[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23175-23176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9601]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Va Shly'ay Akimel Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility 
Study, Maricopa County, AZ

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addresses foreseeable 
environmental impacts from measures being investigated to include 
habitat restoration, channel realignment, and sand and gravel mining 
quarry pit reshaping within and around the Salt River, Maricopa County, 
AZ. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Community (SRPMIC) and the City of Mesa have cooperated in conducting 
this feasibility study. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead 
Federal Agency for this study.
    The purpose of the Va Shly'ay Akimel Ecosystem Restoration Study is 
to produce available riparian ecosystem that will support native 
wildlife and vegetation, which will improve the overall ecological 
heath of the river and return the project area to a less degraded, more 
natural condition. The Study resulted in a report recommending that 
congress authorize a project for implementation by the Corps of 
Engineers to address the problems and needs of the study area.
    Six alternatives, including the no action alternative, are 
evaluated in the Draft EIS. In general, the primary difference among 
alternatives is the acreage of each vegetation type and the resulting 
water necessary to maintain the vegetation. Other differences are the 
inclusion or exclusion of structural features such as river 
channelization and bank stabilization.
    This study area includes a 14-mile reach of the Salt River within 
the SRPMIC and City of Mesa, and its upper banks. The SRPMIC and the 
City of Mesa identified the need for ripairan ecosystem restoration and 
restoration of the river channel functions.

DATES: The draft EIS will be released for public review on or about May 
3, 2004.

[[Page 23176]]

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to publish a notice of 
availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register on or about May 
7, 2004. The public review of the Draft EIS ends on June 21, 2004. The 
final public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 6:30 
p.m., at the Lehi Community Center, 1231 East Oak Street, Mesa, 
Arizona. Comments concerning this Draft EIS should be submitted to the 
address listed below by June 21, 2004.

ADDRESSES: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles 
District, ATTN: CESPL-PD-RN, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-
2325.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sarah Laughlin, Environmental 
Coordinator, telephone (540) 231-8303, or Ms. Kayla Eckert, Study 
Manager, telephone (602)-640-2001. The SRPMIC, a cooperating entity, 
requests inquiries to Ms. Marilyn Ethelbah, Cultural and Environmental 
Services, telephone (480) 850-4157, or for any additional information. 
The City of Mesa requests inquires to Mr. Gordon Haws, Senior Engineer, 
telephone (480) 644-2251, or for any additional information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authorization. This study was prepared as 
an interim response to the following authorities provided by Congress: 
(1) House Resolution 2425 (HR 2425), dated May 17, 1994, which states: 
``* * * the Secretary of the Army is requested to review reports of the 
Chief of Engineers on the State of Arizona * * * in the interest of 
flood damage reduction, environmental protection and restoration, and 
related purposes.'' (2) The second authority is given in Public Law 
761, Seventy-fifth Congress, dated June 28, 1938, known as section 6 of 
the Flood Control Act of 1938 of Public Law 761, which reads in part, 
``The Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to cause 
preliminary examination and surveys * * * at the following localities * 
* * Gila River and tributaries, Arizona.'' The Energy and Water 
development Appropriations Act of 2001 (Pub. L. 106-377, dated October 
17, 2000) provided $150,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to 
evaluate opportunities for environmental restoration and related 
matters on the Salt River in Arizona.
    2. Background. The Salt River is a major tributary to the Gila 
River in Arizona. The river originates in eastern Arizona and flows 
westward to its confluence with the Gila River west of downtown 
Phoenix. Prior to agricultural development and urbanization of the 
Phoenix metropolitan area, the Salt River was a perennial stream fed by 
snowmelt from mountains in eastern Arizona. In the early part of the 
20th century, major modifications to the river system occurred as part 
of the Salt River Project, which placed several dams along the Salt 
River to allow diversions of water for agricultural and urban uses. 
Sand and gravel mining operations and other activities along the river 
induce additional changes to the river channel and hydrology. As 
diversions of water increased, the perennial flows in the river ceased, 
causing the groundwater table to drop. These changes in hydrological 
conditions caused the natural riparian ecosystem to decline to the 
point that only small, isolated fragments of this former habitat 
remain. At the present time, the study area consists of a highly 
disturbed riverbed with minimal extant native vegetation.
    This DEIS provides: (1) A description of restoration alternatives, 
including the no-action alternative; (2) an analyzes of the existing 
and future conditions of the area without the project; (3) and analyzes 
the impacts associated with five alternatives that have been determined 
to be the most feasible, including the preferred alternative (proposed 
action).
    3. Proposed Action. The proposed action includes the establishment 
of approximately 200 acres of wetlands; 880 acres of cottonwood/willow 
stands; 380 acres of mesquite bosque; and 24 acres of Sonoran desert 
scrub shrub. Each vegetation types will be irrigated through either a 
drip irrigation system or a type of flood irrigation; both systems will 
use surface water currently owned by the SRPMIC, or groundwater pumped 
from an existing or new well. Other features include removal of 
invasive vegetation, reshaping of abandon sand and gravel mining pits, 
reshaping of some sections of the river channel to return water flow to 
a more natural pathway, a grade control structure, and a recreation 
trail system.
    4. Alternatives.
    a. No action: No vegetation or structural features would be placed 
within the Salt River.
    b. Five alternatives are evaluated in the Draft EIS. In general, 
the primary difference among alternatives is the acreage of each 
vegetation type and the resulting water necessary to maintain the 
vegetation. Other differences are the inclusion or exclusion of 
structural features such as river channelization and bank 
stabilization.
    5. Scoping Process. Participation of all interested Federal, State 
and county resource agencies, as well as Native American peoples, 
groups with environmental interests, and all interested individuals are 
encouraged. The public review period will conclude 45 days after 
publication of this notice.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the SRPMIC and City of Mesa, 
the local sponsors, will consider public concerns on the Draft EIS. A 
summary of the public hearing and written comment letters and responses 
will be incorporated into the Final EIS as appropriate.


Brenda S. Bowen,
Alternate Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-9601 Filed 4-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-KF-M