[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71188-71189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9601]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


South Delta Improvements Program, Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay 
Delta, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water 
Resources (DWR) have prepared a Final EIS/EIR for the South Delta 
Improvements Program (SDIP).
    The SDIP is being pursued to address the needs of the Sacramento-
San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) aquatic environment, as well as 
longstanding statewise, regional and local water supply needs. 
Reclamation and DWR have identified the following objectives and 
purpose: reduce the movement of San Joaquin River watershed Central 
Valley fall-/late fall-run juvenile Chinook salmon into the south Delta 
via Old River; maintain adequate water levels and, through improved 
circulation, water quality available for agricultural diversions in the 
south Delta, downstream of the head of Old River; and increase water 
deliveries and delivery reliability for Central Valley Project (CVP) 
and State Water Project (SWP) water contractors south of the Delta and 
provide opportunities to convey water for fish and wildlife purposes by 
increasing the maximum permitted level of diversion through the 
existing intake gates at Clifton Court Forebay from 6680 cubic feet per 
second (cfs) to 8500 cfs.

DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 30 days after release of the Final EIS/EIR. After the 
30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision 
(ROD). The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will 
discuss all factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: A compact disc of the Final EIS/EIR may be requested from 
Ms. Sammie Cervantes, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento CA 95825, by calling 916-978-5189, TDD 916-978-5068, or by 
e-mail at [email protected]. The Final EIS/EIR is accessible at 
the following Web site: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails,cfm?Project_ID=316.
    See Supplemental Information section for locations where a compact 
disc is available for viewing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sharon McHale, Reclamation Program 
Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, at 916-978-5086, TDD 916-978-5608, or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS/EIR addresses facilities-
related impacts including the effects of project construction and 
operation on hydrology, water quality, fish resources, recreation, 
vegetation and wildlife, visual resources, cultural resources, land 
use, geology, soils, seismicity, groundwater, traffic and circulation, 
air quality, noise, and public health and safety. Diversion-related 
impacts include the effects of increased diversions from the Bay Delta 
and associated changes in Reclamation's operation of CVP facilities and 
DWR's operation of SWP facilities. Project diversions therefore may 
directly or indirectly affect the Sacramento River, its tributaries, 
San Joaquin River, its tributaries, and Delta resources including water 
supply, fish and aquatic habitat, riparian vegetation and habitat, 
water quality, recreation, visual and cultural resources. The Final 
EIA/EIR also evaluated potential growth-inducing impacts for the CVP 
and SWP water service areas. An evaluation of cumulative hydrologic and 
water service area impacts associated with reasonably foreseeable 
actions is also included.
    The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in 
the Federal Register on Thursday, November 10, 2005, (70 FR 68475). The 
written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended Tuesday, February 7, 
2006. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and 
changes made to the text of the Draft EIS/EIR as a result of those 
comments and any additional information received during the review 
period.
    Public meetings to discuss the purpose and content of the Draft 
EIS/EIR were held on the following dates and locations: December 6, 
2005, in Sacramento CA; December 7, 2005, in Stockton CA; December 8, 
2005, in Oakland CA; December 13, 2005, in Visalia CA; and December 14, 
2005, in Los Angeles CA. Public hearings were held on January 18, 2006, 
in Sacramento CA; January 25, 2005, in Los Angeles CA; and January 26, 
2006, in Stockton CA.
    A compact disc of the Final EIS/EIR is available for viewing at the 
following locations:
     California Department of Water Resources, Bay-Delta 
Office, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Library, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, CA 95825-1898.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225.
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.
     Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 
95814.
     Tracy Branch Library, 20 E. Eaton Avenue, Tracy, CA 95376.
     Lathrop Branch Library, 15461 Seventh Street, Lathrop, CA 
95330.
     Cesar Chavez Central Library, 60 North El Dorado Street, 
Stockton, CA 95202.
     Shasta County Main Library, 1855 Shasta Street, Redding, 
CA 96001.
     Oakland Main Library, 125 14th Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

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     Los Angeles Central Library, 630 West 5th Street, Los 
Angeles, CA 90071.
     Visalia Branch Library--Main Library, 200 West Oak Avenue, 
Visalia, CA 932891-4993.
    Public Disclosure Statement: Comments received in response to this 
notice will become part of the administrative record and are subject to 
public inspection. Our practice is to make comments, including names, 
home addresses, home phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of 
respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may 
request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but 
if you wish us to consider withholding this information, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you 
must present a rationale for withholding this information. This 
rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet 
this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, 
this information will be released. We will always make submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

Frank J. Michny,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 06-9601 Filed 12-7-06; 8:45 am]
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