[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 98 (Thursday, May 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29144-29145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11403]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Savage Rapids Pumping Facilities/Dam Removal Project, Josephine 
County, Rogue River Basin, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to 
determine need for a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: Section 220 of the fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water 
Appropriations Bill (Pub. L.108-137) authorized the Secretary of the 
Interior to construct pumping facilities and remove Savage Rapids Dam. 
These actions were evaluated in a 1995 EIS prepared by the Bureau of 
Reclamation. Modifications to the preferred alternative identified in 
the 1995 EIS are now being considered. Reclamation, pursuant to section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended, will prepare an EA to determine if the proposed modifications 
would result in significant impacts not addressed in the 1995 EIS. If 
the EA indicates that such impacts are likely, Reclamation intends to 
prepare a supplemental EIS.

DATES: Written comments identifying issues and concerns regarding the 
proposed project's environmental effects will be accepted until June 
21, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests to be added to the mailing list may be 
submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Regional 
Office, Attention: Robert Hamilton (PN-6309), 1150 North Curtis Road, 
Suite 100, Boise, ID 83706-1234.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Hamilton, Bureau of 
Reclamation, telephone: 208-378-5087, fax: 208-378-5102, or by e-mail 
at [email protected]. The hearing impaired may contact Mr. 
Hamilton at the above number via a toll free TTY relay: 1-800-833-6388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Savage Rapids Dam is located on the Rogue River in southwestern 
Oregon, about 5 miles east of the city of Grants Pass. The privately 
owned dam is the primary irrigation diversion facility of the Grants 
Pass Irrigation District (GPID).
    Fish passage at Savage Rapids Dam has been an issue since the dam 
was constructed in 1921 by the GPID. The concrete structure has a 
height of 39 feet. A fish ladder was constructed on the north side at 
the time the dam was built and a ladder on the south side was completed 
in 1934. Rotating fish screens were an initial part of the gravity 
diversion. Early attempts to screen the pumping diversion were 
unsuccessful, and it remained essentially unscreened until 1958. Fish 
passage improvements made in the late 1970's helped reduce losses, but 
fish passage problems continue. The existing fish screens at the pump 
intake do not meet current criteria of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.
    An EIS for Fish Improvements at Savage Rapids Dam was issued in 
August 1995. A Record of Decision was issued in March 1997 indicating 
that Reclamation would not pursue implementation of the preferred 
alternative (installation of pumping plants with dam removal) 
identified in the EIS because of lack of public support.
    In 1997 the National Marine Fisheries Service (now NOAA Fisheries) 
listed the Southern Oregon-Northern California coho salmon as 
threatened. In August 2001, a Consent Decree was issued to settle a 
pending Federal court case against GPID under the Endangered Species 
Act and a water right cancellation case pending in the Supreme Court of 
the State of Oregon. The Consent Decree provided that the GPID should 
seek authorization and funding for implementing the Pumping/Dam Removal 
Plan as identified in the 1995 EIS, and that the GPID must cease 
operating the Dam as its diversion facility by November 1, 2005, with 
an extension to November 1, 2006, if necessary. Section 220 of the 
fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 108-137) 
authorized the Secretary of the Interior to construct pumping 
facilities and remove Savage Rapids Dam.
    The general need for the project remains the same as identified in 
the 1995 EIS: to improve fish passage while maintaining a water 
diversion for the GPID. The original preferred alternative included two 
pumping stations (one located on each side of the river) and full dam 
removal. Modifications now being considered include substituting a 
single large pumping station for the two originally-planned stations; 
constructing an overhead pipeline crossing the river; and using some of 
the existing dam piers to support a pipe bridge or constructing new 
piers. Alternatives related to pump station location may also be 
evaluated. Cost-saving measures, including leaving portions of the dam 
abutments in place, are also under consideration.
    Reclamation will prepare an EA to update the analysis in the 1995 
EIS and determine if significant impacts not identified in the 1995 EIS 
would result from possible modifications to the original preferred 
alternative. If the EA indicates that such impacts are likely, 
Reclamation intends to prepare a supplemental EIS.

Identity Disclosure

    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

[[Page 29145]]

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 17, 2004.
J. William McDonald,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 04-11403 Filed 5-19-04; 8:45 am]
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