[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 120 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34476-34477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-11807]



[[Page 34476]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-040-5101-ER-F851; N-79742]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project, Nevada

AGENCY: Lead Agency--Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Cooperating 
Agencies--U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; State of Nevada 
Department of Wildlife; Moapa Valley Water District, Overton, Nevada.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), as amended; and the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Nevada 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) to consider whether or not to grant a right-of-
way for groundwater development facilities. This notice announces the 
opening of the comment period on the DEIS.

DATES: The Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project DEIS 
will be available for review for 60 calendar days from the date the EPA 
publishes this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM 
intends to hold four public meetings in Nevada during the 60-day 
comment period, one each in Alamo, Pioche, Carson City and Las Vegas. 
The BLM will announce all public meeting times and locations at least 
15 days in advance through public notices, media news releases, or 
mailings. In addition, information on public meetings may be posted on 
the Internet at http://www.nv.blm.gov.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS are available upon request from the BLM 
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., P.O. Box 12000, Reno NV 
89520, phone 775-861-6681 or e-mail to: [email protected]. You may 
request either a hard copy or a computer disc (CD). The document will 
be available electronically on the following Web site: http://www.nv.blm.gov. Copies of the DEIS will be available for public 
inspection at the following locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, 1340 
Financial Blvd, Reno, Nevada.
     Bureau of Land Management, Ely Field Office, 702 North 
Industrial Way, Ely, Nevada.
    To receive full consideration, comments must be postmarked no later 
than the last day of the written comment period. (The last day of the 
written comment period may be identified at the Internet address above, 
after publication of the EPA Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register.)
    You may submit comments on the DEIS using any of the following 
methods:
     Mail: Penny Woods, Project Manager, 1340 Financial Blvd, 
P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520.
     Fax: 775-861-6689.
     E-mail: [email protected].
    All public comments, including the names and mailing addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the Nevada State 
Office in Reno, Nevada during public room hours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, and may be 
published as part of the Final EIS. Before including your address, 
telephone number, email address, or other personal identifying 
information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold 
from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Penny Woods, Project Manager, BLM 
Nevada State Office, P.O. Box 12000, Reno NV 89520-0006, telephone 775-
861-6466. Requests for information may be sent electronically to 
[email protected] with ``Kane Springs Information Request'' in the 
subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS describes and analyzes a proposal 
for groundwater development facilities in the Kane Springs Valley 
submitted by the Lincoln County Water District (LCWD, or Applicant). 
The DEIS assesses the proposal submitted by LCWD, an alternative 
alignment (Alternative 1), and the no action alternative. Under the 
Proposed Action, the Applicant would develop and convey groundwater in 
Kane Springs Valley to private land for community development purposes 
in Coyote Springs Valley. The volume of water to be transported through 
the proposed facilities could be up to 5,000 acre-feet per year.
    The proposed project would be located in unincorporated portions of 
southwestern Lincoln County, Nevada, and consists of a 13.2 mile 
pipeline, seven production wells, water storage tanks, a 12.5 kV 
transmission line, and a fiber optic line.
    The water wells would be primarily located within or immediately 
adjacent to the utility corridor established by the Lincoln County 
Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2004--Public Act 108-
424 (LCCRDA). A portion of the electrical/communication lines would be 
constructed outside of the LCCRDA corridor on private lands. The 13.2 
mile-long water transmission pipeline (up to 24-inch diameter), and 
lateral pipelines (up to 12-inch diameter) would connect the 
transmission pipeline to the production wells. A 50,000 gallon forebay 
tank would be sited adjacent to the existing well and used to normalize 
flow pressures in the system as well as provide storage for secondary 
lifting if required. A 700,000 gallon terminal storage tank would be 
constructed on private lands at the northern boundary of the 
development area.
    Associated ancillary facilities would include overhead distribution 
power lines, buried fiber optic lines, access roads, and temporary 
laydown/storage areas. The electric and communication lines would be 
placed in the permanent right-of-way easement to provide power and 
communication for the project facilities. Depending on final well 
siting, access roads approximately 12 feet wide may be needed from the 
Kane Springs Road to each well site. Temporary laydown/storage areas up 
to 2 acres in size would be spaced approximately 0.5 miles apart along 
the construction right-of-way.
    The proposed width of the permanent right-of-way for the 
transmission pipeline and lateral pipelines is 60 feet. A temporary 
right-of-way to accommodate construction activities would be 75 feet 
wide.
    Scoping of the project occurred from March 31 through May 1, 2006. 
Comments were received in the following broad categories: NEPA process 
(38%), social resources (22%) and physical/natural resources (40%).
    The DEIS addresses the following issues identified during scoping: 
NEPA Process (consultation/coordination, proposal description, 
alternatives, connected actions/cumulative impacts, and data needs/
validity); social resources (aesthetics, cultural resources, land use, 
recreation, and socioeconomic resources); and physical/natural 
resources (air quality, biological resources, geology and water 
resources).
    The key issues identified by individuals, groups and governmental 
entities include water supply and use, competing or conflicting land 
use, and cumulative impacts and connected actions.

[[Page 34477]]

    A map of the proposed project is available for viewing at the 
Bureau of Land Management State Office at 1340 Financial Boulevard, 
Reno, Nevada, and the Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, 
Nevada.

Amy Lueders,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. E7-11807 Filed 6-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P