[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10078-10079]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3975]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a 
Permit Application for the Proposed Hemet/San Jacinto Integrated 
Recharge and Recovery Program in San Jacinto, Riverside County, CA

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Los Angeles 
District, Regulatory Branch is considering an application from the 
Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) for a Department of the Army 
permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to construct a 
groundwater recharge and storage facility in and adjacent to the San 
Jacinto River. The proposed project would consist of up to fifteen 
recharge basins (six in proposed Phase 1 and nine in proposed Phase 2) 
on approximately 100- acres in the San Jacinto River Channel, upgrades 
to two existing pump stations, a new approximately 7.7-mile-long water 
supply pipeline, up to ten extraction wells located west of the San 
Jacinto River, and up to six monitoring wells located near the western 
edge of the proposed recharge basins.
    The Federal action involved in the project is the discharge of 
dredge and/or fill materials within waters of the United States. The 
Corps has determined that the potential impacts on the human 
environment from such activities may be adverse and significant. 
Therefore, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Corps will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
prior to rendering a final decision on EMWD's permit application. The 
Corps may ultimately make a determination to grant or deny the permit 
or conditionally grant the permit. The Draft EIS is intended to be 
sufficient in scope to address the Federal and environmental issues 
concerning the proposed Federal permit action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments about the 
proposed action or Draft EIS should be addressed to Ms. Deanna L. 
Cummings, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: 200401197, Los Angeles 
District, Regulatory Branch, 915 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 
90017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Project Site and Background Information. 
The proposed project would entail the recharge of up to 43,750 acre-
feet per year of water in the Hemet/San Jacinto area of western 
Riverside County, California. (An acre-foot is equivalent to 325,850 
gallons, roughly the amount of water that two southern California 
families of four uses in and around the house in one year.) The goals 
of the groundwater recharge project are to: Help meet water rights 
claims under a draft Settlement Agreement with the Soboba Band of 
Luiseno Indians; offset existing overdraft of the Hemet/San Jacinto 
area groundwater supply; provide an additional 15,000 acre-feet of 
annual water storage to help meet projected demand increases within 
EMWD's eastern service area; and provide up to 45,000 acre-feet of 
conjunctive use/drought management water storage, contributing to water 
storage goals identified by the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.
    2. Proposed Action. The permit applicant's preferred alternative is 
to construct up to fifteen recharge ponds on an approximately 100-acre 
site in the San Jacinto River channel. This proposed recharge site is 
within unincorporated Riverside County near the cities of Hemet and San 
Jacinto, and near the San Jacinto River's confluences with Poppet and 
Bautista Creeks. The proposed project would entail the conveyance of 
State Water Project water to recharge basins located in the San Jacinto 
River. The potentially affected segment of the San Jacinto River 
normally is dry and only carries flows following storms or during 
winters with above-average rainfall. Water supplied to the recharge 
basins would infiltrate into the San Jacinto Basin, where it would be 
stored until it (or an equivalent amount of other groundwater in the 
basin) would be extracted by wells for consumptive use. In order to 
accomplish this recharge, the proposed project would require the 
following:
     A new, approximately 7.7-mile-long water supply pipeline 
extending from the EM-14 turnout on the Lakeview Pipeline (near Warren 
Road) to the proposed recharge basins at the San Jacinto River (this 
new pipeline would parallel an existing EMWD pipeline);
     Upgrades to the existing Warren Road and Commonwealth 
Avenue pump stations (located along the proposed water supply pipeline 
route);
     Up to fifteen new recharge basins on approximately 100- 
acres in the San Jacinto River channel;
     Up to eight extraction wells located west of the San 
Jacinto River; and
     Up to six monitoring wells located near the western edge 
of the proposed recharge basins.

In brief, water would be delivered to the proposed project area from 
California's State Water Project via the Lakeview Pipeline. Because the 
Lakeview Pipeline is located several miles west of the San Jacinto 
River, water would need to be conveyed to the recharge basins through 
an existing EMWD pipeline (Phase 1) and/or through a proposed new 
pipeline (Phase 2). Water conveyed to the San Jacinto River would be 
discharged into the proposed recharge basins, where the water would be 
allowed to infiltrate the groundwater supply under the river. EMWD 
would operate two types of wells in association with the proposed 
project: monitoring and extraction. As their name implies, the 
monitoring wells would allow EMWD to monitor groundwater levels and 
quality. Extraction wells would be used to extract water from the 
groundwater supply, where it would be piped into EMWD's existing 
network of water conveyance, storage and treatment facilities.
    3. Issues. There are several potential environmental issues that 
will be addressed in the Draft EIS. Additional issues may be identified 
during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially 
significant include:
    1. Hydrology, including effects to the San Jacinto River and its 
floodplain and effects to groundwater, surface water and groundwater 
quality.
    2. Biological resources, including impacts to wetlands, waters of 
the United States and Federal-listed threatened or endangered species 
and their habitat.
    3. Land use and recreation.
    4. Visual quality (aesthetics).
    5. Geology and soils.
    6. Transportation.
    7. Cultural (historic and prehistoric) resources.
    8. Noise.
    9. Air quality.
    10. Hazards and public safety.

The proposed project would require a number of Federal permits and 
approvals prior to implementation, including a Clean Water Act section 
404 Permit, Clean Water Act section 401 Water Quality Certification and 
a Federal Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit.
    4. Alternatives. In addition to EMWD's proposed project (the 
preferred alternative), the Draft EIS will evaluate reduced project 
and/or locational alternatives and a No Action Alternative.
    5. Scoping Process. A public meeting will be held to receive public 
comments and assess public concerns regarding

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the appropriate scope and preparation of the Draft EIS. Participation 
in the public meeting by Federal, State and local agencies and other 
interested organizations and persons is encouraged. The Corps will also 
be consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the 
Endangered Species Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. The 
scoping meeting for the Draft EIS will be held at the James Simpson 
Neighborhood/Senior Center, 305 E. Devonshire Avenue, Hemet, CA at 6:30 
p.m. on March 8, 2005. Parties interested in being added to the Corps' 
electronic mail notification list can register at: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/register.html. This list will be used 
in the future to notify the public about scheduled hearings and 
availability of future public notices.
    6. Availability of the Draft EIS. The Corps expects the Draft EIS 
to be made available to the public in June 2005. A public hearing will 
be held during the public comment period for the Draft EIS.

Alex C. Dornstauder,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-3975 Filed 3-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P