result in reduced groundwater overdraft conditions 
regionally, and would provide greater stability in regional water 
supplies. This improved reliability would increase opportunities for 
water exchanges with urban water users to improve the quality of urban 
water supplies.
    The development of additional water storage could also provide 
opportunities to increase levels of flood protection downstream of 
Friant Dam, provide hydropower generation, increase recreation 
opportunities, and improve flows into the Delta.
    Reclamation, in partnership with the State of California Department 
of Water Resources, has completed initial studies of potential storage 
options. Public

[[Page 5185]]

outreach has included informal coordination with farmers, water 
districts, State and Federal agencies, tribal interests, and other 
interested stakeholders to identify options that will be considered in 
detail in the feasibility report and EIS. In October 2003, Reclamation 
and DWR released a Phase 1 Investigation Report that provided 
information on preliminary alternatives under consideration. Project 
documents are available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao.
    The environmental review will be conducted pursuant to NEPA, the 
Endangered Species Act and other applicable laws, to analyze the 
potential environmental impacts of implementing each of the feasible 
alternatives. All reasonable alternatives as required by NEPA and its 
implementing regulations will be considered. Public input on additional 
alternatives, or a combinations of alternatives, that should be 
considered will be sought through the initial scoping meetings. In 
addition, public input will be sought on the criteria that should be 
used to carry forward alternatives, or a combination of alternatives, 
for further consideration.
    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. 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: December 2, 2003.
Frank Michny,
Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 04-1424 Filed 2-2-04; 8:45 am]
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