[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 236 (Thursday, December 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71424-71425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27006]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Mendota Pool Ten-Year Exchange Agreements, Proposed Annual Water 
Exchange, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact 
statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation), has prepared a final EIS, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to evaluate the proposed annual water 
exchange agreements of up to 25,000 acre-feet of water per year for up 
to a 10-year period with the Mendota Pool Group.
    The purpose of the proposed project is to provide water to 
irrigable lands on Mendota Pool Group properties in Westlands Water 
District and San Luis Water District to offset substantial reductions 
in contract water supplies attributable to the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act (CVPIA), the Endangered Species Act listings and 
regulations, and new Bay-Delta water quality rules. This water would 
thereby enable the Mendota Pool Group farmers to maintain production on 
historically irrigated lands. The project is not intended to increase 
the amount of water for farming activities, but would replace some of 
the contract water lost because of increased environmental regulations 
that restrict water deliveries south of the export pumps at Tracy, 
California.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 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: The final EIS may be obtained by contacting Mr. David Young 
at the Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area Office, 
1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721-1813; by telephone at 559-487-5127; 
(TDD 559-487-5933); by e-mail at [email protected]; or by fax at 559-
487-5397. The final EIS is also available via the Internet at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/sccao/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Young, Environmental Specialist, 
at the above address or by telephone at 559-487-5127 (TDD 559-487-
5933).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Delta export service area of the Central 
Valley

[[Page 71425]]

Project (CVP) has total contractual obligations and delivery losses of 
approximately 3.45 million acre-feet per year. The theoretical maximum 
pumping capability of CVP facilities serving this area is approximately 
3.09 million acre-feet per year. Available supplies are apportioned 
under a hierarchy of allocation in which agricultural water service 
contracts, totaling about 1.85 million acre-feet per year, are provided 
water only after all other obligations are met. Implementation of the 
CVPIA (1992), Endangered Species Act (1993-1995), and revised Bay-Delta 
water quality standards have further reduced pumping capabilities and 
water supplies available to agricultural contractors. Currently 
agricultural contractors can expect to receive a long-term average 
supply of about 50 to 55 percent of contract water as compared to a 
pre-1992 average of 88 to 92 percent.
    Alternatives identified and evaluated, based on criteria adopted to 
maintain environmental quality, provide for continued agricultural 
production and include the proposed project, construction of new wells, 
and fallowing of farmland. The project proponents propose to pump up to 
269,600 acre-feet of groundwater over the 10-year period from non-CVP 
wells located adjacent to the Mendota Pool into the Mendota Pool to 
make up for a portion of the annual shortfall in the contract water to 
be delivered via the CVP. The actual quantity of water to be pumped 
would depend on whether the year is classified as wet (0 acre-feet per 
year), normal (maximum of 31,600 acre-feet per year), or dry (maximum 
of 40,000 acre-feet per year). As part of this program, a maximum of 
12,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater would be pumped from deep 
wells (i.e., screened interval greater than 130 feet deep), with the 
remainder coming from shallow wells (i.e., screened interval less than 
130 feet deep). The proposed project will comply with the terms 
specified in the Settlement Agreement for Mendota Pool Transfer Pumping 
Program, effective January 1, 2001.
    The Federal action contemplated in the EIS is the exchange with 
Reclamation of a maximum of 25,000 acre-feet of the total quantity 
pumped each year. This water would be made available to Reclamation in 
the Mendota Pool to offset their existing water contract obligations. 
In exchange, Reclamation would make an equivalent amount of CVP water 
available to the members of the Mendota Pool Group for irrigation 
purposes at Check 13 of the Delta-Mendota Canal. Any quantity of water 
pumped by the Mendota Pool Group beyond the 25,000 acre-feet exchanged 
is not part of the Federal action, but is evaluated in the EIS. The 
water pumped in excess of the 25,000 acre-feet exchanged with 
Reclamation would be delivered directly to other lands that are 
presently under irrigation around the Pool.
    The primary environmental resource issues that are evaluated in the 
EIS include groundwater levels, groundwater quality, subsidence, 
surface water quality, and biological resources. Other resource areas 
evaluated include cost of water, CVP operations, archaeological and 
cultural resources, Indian Trust assets, environmental justice, 
socioeconomic resources, land use, transportation, air quality, and 
noise.
    There are no known Indian Trust Assets or environmental justice 
issues associated with the proposed action.
    Reclamation published the notice of availability of the draft EIS 
in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 (68 FR 44542). The 
60-day written comment period ended on September 29, 2003. Reclamation 
obtained public input on the scope of the project and potential 
alternatives through solicitation of comment letters and a public 
scoping meeting. Ten comment letters were received. The final EIS 
addresses the comments received on the draft EIS both as revisions to 
the text, and in an appendix that provides specific responses to each 
comment.
    It is Reclamation's practice to publicly disclose respondents' 
comments, including names and addresses. Respondents may request that 
their address be withheld from disclosure; this will be honored to the 
extent allowable by law. There may also be circumstances in which a 
respondent's identity may be withheld from disclosure; again, this will 
be honored to the extent 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. All submissions from organizations or 
businesses will be publicly disclosed in their entirety.

    Dated: November 29, 2004.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Regional Director, Mid-Pacfic Region.
[FR Doc. 04-27006 Filed 12-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P