[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59613-59614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22337]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Central Utah Project Completion Act

AGENCIES: Department of the Interior, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary--Water and Science, (Interior); Utah Reclamation Mitigation 
and Conservation Commission, (Mitigation Commission); Central Utah 
Water Conservancy District, (CUWCD).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water 
Delivery System, Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
facilities and measures authorized in Sections 202(a)(1), 202(c), 207, 
and 302 of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA), which is 
part of the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, Interior, CUWCD, and the Mitigation 
Commission (Joint-Lead Agencies), have issued a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery 
System (Utah Lake System), Bonneville Unit, Central Utah Project. The 
FEIS addresses potential impacts related to construction and operation 
of the features proposed for the Utah Lake System. The FEIS is intended 
to satisfy disclosure requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) and will serve as the NEPA compliance document for 
contracts, agreements and permits that would be required for 
construction and operation of the Utah Lake System. The Joint-Lead 
Agencies intend to seek Clean Water Act compliance through Section 
404(r) provisions by including a 404(b)(1) analysis within the FEIS and 
therefore an exemption from the requirements to obtain a Section 404 
permit for construction. In addition to this notification, notices will 
be published in local newspapers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on matters 
related to this notice can be obtained from Mr. Reed Murray at (801) 
379-1237, or [email protected].
    Additional copies of the FEIS, and copies of the resource technical 
reports can be obtained from Ms. Laurie Barnett, Central Utah Water 
Conservancy District, 355 West University Parkway, Orem, Utah, 84058.
    Copies are also available for inspection at:

Central Utah Water Conservancy District, 355 West University Parkway, 
Orem, Utah 84058;
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, 102 West 500 
South, Suite 315, Salt Lake City UT 84101;
Department of the Interior, Natural Resource Library, Serials Branch, 
18th C Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20240;
Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, 
302 East 1860 South, Provo, Utah 84606.

and on the Central Utah Water Conservancy District Web site at: http://www.cuwcd.com/cupca/projects/uls/index.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background--The Utah Lake System is one of the systems of the 
Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project that would develop central 
Utah's water resources for municipal and industrial supply, fish and 
wildlife, and recreation. Initiation of planning for the Utah Lake 
System was announced in the Federal Register on October 14, 1998 (FR 
Doc. 98-27484). Notice of intent to initiate scoping and prepare a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was announced in the 
Federal Register on August 23, 2000 (FR Doc. 00-21458). Scoping was 
accomplished in two stages: informal scoping was conducted through 
public meetings in September 2000 and October 2001; and formal scoping 
was conducted through mailings and public meetings during February 
2002. The DEIS was issued by the Joint-Lead Agencies on March 25, 2004. 
Notice of availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal 
Register on March 30, 2004, (FR Doc. 04-7034). Comments received during 
the public comment period from March 25, 2004, until June 11, 2004, 
were considered during preparation of the FEIS. Public hearings were 
held April 28 and 29, 2004, for the purpose of receiving comments on 
the DEIS. Publication of the Record of Decision will occur no sooner 
than 30 days from the date of this notice.
    Proposed Action Alternative--The Utah Lake System Proposed Action 
Alternative would provide an average transbasin diversion of 101,900 
acre-feet which consists of 30,000 acre-feet of Municipal and 
Industrial (M&I) secondary water to southern Utah County and 30,000 
acre-feet of M&I water to Salt Lake County water treatment plants; and 
40,310 acre-feet of M&I water to Utah Lake for exchange to Jordanelle 
Reservoir. It would conserve water in a Mapleton-Springville Lateral 
Pipeline, conserve water in the Provo River basin and deliver it along 
with acquired water to assist June sucker spawning and rearing in the 
lower Provo River, convey water to support year-round instream flows in 
Provo River and seasonal instream flows in Hobble Creek to assist in 
the recovery of the June sucker, and develop hydropower. This 
alternative would involve construction of five new pipelines for 
delivery of water and 2 new hydropower plants and associated 
transmission lines. Under this alternative, Interior would acquire 
57,000 acre-feet of the District's secondary water rights in Utah Lake 
to provide a firm annual yield of 60,000 acre-feet of ULS M&I water.
    Bonneville Unit Water Alternative--The Bonneville Unit Water 
Alternative would have an average transbasin diversion of 101,900 acre-
feet consisting of: 15,800 acre-feet of M&I water to southern Utah 
County to be used in secondary water systems; and 84,510 acre-feet of 
M&I water delivered to Utah Lake for exchange to Jordanelle Reservoir. 
It would conserve water in a Mapleton-Springville Lateral Pipeline, 
conserve water in the Provo River basin and deliver it along with 
acquired water

[[Page 59614]]

to assist June sucker spawning and rearing in the lower Provo River, 
convey water to support instream flows in Hobble Creek to assist 
recovery of the June sucker, and develop hydropower. It would involve 
construction of three new pipelines and two new hydropower plants with 
associated transmission lines. Under this alternative, Interior would 
acquire 15,000 acre-feet of the District's secondary water rights in 
Utah Lake to provide a firm annual yield of 15,800 acre-feet of M&I 
water.
    No Action Alternative--No new water conveyance features would be 
constructed under the No Action Alternative. It would provide the 
delivery of 86,100 acre-feet of water from Strawberry Reservoir to Utah 
Lake for the Bonneville Unit M&I exchange water. The 15,800 acre-feet 
of Bonneville Unit water would remain in Strawberry Reservoir to 
provide a firm supply for the Bonneville Unit M&I exchange. Some of the 
Bonneville Unit M&I exchange water would be routed through the 
Strawberry Tunnel to meet instream flow needs in Sixth Water and 
Diamond Fork creeks. The remaining Bonneville Unit M&I exchange water 
would be conveyed through the Diamond Fork System and discharged into 
Diamond Fork Creek at the outlet near Monks Hollow or discharged from 
the Diamond Fork Pipeline into the Spanish Fork River at the mouth of 
Diamond Fork Canyon. The irrigation diversions on lower Spanish Fork 
River would be modified to bypass and measure the 86,100 acre-feet into 
Utah Lake, and to allow fish passage as previously agreed by the 
Interior and District in the 1999 Diamond Fork FS-FEIS and ROD. 
Interior would not purchase any of the District's secondary water 
rights in Utah Lake and no water would be conveyed to Hobble Creek for 
June sucker recovery. The No Action Alternative would be the same as 
the Interim Proposed Action in the Diamond Fork FS-FEIS.

    Dated: September 30, 2004.
Ronald Johnston,
Program Director, Department of the Interior.

    Dated: September 30, 2004.
Michael C. Weland,
Executive Director, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation 
Commission.
[FR Doc. 04-22337 Filed 10-4-04; 8:45 am]
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