[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 217 (Friday, November 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63561-63562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22043]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Revised Water Control Manuals for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River 
Basin

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Mobile District, 
intends to prepare an update of the water control manuals for the 
Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin. Concurrent with that 
revision, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be 
prepared, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 
The Draft EIS will address updated operating criteria and guidelines 
for managing the water storage and release actions of agency water 
managers and associated environmental impacts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the manual update or 
NEPA process can be answered by: Mr. Chuck Sumner, Environment and 
Resources Branch, Planning Division, U.S. Army Engineer District-
Mobile, Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628-0001; Telephone 
(251)694-3857; or delivered by electronic facsimile at (251) 694-3815; 
or E-mail: [email protected]. You may also request to be 
included on the mailing list for public distribution of notices, 
meeting announcements and documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background. Water control manuals are 
guidance documents that assist federal water managers in the operation 
of individual and multiple interdependent federal reservoirs on the 
same river system. They provide technical, historical, hydrological, 
geographic, demographic, policy and other information that guide the 
proper management of reservoirs during times of high water, low water, 
and normal conditions. The manuals also contain drought plans and zones 
to assist federal water managers in knowing when to reduce or increase 
reservoir releases, and how to ensure the safety of dams during extreme 
conditions. The authority and guidance for the Corps to prepare and 
update these manuals may be found in Section 7 of the 1944 Flood 
Control Act, the Federal Power Act, Section 9 of Public Law 436-83, and 
the following Corps of Engineer Regulations: ER 1110-2-240, ER 1110-2-
241, ER 1110-2-1941 and ER 1110-2-8156.
    The ACT Basin provides water resources for multiple purposes from 
northwestern GA down through central AL and to the Gulf Coast at the 
mouth of Mobile Bay, extending a distance of approximately 320 miles 
and encompassing an area of approximately 22,800 square miles. The 
master operating manual for the ACT River Basin and the individual 
reservoir manuals were last updated at various dates as far back as the 
early 1950's. Sixteen major dams and reservoirs (five Federal and 
eleven non-Federal) are located in the basin. In Georgia, these include 
Allatoona Dam and Lake, and Carters Dam and Lake, both owned and 
operated by the Corps. In Alabama they include Weiss Dam and Lake, H. 
Neely Henry Dam and Lake, Logan Martin Dam and Lake, Lay Dam and Lake, 
Mitchell Dam and Lake, Walter Bouldin Dam and Lake, Jordan Dam and 
Lake, Harris Dam and Lake, Martin Dam and Lake, Yates Dam and Lake, and 
Thurlow

[[Page 63562]]

Dam and Lake, all owned and operated by Alabama Power Company (APC). 
Also in Alabama, are three dams and reservoirs owned and operated by 
the Corps including Jones Bluff Dam/Woodruff Lake, Millers Ferry Dam/
William ``Bill'' Dannelly Lake and Claiborne Dam and Lake. The 
authorized project purposes at the Corps lakes include water supply, 
flood control, hydropower, navigation, fish and wildlife conservation, 
and recreation.
    The new manuals will eventually replace the current manuals and 
will address the basin-wide management of those water resources. Due to 
the flood control operational responsibilities of the Corps, some or 
all of the manuals for some of the APC reservoirs will be updated.
    Public participation throughout the water control plan revision 
process is essential. The Corps invites full public participation at 
all stages to promote open communication and better decision making. 
All persons, stakeholders, and organizations that have an interest in 
water-related resources in the ACT basin, including minority, low-
income, disadvantaged and Native American groups, are urged to 
participate in this NEPA environmental analysis process. Assistance 
will be provided upon request to anyone having difficulty understanding 
how to participate. Dates and locations for public scoping meetings 
will be announced by future publication in the Federal Register and in 
the local news media. Tentative dates for publication of the draft 
water control manuals and EIS and other opportunities for public 
involvement will also be announced at that time. Public comments are 
welcomed anytime throughout the NEPA process.
    Cooperating Agencies. The lead responsibility for this action rests 
with the Corps. The Corps intends to coordinate and/or consult with an 
interagency team of Federal and State agencies during scoping and 
preparation of the draft EIS. A decision will be made during the 
scoping process whether other agencies will serve in an official role 
as cooperating agencies.
    Scoping. The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Rivers (ACT)/Apalachicola-
Chattahoochee-Flint Rivers (ACF) Comprehensive Study from 1990 to 1997 
and ACF Compact negotiations from 1997 to 2004 involved the States 
(Alabama, Florida and Georgia), stakeholders and the public in 
identifying areas of concern; collecting and developing water resource, 
environmental, and socioeconomic data; and developing tools to assist 
in decisions affecting water resources within the two basins. 
Development of the updated water control manuals and scoping for this 
EIS will continue to build upon the knowledge and information developed 
during the Comprehensive Study and subsequent Compact negotiations. 
Scoping meetings with agencies and stakeholder groups will be scheduled 
to identify any significant issues and data gaps, focus on the 
alternatives to be evaluated, and to identify any appropriate updated 
tools to assist in evaluation of alternatives and analysis of impacts.

Byron G. Jorns,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Commander.
[FR Doc. E7-22043 Filed 11-8-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-CR-P