[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 122 (Monday, June 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36316-36318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10015]
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Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Tongue River Watershed, Cavalier and Pembina Counties, ND
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c)of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR Part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice that an environmental
impact statement is not being prepared for the Tongue River Watershed,
Cavalier and Pembina Counties, North Dakota.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James E. Schmidt, Assistant State
Conservationist for Water Resources, Natural Resources Conservation
Service, 220 E. Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota, at (701) 530-
2074.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental assessment of this
federally assisted action indicates that the project will not cause
significant local, regional, or national impacts on the environment. As
a result of these findings, J.R. Flores, State Conservationist, has
determined that the preparation and review of an environmental impact
statement are not needed for this project.
The project purpose is to bring Tongue River Watershed Structure M-
4 into compliance with current State and Federal dam design and safety
criteria; to continue to provide flood protection and to reduce the
risk of loss of human life. The planned works of improvement include
rehabilitating and upgrading Renwick Dam by installing a roller
compacted concrete auxiliary spillway, raising the top of the dam, and
modifying the principal spillway to allow a one foot rise to the
permanent pool to provide for sediment storage for the extended life of
the structure. A two lane access road connecting recreation facilities
on the north side of the lake to Icelandic State Park Headquarters on
the south side of the park will be constructed on the upstream side of
the embankment.
The Notice of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been
forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency and to various
Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties. A limited
number of copies of the FONSI are available to fill single copy
requests at the above address. Basic data developed during the
environmental assessment are on file and may be reviewed by contacting
James E. Schmidt, Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources
at (701) 530-2074.
No administrative action on implementation of the proposal will be
taken until 30 days after the date of this publication in the Federal
Register.
James E. Schmidt,
Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources.
Finding of No Significant Impact for Tongue River Watershed Cavalier
and Pembina Counties, North Dakota
Introduction
The Tongue River Watershed is a federally assisted action
authorized for planning under Public Law 83-566, the Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act. An environmental assessment was
undertaken in conjunction with the development of Supplement No. 2 of
the watershed plan for the purpose of rehabilitating Renwick Dam 9
(Structure M-4) under Public Law 106-472. This assessment was conducted
in consultation with local, State, and Federal agencies as well as with
interested organizations and individuals. Data developed during the
assessment are available for public
[[Page 36317]]
review at the following location: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Natural Resources Conservation Service, 220 E. Rosser Ave., P.O. Box
1458, Bismarck, North Dakota 58502-1458.
Recommended Action
Proposed is the rehabilitation of aging flood water retarding
structure (M-4) in the Tongue River Watershed (Renwick Dam). This
structure will provide flood control for downstream farms, cropland,
roads, bridges, and the city of Cavalier. The structure will control
93,300 acres of drainage area. The recommended plan consists of
constructing a roller compacted concrete (RCC) spillway through the
existing dam with the park entrance road, on the face of the dam, on
the upstream side. The RCC spillway's purpose is to convey the design
flood runoff safely through the reservoir without overtopping the
earthen embankment. A roller compacted concrete spillway is similar to
conventional concrete, yet its material properties allow it to be
worked and hauled by traditional earth moving equipment. The embankment
will be partially excavated to design grades for construction of a 500-
foot-wide auxiliary RCC spillway. The RCC spillway will be constructed
as a broad-crested weir. Material excavated from the embankment to
construct the spillway will be used as earth-fill to construct a dike
in the existing auxiliary spillway and to raise the top of the
embankment.
Effects of Recommended Action
The recommended action protects flood damages to building,
transportation services land, crops, prime farmland, and the city of
Cavalier. The economic and social well-being of the residents within
and downstream of the watershed will remain intact. Renwick Dam
provides an important recreation opportunity for the region. The
recommended plan will meet the sponsor's objectives of bringing Renwick
Dam into compliance with the current dam safety and flood insurance
criteria, maintaining the current 100-year floodplain, and addressing
the resource concerns identified by the public. As designed, Renwick
Dam will meet all current NRCS and State of North Dakota dam safety and
performance standards.
Studies were completed by both private contractors and State and
Federal Agency personnel to evaluate the watershed water coming into
and out of the Renwick and Senator Young Dams. Land cover surveys were
completed to determine the need for additional land treatment practices
in the watershed. A detailed study was completed to determine the
existing depth of sediment load in the Renwick Reservoir. Also studied
was the impact sediment disturbance would have on the reservoir fishery
and other aquatic life. The study revealed Renwick Reservoir sediment
pool is estimated to be 50-60 percent full. A water quality/sediment
survey conducted in September 2003, indicated between 115 and 150 acre
feet of sediment in the pool.
Preliminary investigations within the project area revealed no
cultural or historic properties within the project area. Land
disturbance has occurred through development of the area around the
structure with the recreation area on the north side of the reservoir,
and disturbance during the actual construction of the structure in the
early 1960s. A summary of the project accompanied by maps and aerial
photographs was provided to the North Dakota State Historic
Preservation Office (SHPO) on August 31, 2001, with a request for
concurrence. A passive concurrence from the North Dakota SHPO has been
received. The probability of discovering a new site is low, but if
there is a significant cultural resource discovery during construction,
appropriate notice will be made by NRCS to the SHPO and the Tribal
Historic Preservation Office (THPO). Consultation and coordination have
been and will continue to be used to ensure the provisions of Section
106 of Public Law 89-665 have been met and to include provisions of
Public Law 89-523, as amended by Public Law 93-291. NRCS will take
action as prescribed in NRCS GM 420, Part 401, to protect or recover
any significant cultural resources discovered during construction.
Threatened or endangered species may occasionally be present in the
watershed but the project will have no adverse impacts on these
species. Consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was
completed.
No wilderness areas are in the watershed.
Scenic values will be temporarily decreased at the construction
site. Once construction is complete, vegetation will enhance the site
to its preconstruction condition.
No significant adverse environmental impacts will result from
installations except for minor inconveniences to local residents during
construction.
Alternatives
The planned action is the most practical means of reducing the high
hazard dam problems. No significant adverse environmental impacts will
result from installation of the measures. No other practical
alternative achieved the economical, environmental, or social needs of
the watershed land users or project sponsors. The no action alternative
will not alleviate the dam from being a high hazard structure. The
decommissioning of the dam will allow for severe flooding. The RCC
auxiliary spillway with the park entrance on top of the Dam will meet
the sponsor's needs, but the RCC auxiliary spillway with the park
entrance on the upstream side of the dam face was chosen to be more
economically feasible to the sponsors.
Consultation and Public Participation
Formulation of the alternative plan process for Renwick Dam began
with formal discussions with the sponsors. At a special meeting held on
March 6, 2001, NRCS conveyed State law and policy associated with high
hazard dams. The National Dam Safety Inspection Reports of 1978, 1983,
1987, and 1991 listed Renwick Dam in the high hazard category for
potential loss of life in the event of failure. Sponsors received
information about agency policy associated with Public Law 106-472, The
Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, and related
alternative plans of action.
As a result of these discussions, the sponsors submitted an
application on March 14, 2001, to NRCS requesting assistance for
rehabilitation of Renwick Dam under the provisions of Public Law 106-
472.
A public meeting was held on April 16, 2002, to assess proposed
measures and their potential impact on resources of concern. As a
result of this meeting, fifteen items of concern were identified.
A meeting and field tour with the North Dakota Interagency
Committee was held on June 18-19, 2002, to assess proposed measures and
their potential impact on resources of concern.
A site visit with the NRCS National Water Management Center (NWMC)
Staff, NRCS Planning Staff, and an engineer review team was held
October 7, 8, and 9, 2002, to exchange a wide variety of ideas for the
design.
The sponsors recognized the complexity of the project and on May
22, 2003, initiated and adopted a Watershed Management Council (WMC).
The WMC membership is made up of one representative from each local
organization, and city and county political authorities within the
surrounding Cavalier and Pembina watershed area. Through detailed
analysis and consultation it was agreed, an increase of the permanent
pool by
[[Page 36318]]
one foot would be necessary to maintain the same volume as that above
the sediment pool. Removal of sediment was determined to be an
unreasonable component of any proposed action due to a lack of safe
disposal sites, high risk of not meeting Clean Water Act laws, and
unpredictable costs per unit volume of sediment removed. It was also
determined the volumes of sediment proposed to be removed would have
little to no benefit towards flood storage and reducing the amount of
rehabilitation work required to bring the structure into compliance
with the Federal Dam Safety Program. Eleven alternatives were
considered with all eleven being analyzed of having a one foot rise
above the current elevation. All these alternatives were considered in
the evaluation process by NRCS, project sponsors, Federal, State, and
county agencies who were involved in part or all of the planning
processes related to Supplement No. 2, the proposed rehabilitation of
Flood Water Retarding Structure M-4.
Conclusion
The environmental assessment summarized above indicates this
Federal action will not cause significant local, regional, or National
impacts on the environment. Therefore, based on the above findings, I
have determined that an environmental impact Statement for the Tongue
River Watershed (Renwick Dam), Supplement No. 2 is not required.
Dated: June 15, 2006.
James E. Schmidt,
Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources.
[FR Doc. E6-10015 Filed 6-23-06; 8:45 am]
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