[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 67 (Monday, April 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 17524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1742]



[[Page 17524]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Coyote Dam Study

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 204 of the 1950 Flood Control Act 
(Pub. L. 516, 81st Congress, 2nd Session), as recommended by the Chief 
of Engineers in House Document Number 585, 81st Congress, 2nd Session, 
the Coyote Dam (also known as the ``Lake Mendocino Project''), Ukiah, 
CA, is authorized to be raised 36 feet to a total storage capacity of 
199,000 acre-feet (ac-ft) when the need for additional water supply 
arises. Since construction of Coyote Dam, increased development of 
Mendocino County and the accelerated rate of sedimentation in Lake 
Mendocino have resulted in the need for additional water supply. The 
additional storage capacity achieved by raising the dam would address 
future demands on water supply and also increase flood damage reduction 
functions. This is a notice of intent to prepare a joint environmental 
Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), and to consider 
all reasonable alternatives, evaluate potential impacts of the proposed 
action, and identify appropriate mitigation measures. The U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (Corps) is the lead agency for this project under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Mendocino County 
Inland Water and Power Commission (IWPC) is the lead agency and local 
sponsor under the California environmental quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held on April 26, 2007 from 7 
p.m. to 9 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the Ukiah Valley 
Conference Center, Cabernet Room 1, 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 
95482.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
can be answered by Karen Mason at (415) 503-6851, 
[email protected]; Susan Ma at (415) 503-6838, 
[email protected]; or by Chris Eng at (415) 503-6868, 
[email protected], U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San 
Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA 
94103. Questions and comments can also be faxed to (415) 503-6692.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coyote Dam is located on the East Fork of 
the Russian River, Ukiah, CA, and is part of a system that provides 
water to Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. The Congressional 
authorization for construction of Coyote Dam included provisions for 
increase in water storage capacity by raising the dam an additional 36 
feet, thereby increasing the total storage capacity from 122,500 ac-ft 
to 199,000 ac-ft. The dam was designed to be built in two stages: the 
initial stage was completed in 1959, and the second stage would be 
built when water storage capacity became inadequate. The growth of 
Mendocino County has contributed to an expanded need for water in order 
to meet future demands. In addition, the accelerated rate of 
sedimentation in Lake Mendocino further impacts the storage capacity of 
the dam by encroaching on the water supply pool. The goal of the 
project is to provide increased water storage capacity and increased 
flood damage reduction benefits to the area. the local sponsor for the 
project is the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission 
(IWPC), a Joint Powers Authority representing the County of Mendocino, 
the City of Ukiah, Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and 
Water Conservation Improvement District, Redwood Valley County Water 
District, and the Potter Valley Irrigation District.
    1. Proposed Action. Based on the need for additional water supply 
and flood damage reduction benefits, it is determined that increased 
water storage capacity at Coyote Dam should be evaluated.
    2. Project Alternatives. The following are some of the alternatives 
that will be evaluated in the EIS/EIR:
    a. Raise the dam. Following the original plans of the authorized 
project, the dam would be raised 36 feet to an elevation of 820 feet, 
increasing the storage capacity from 122,400 ac-ft to 199,000 ac-ft. 
Some provisions were made on various features of the existing dam to 
accommodate the future height increase.
    b. Increase seasonal water supply storage elevation. Utilizing the 
existing dam and reservoir area, the water surface elevation of the 
flood control pool would be raised from 748.0 to 761.8 for seasonal use 
between April 1 and October 15. This would provide an additional 25,700 
ac-ft of storage. Although the Corps has authority over the flood 
control pool, the Mendocino County IWPC must demonstrate that the extra 
storage capacity is needed for current demands and would not result in 
an excess storage of water, which would unnecessarily flood 
recreational areas and access roads situated at elevation 750.
    c. Dredging. Of the original 122,400 ac-ft storage capacity, 4,400 
ac-ft was allocated for sedimentation, but the capacity of Lake 
Mendocino has since decreased to 116,470 ac-ft. The rate of 
sedimentation is higher than the estimate provided by the original 
sediment study. This alternative would increase storage capacity by 
dredging sediment from the reservoir. Dredging is not expected to 
affect current reservoir operations.
    3. Scoping Process. The Corps is seeking participation of all 
interested federal, state, and local agencies, Native American groups, 
and other concerned private organizations or individuals through this 
public notice. The public scoping meeting will be held in Ukiah, CA 
(see DATES). Any changes to the date, time, or location will be 
published in the newspaper or provided by mail to those requesting 
information. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit comments and 
questions regarding the potential impacts, environmental issues, and 
alternatives associated with the proposed action. Public participation 
will help to define the scope of the environmental analysis in the EIS/
EIR; identify other significant issues; provide other relevant 
information; and recommend mitigation measures. The public comment 
period closes on May 10, 2007.
    4. Availability of EIS. The public will have an additional 
opportunity to comment on project alternatives once the draft EIS/EIR 
is released.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-1742 Filed 4-6-07; 8:45 am]
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