[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5250-5251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-933]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Halligan-Seaman Water Management Project in Northeastern 
Colorado

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the direct, indirect 
and cumulative effects of two water supply projects being proposed 
collectively as the Halligan-Seaman Water Management Project. 
Construction of the proposed Project(s) will result in temporary and 
permanent impacts to jurisdictional waters of the United States, 
thereby requiring Clean Water Act Section 404 permits. The Cities of 
Fort Collins and Greeley (Cities), and six other water providers 
(Participants), have proposed the Project(s) to provide drought 
protection of existing and future water demands, more efficiency in 
managing Participants' existing or future water rights, some 
operational redundancy, and possibly environmental benefits. 
Construction of the proposed Project(s) involves enlargement of two 
existing reservoirs: Halligan Reservoir and Milton Seamen Reservoir 
(Seaman Reservoir), resulting in approximately 88,592 acre-feet of 
additional storage capacity in the Cache la Poudre River Basin. The 
Halligan-Seaman Water Management Project would be a non-federal project 
constructed, owned and operated by the Cities and/or Participants.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held:
    1. February 23, 2006, 4 to 8 p.m., Livermore, CO.
    2. February 27, 2006, 4 to 8 p.m., Fort Collins, CO.
    3. February 28, 2006, 4 to 8 p.m., Greeley, CO.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting locations are:
    1. February 23, 2006, at The Livermore Community Church, 160 Red 
Feather Lakes, Livermore, CO.
    2. February 27, 2006, at the Lincoln Center, Canyon Room, 417 West 
Magnolia Street, Fort Collins, CO.
    3. February 28, 2006, at the Bunk House at Island Grove, 501 North 
14th Avenue, Greeley, CO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments regarding the 
proposed action and EIS should be addressed to Chandler Peter, Project 
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2232 Dell Range Blvd., Suite 
210, Cheyenne, WY 82009; (307) 772-2300 
[email protected]. For special needs (visual or hearing 
impaired, Spanish Translator, etc.) requests during scoping meetings, 
please call Chandler Peter by February 15, 2006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The COE will be conducting public scoping 
meetings at three locations (See DATES and ADDRESSES) to describe the 
Project(s), the NEPA compliance process, and to solicit input on the 
issues and alternatives to be evaluated, and other related matters. 
Written comments for scoping will be accepted, until March 17, 2006. 
The COE has prepared a Scoping Document to familiarize other agencies, 
the public and interested organizations with the proposed Project(s) 
and potential environmental issues that may be involved. Copies of the 
Scoping Document will be available at the public Scoping Meetings or 
can be requested by mail.
    The Participants are composed of water providers in the region and 
include three water districts collectively known as the Tri-District 
including North Weld County Water District, Fort Collins-Loveland Water 
District, and East Larimer County Water District, the City of Evans, 
the North Poudre Irrigation Company, and the Water Supply and Storage 
Company.
    The Cities have proposed a preferred configuration of the 
Project(s) which involves the construction of new, larger dams 
immediately downstream of the existing Halligan and Seaman dams. Water 
stored in the expanded reservoirs will address needs associated with 
municipal and industrial water demands as well as some agricultural 
demands. Preliminary analyses by the Cities indicate that the enlarged 
reservoirs will fill primarily during the summer and fall months from 
North Fork Poudre River flows. Seaman Reservoir will also fill via a 
pump station on the Poudre River mainstem near the dam site. Small 
releases are proposed throughout the year on a periodic basis to 
maximize operational efficiency. The cities anticipate that both 
reservoirs are expected to remain mostly full except during drought 
periods.
    The EIS will be prepared according to the COE's procedures for 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and consistent with the COE's policy to 
facilitate public understanding and review of agency

[[Page 5251]]

proposals. As part of the EIS process, a full range of reasonable 
alternatives include the proposed Project and no action will be 
evaluated.
    The COE has invited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado 
Division of Wildlife, Larimer County, and Weld County to be cooperating 
agencies in the formulation of the EIS.

Chandler J. Peter,
Project Manager, Regulatory Branch.
[FR Doc. 06-933 Filed 1-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-62-M