[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 169 (Thursday, September 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52121-52122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17265]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[INT-DES-05-40]


Carlsbad Project, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Public Meetings for the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Carlsbad Project Water 
Operations and Water Supply Conservation.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the New 
Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, as joint lead agencies, have 
prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to assess the 
consequences of proposed changes in the operation of Sumner Dam and the 
implementation of a water acquisition program in the Pecos River Basin. 
The Carlsbad Project Water Operations and Water Supply Conservation 
DEIS includes a description of alternative means of implementing the 
proposed federal action and presents an evaluation of the 
environmental, economic, and social consequences that could result from 
implementing these alternatives.
    These proposed changes in water operations are designed to conserve 
the Pecos bluntnose shiner (Notropis simus pecosensis) (shiner) and its 
designated critical habitat. The water acquisition program is proposed 
to conserve the Carlsbad Project water supply. In 1987, the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service listed the shiner, a small minnow, as a threatened 
species and designated two noncontiguous river reaches, totaling 
approximately 101 miles of the Pecos River, as critical habitat. The 
shiner has undergone significant population declines and range 
contraction in the last 65 years and is now restricted to about 194 
miles from Fort Sumner State Park to Brantley Reservoir. Lower base 
flows, lower peak flows, and extended duration of peak flows along with 
river channel degradation, drought, and intermittency have contributed 
to loss of habitat and increased mortality (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 2003).

DATES: A 60-day public review period commences with the publication of 
this notice. Written comments on the DEIS should be submitted no later 
than October 31, 2005, to Ms. Marsha Carra, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico 87102.
    Reclamation will conduct four public meetings to obtain public 
input on the DEIS. All meetings will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 
The public meetings schedule is as follows:
     September 19, 2005--Bureau of Land Management Conference 
Room, 2909 West 2nd Street, Roswell, New Mexico
     September 20, 2005--Pecos River Village Conference Center, 
Room 3, 711 Muscatel, Carlsbad, New Mexico
     September 21, 2005--Village Community House, 204 North 4th 
Street, Ft. Sumner, New Mexico
     September 22, 2005--City Hall Meeting Room, 141 5th 
Street, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Albuquerque Main Library, 501 Copper NW., Albuquerque, New 
Mexico 87102
     Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 
Broadway NE., Suite 100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
     Carlsbad Irrigation District, 201 South Canal Street, 
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220

[[Page 52122]]

    The DEIS is also available on the Internet at the following Web 
address: http://www.usbr.gov/uc/albuq/library/eis/carlsbad/carlsbad.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Marsha Carra, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE., Suite 100, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102; telephone (505) 462-3602; facsimile 
(505) 462-3780; e-mail: [email protected] or Ms. Coleman Smith, New 
Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, P.O. Box 25102, Santa Fe, New 
Mexico 87504; telephone (505) 476-0551, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of Reclamation's proposed 
federal action is to avoid jeopardy to the Pecos bluntnose shiner and 
to conserve the Carlsbad Project water supply. To avoid jeopardy to the 
shiner means that Reclamation would ensure that any discretionary 
action they authorize, fund, or carry out is not likely to jeopardize 
the continued existence of a listed species or result in the 
destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. Reclamation 
would continue to participate in interagency actions to protect 
federally-listed species and designated critical habitats, within their 
legal and discretionary authority. Conserving the Carlsbad Project 
water supply means delivering the amount of water to the project that 
would otherwise be available but for changes to operations. The need 
for Reclamation's action is to operate the Pecos River facilities so as 
not to jeopardize the continued existence of the shiner or destroy or 
adversely modify designated critical habitat and to maintain the 
Carlsbad Project water supply for authorized purposes. Without 
reoperation of Sumner Dam, stream flows in the Pecos River may be 
insufficient to meet basic habitat needs of the shiner and the future 
existence of the shiner may be in jeopardy. Without an accompanying 
program to acquire and provide water, reductions to the Carlsbad 
Project water supply would occur.
    The proposed federal action that requires NEPA compliance is the 
reoperation of Sumner Dam to provide flows in the Pecos River to 
conserve the shiner, and the implementation of a water acquisition 
program to conserve the Carlsbad Project water supply. The alternatives 
vary in flow targets or minimum flows at the Taiban or Acme gages. 
Depending on the alternative, these targets can be constant or variable 
by time of year or whether river conditions are dry, average, or wet. 
Action alternatives also include common guidance for block releases, a 
habitat conservation pool, an adaptive management plan, and 
implementation of an interagency management agreement. Reduction to 
Carlsbad Project water resulting from changes in operations to conserve 
the shiner would be offset through a variety of options that are 
analyzed independently of the alternatives. Other options have been 
developed to acquire water to directly augment river flows for the 
benefit of the shiner. Implementation of some of these options would 
require additional authorization, permitting, and project-specific NEPA 
analysis.
    After the 60-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS). Responses to comments received 
from organizations and individuals on the DEIS will be addressed in the 
FEIS.

Public 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 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: August 25, 2005.
William E. Rinne,
Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 05-17265 Filed 8-31-05; 8:45 am]
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