[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41692-41693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14210]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Potential 
Multipurpose Projects for Flood Damage Reduction and Recreation 
Development Within and Along the Highland Lakes, Colorado River, TX

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Four Authorities authorize the study of the Colorado River and 
its Tributaries: (1) Flood Control Act, approval June 22, 1936: 
``Section 6. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to 
cause preliminary examinations and surveys for flood control at the 
following named localities * * * Colorado River, Texas, above the 
county line between Coke and Runnels counties * * * Lower Colorado 
River, Texas.'' (2) Resolution by the Committee on Commerce, United 
States Senate, adopted August 4, 1936; ``Resolved by the Committee of 
the United States Senate, that the Board of Engineers for Rivers and 
Harbors created under Section 3 of the River and Harbor Act, approved 
June 13, 1902, be and is hereby, requested to review the reports on 
Colorado River, Texas, submitted in House Document Number 361, Seventy-
first Congress, second session, and previous reports, with a view to 
determining if improvement in the interest of commerce and flood 
control is advisable at the present time.'' (3) Rivers and Harbors Act, 
approved August 26, 1937: ``Section 4. The Secretary of War is hereby 
authorized and directed to cause preliminary examinations and surveys 
to be made at the following named localities * * * Colorado River, and 
its tributaries, Texas, with a view to its improvement in the interest 
of navigation and flood control.'' (4) Rivers and Harbors Act, approved 
March 2, 1945: ``Section 6. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized 
and directed to cause preliminary examinations and surveys to be made 
at the following named localities * * * Colorado River, Texas.'' An 
initial assessment based on the resolution guidance indicates a Federal 
interest in continuing with more detailed studies for these purposes. 
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to evaluate and 
compare flood control damage reduction and recreation alternatives 
within and along the Colorado River and its tributaries concentrated 
along the Highland Lakes. The EIS will also assess the impacts to the 
quality of the human environment associated with each alternative. The 
study area for project implementation primarily includes the lower 
Colorado River and its adjoining tributaries below Lake O.H. Ivie to 
Tom Miller Dam or Lake Austin. The construction of residential and 
commercial structures within the Highland Lakes and along the Colorado 
River, have lead to extensive amounts of flood damages. Consequently, 
flood damage reduction measures will be developed to address the flood 
damages. In addition, recreation measures will be developed and 
evaluated as complements to proposed flood damage reduction measures. 
The non-Federal cost sharing sponsors for the feasibility study are the 
Lower Colorado River Authority and Travis County.

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held during the fall of 2005. 
Notices will be sent to interested parties, posted on the project Web 
site at http://www.fdep.org and a notice will be published in local 
newspapers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions pertaining to the proposed 
action and EIS can be answered by: Mr. Tom Vogt, CESWF-PM-C, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, PO Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX 
76102-0300, (817) 886-1378.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Highland Lakes are comprised of six 
lakes: Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake 
Travis, and Lake Austin. The Lower Colorado River Authority operates 
all of the Highland Lakes. Only Lake Travis is operated as a flood 
reservoir.
    Alternatives for flood damage reduction and recreation will be 
developed and evaluated based on ongoing fieldwork and data collection 
and past studies conducted by the Corps of Engineers and the Lower 
Colorado River Authority. Alternatives for flood damage reduction 
measures will be evaluated from both a non-structural and structural 
aspect. Non-structural measures that will be evaluated include 
acquisition and removal of structures and flood proofing of structures 
for protection from potential future flood damage, and changes of gate 
operating procedures for Lake Travis. Structural measures that will be 
evaluated could include dry detention basins or multipurpose reservoirs 
and of various widths and depths and/or a combination of these measures 
along with non-structural alternatives. Recreation measures that will 
be evaluated for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike include 
multipurpose trails and passive recreation features, such as 
interpretive guidance and media and picnic areas. Recreation measures 
will be developed to a scope and scale compatible with proposed flood 
damage reduction measures without significantly diminishing flood 
damage benefits.
    The Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for 
Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration, Lower Colorado River 
Basin, Colorado River, Texas addressing the potential cumulative 
effects of reasonably foreseeable projects, including the Highland 
Lakes Interim Feasibility Study was completed in March 2005. The Final 
PEIS should be completed around October 2005. This EIS for the Highland 
Lakes will be tiered to the PEIS for the Lower Colorado River.
    The public will be invited to participate in the scoping process, 
invited to attend public meetings, and given the opportunity to review 
the EIS. Release of the EIS for public comment is scheduled for summer 
2006. The exact release date, once established, will be announced in 
the local news media.
    Future coordination with other agencies and public scoping will be 
conducted to ensure full and open participation and aid in the 
development of the EIS. All affected Federal, state, and local 
agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private 
organizations and parties are hereby invited to participate. Future 
coordination will also be

[[Page 41693]]

conducted with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and 
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The USFWS and NMFS will 
furnish information on threatened and endangered species in accordance 
with the Endangered Species Act. In addition, the USFWS will also be 
requested to provide support with planning aid and to provide a Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act Report. Also the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NFMS) will be consulted with regard to Essential 
Fish Habitat as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act. The State Historic Preservation Office will be 
consulted as required by Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.

    Dated: July 7, 2005.
John R. Minahan,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Deputy District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-14210 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-20-M