[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23212-23213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9638]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan and Cachuma Project 
Biological Opinion for Southern Steelhead Trout, Santa Barbara County, 
California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR).

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a Final EIS/
EIR for the ``Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan (Plan) and 
Cachuma Project Biological Opinion (Opinion) for Southern Steelhead 
Trout.'' The actions evaluated include various flow and non-flow 
measures to be implemented by Reclamation and the Cachuma Project 
Member Units to protect and enhance habitat for the endangered southern 
steelhead trout along the Santa Ynez River downstream of Bradbury Dam.
    Notice of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register 
on July 24, 2003 (68 FR 43748). The written comment period ended 
September 30, 2003. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all 
comments received and changes made to the text of the Draft EIS/EIR as 
a result of those comments.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until 30 days after release of the Final EIS/EIR. After the 30-day 
waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision (ROD). 
The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will discuss 
all factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS/EIR for the Plan and Opinion are 
available at the Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area 
Field Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, California, 93721; or at the 
Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board Office, 3301 Laurel Canyon 
Road, Santa Barbara, California, 93105, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Young, Bureau of Reclamation, 
South-Central California Area Office, telephoned 559-487-5127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cachuma Project consists of Bradbury 
Dam, Cachuma Lake, and various water conveyance facilities. The dam 
impounds water along the Santa Ynez River in northern Santa Barbara 
County. Water is provided to the Cachuma Project Member Units for 
irrigation, domestic, and municipal and industrial water uses. The 
current Member Units consist of the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta Water 
District, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, 
and the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District--Improvement 
District 1. Reclamation owns all project facilities and 
operates Bradbury Dam. Operation and maintenance of the Cachuma Project 
facilities, other than Bradbury Dam, was transferred in 1956 to the 
Member Units who formed Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB) 
to carry out these responsibilities.
    In August 1997, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
designated the anadromous steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of the 
Southern Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), which includes the 
lower Santa Ynez River below Bradbury Dam, as an endangered species 
under the Federal Endangered Species Act. In April 1999, Reclamation 
requested initiation of consultation with NMFS regarding ongoing 
operations of the Cachuma Project under the provisions of Section 7 of 
the Federal Endangered Species Act. Reclamation submitted a Biological 
Assessment (BA) to NMFS in 1999, describing the proposed operation of 
the Cachuma Project, as well as measures designed to improve the 
availability and quality of habitat for the steelhead in the lower 
river. NMFS issued a final Opinion in September 2000. The Opinion 
concluded that the proposed actions described in the BA would not 
jeopardize the continued existence of the anadromous steelhead of the 
Southern ESU, nor destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. The 
Opinion included an incidental take statement with mandatory terms and 
conditions to minimize ``take'' of the southern steelhead.
    Prior to, and concurrent with, the endangered species consultation, 
Reclamation and the Cachuma Member Units prepared a Fish Management 
Plan (FMP) for the lower Santa Ynez River. The FMP management actions 
include (1) creating new habitat and improving existing habitat in the 
lower river and tributaries; (2) improving access to spawning and 
rearing habitats in the lower river and tributaries; and (3) increasing 
public awareness and support for beneficial actions on private lands. 
The FMP identifies specific reaches of the mainstem and tributaries for 
habitat protection and improvement. The highest priority has been 
assigned to lower Hilton Creek, which is located on Reclamation 
property, and the mainstem of the river between Bradbury Dam and 
Highway 154. A high priority is also assigned to enhancing habitats on 
the following tributaries which have favorable flows and habitat 
conditions for aquatic resources: Quiota, El Jaro, and Salsipuedes 
creeks.
    The overall purposes of the management actions are two-fold: (1) 
Ensure that operation of the Cachuma Project is consistent with the 
Federal Endangered Species Act regarding effects on the southern 
steelhead; and (2) improve conditions for native fish, particularly the 
endangered southern steelhead, in the Santa Ynez River watershed below 
Bradbury Dam.
    Reclamation and Cachuma COMB have prepared the Final EIS/EIR to 
evaluate the incidental adverse impacts of the proposed management 
actions and projects to improve fish habitat conditions on the Santa 
Ynez River below Bradbury Dam in northern Santa Barbara County. These 
impacts include temporary construction-related disturbances to riparian 
and aquatic habitat during fish habitat restoration work in the river 
and tributaries; impacts to oak trees and recreational facilities at 
Cachuma Lake due to

[[Page 23213]]

surcharging the reservoir to store additional water for downstream 
releases for fish; and others described in the Final EIS/EIR.
    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: April 6, 2004.
Susan L. Ramos,
Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 04-9638 Filed 4-27-04; 8:45 am]
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