[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16340-16341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2932]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-040-5101-ER-F852; NVN-79742; 6-08807]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Initiate the Public Scoping Process for Lincoln County Water District 
Proposed Water Production Wells, Water Transmission Pipeline, Electric 
Lines, and Communication Lines in Southeastern Lincoln County; NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
and initiate scoping.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, notice is hereby given that the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM), Nevada State Office and Ely Field Office, 
will be initiating the preparation of an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) and conducting public scoping meetings to analyze the proposed 
Lincoln County Land Act (LCLA) Groundwater Development Project, which 
will include production wells, a water transmission pipeline with 
lateral pipelines, electric lines, and communication lines. The purpose 
of the project is to develop and convey water from the Tule Desert area 
to land sold by the BLM under the LCLA, approximately 2 miles north of 
Mesquite, Nevada.

DATES: The scoping comment period will commence with the publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register and will end on May 1, 2006. 
Comments on the scope of the EIS, including concerns, issues, or 
proposed alternatives that should be considered in the EIS must be 
submitted in writing to the address below and will be accepted 
throughout the scoping period. There will also be public meetings 
during the 30-day scoping period. The dates, times, and locations of 
the public scoping meetings will be announced through the local news 
media.

ADDRESSES: Please mail written comments to the BLM, Ely Field Office, 
HC 33 Box 33500, Ely Nevada 89301, (fax (775) 289-1910). Comments 
submitted during this EIS process, including names and street addresses 
of

[[Page 16341]]

respondents will be available for public review at the Ely Field Office 
during regular business hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name and address from 
public review or disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you 
must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. Such 
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions 
from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
business, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Penny Woods, BLM Nevada State Office, 
(775) 861-6466. You may also contact Ms Woods to have your name added 
to the EIS mailing list.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The LCLA Groundwater Development Project is 
being proposed by the Lincoln County Water District (LCWD) and would be 
located in southeastern Lincoln County. The proposed project would 
develop and convey groundwater in the Tule Desert and Clover Valley 
hydrographic basins to land recently sold by the BLM that is 
approximately 2 miles north of Mesquite, Nevada. This private land 
comprises the LCLA development area and consists of approximately 
13,000 acres. The volume of water to be transported through the 
proposed facilities would be approximately 23,824 acre-feet per year. 
The water would be used to support development in the LCLA development 
area.
    The proposed facilities include approximately 8 groundwater 
production wells (16 inch diameter) located in the Tule Desert and 
Clover Valley hydrographic basins, a 23-mile long water transmission 
pipeline (24 inch diameter), and lateral pipelines (12 inch diameter) 
to connect the transmission pipeline to the productions wells. The 
proposed width of the right-of-way for the transmission pipeline would 
be 30 feet with a temporary width of 60 feet during construction. The 
proposed width of the right-of-way for the lateral pipelines would be 
20 feet with a temporary width of 60 feet during construction. The 
productions well site rights-of-way would be 100 feet x 100 feet with a 
temporary construction area of 100 feet x 200 feet. Access roads 
approximately 12 feet in width would be needed from existing roads in 
the Tule Desert area to each well site.
    The proposed production wells would be located in the well field 
area authorized for the Toquop Energy Project, which is a 1100 MW gas-
fired power plant. The proposed transmission pipeline would follow the 
same alignment as the approved water pipeline for the power plant. From 
the power plant, the transmission pipeline would proceed to the LCLA 
development area.
    Electric lines, communication lines, and a natural gas pipeline 
would be located within the proposed transmission pipeline right-of-
way. A pipeline bringing reclaimed water from the LCLA development area 
to the already authorized Toquop Energy Project site would also be in 
the proposed right-of-way.
    The facilities would be located within and/or across the following 
public lands north of Mesquite, Nevada:

Mount Diablo Meridian

Tps. 6 to 12 S., Rgs. 69 and 71 E., various sections.

    A map of the proposed project is available for viewing at the 
Bureau of Land Management, Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial Way, 
Ely NV 89301.

    Dated: March 21, 2006.
Amy Lueders,
Associate State Director, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 06-2932 Filed 3-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P