[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 41 (Friday, February 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11144-11146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Southern Delivery System, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability for the Southern Delivery System Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) and Announcement of Public 
Meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation published a notice in the Federal 
Register on September 8, 2003, (68 FR 52953) announcing commencement of 
work under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on an 
environmental impact statement for the Southern Delivery System project 
(SDS). We are now notifying the public that Reclamation has completed 
the Draft EIS which is now available for public review and comment. The 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau 
of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are cooperating 
agencies in preparing the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS provides information 
and analyses on seven alternatives that were developed for the project 
based on key issues. Ten key issues relevant to the proposed SDS 
associated with water flow and quality, stream channel morphology, 
sedimentation, water rights, fish and aquatic life, wetlands, wildlife, 
socioeconomics, and recreation are addressed in the analysis. 
Significant effects on natural resources are examined and mitigation 
measures, where appropriate to avoid or minimize impacts, are 
incorporated into the alternatives. The Draft EIS includes appendices 
with technical analyses and supporting documentation of the analysis 
findings and summaries.

DATES: A 60-day public comment period on the Draft EIS commences with 
the publication of this notice. Written comments are due by April 26, 
2008, and should be submitted to the address provided below.

ADDRESSES: Send comments in writing on the Draft EIS to: Southern 
Delivery System EIS, Attention: Ms. Kara Lamb, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Eastern Colorado Area Office, 11056 W. County Road 18E, Loveland, CO 
80537-9711. Comments may also be submitted via facsimile at (970) 663-
3212 (attention: Ms. Kara Lamb; Southern Delivery System EIS) or e-mail 
to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Additional Information and Copies of Reports: For copies of the 
Draft EIS and

[[Page 11145]]

or copies of the technical reports, please send written requests to Ms. 
Kara Lamb, Bureau of Reclamation, Eastern Colorado Area Office, 11056 
W. County Road 18E, Loveland, CO 80537-9711 or e-mail to: 
[email protected]. The full reports and documents are also available on 
the project Web site at: www.sdeis.com. For additional information 
please contact Ms. Kara Lamb at (970) 962-4326.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation will hold public meetings (in an 
open house format) to receive verbal and written comments on the Draft 
EIS at the following places and times:

Public Meeting Dates

     April 1, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--Buena Vista, CO.
     April 2, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--Pueblo, CO.
     April 3, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--La Junta, CO.
     April 8, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--Fountain, CO.
     April 9, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--Colorado Springs, CO.
     April 10, 2008, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.--Canon City, CO.

Public Meeting Locations

     Buena Vista Community Center, 715 E. Main, Buena Vista, CO 
81211.
     Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, 210 North 
Santa Fe Avenue, Pueblo, CO 81003.
     Koshare Indian Museum, 115 W. 18th Street, La Junta, CO 
81050.
     Fountain-Fort Carson High School, 900 Jimmy Camp Road, 
Fountain, CO 80817.
     Leon Young Service Center--Pikes Peak Room, 1521 Hancock 
Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
     Quality Inn and Suites, 3075 E. US 50, Canon City, CO 
81212.

Public Review Locations

    Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Eastern Colorado Area Office, 11056 
W. County Road 18E, Loveland, CO 80537.
     Buena Vista/North Chaffee County Library, 131 Linderman 
Ave., Buena Vista, CO 81211.
     Ca[ntilde]on City Public Library, 516 Macon Ave., 
Ca[ntilde]on City, CO 81212.
     Pikes Peak Library District--Penrose Library, 20 N Cascade 
Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
     Pueblo City-County Library District, 100 E Abriendo Ave., 
Pueblo, CO 81004.
     Woodruff Memorial Library, 522 Colorado Ave., La Junta, CO 
81050.
    Background: In February 2003, the proposed project's non-Federal 
participants (City of Colorado Springs, City of Fountain, Security 
Water District, and Pueblo West Metropolitan District) requested a 
long-term water conveyance contract from Reclamation in association 
with the SDS project. In July 2003, Colorado Springs Utilities also 
requested a long-term contract for storage of water in Pueblo 
Reservoir. Because the SDS project would involve Federal actions in the 
form of long-term storage and conveyance contracts from Reclamation, it 
was determined that Reclamation should be the lead Federal agency for 
preparing the EIS. Reclamation began the formal scoping process in 
September 2003 with a series of public open houses to provide 
information on the SDS project and to receive comments regarding the 
proposed project from the public. Scoping comments regarding the SDS 
project were formally received through October 2003. However, 
Reclamation has continued to receive and consider public comments 
during preparation of the Draft EIS. The SDS EIS Scoping Report, 
released in January 2004, summarized comments collected during formal 
scoping. Those same comments were used to identify ten key issues that 
are described and evaluated in the Draft EIS. In October 2005, 
Reclamation hosted five public workshops regarding alternative 
development for the SDS EIS. The purpose of the workshops was to 
present the alternatives that are proposed for detailed evaluation in 
the EIS and to solicit public comment on other potential alternatives 
that would address environmental issues. The Draft EIS will be 
available for public review and comment prior to a series of public 
meetings to receive comments on it. A Final EIS will be prepared 
subsequent to the close of the comment period on the Draft EIS. The 
Final EIS is expected to be completed in late 2008 after which 
Reclamation will approve a Record of Decision (ROD) describing its 
decision on the SDS project.
    Proposed Federal Action: Reclamation proposes to enter into 
contracts with the Participants and issue special use permits where 
needed so that the SDS project can be constructed and operated. The 
proposed Federal action includes three elements that are considered in 
the Draft EIS. These include: (1) Approval of Federal water storage, 
conveyance, and exchange contracts; (2) issuance of Federal special use 
permits; and (3) capacity trade in the Fountain Valley Authority 
pipeline. The City of Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs), City of 
Fountain (Fountain), Security Water District (Security), and Pueblo 
West Metropolitan District (Pueblo West), collectively referred to as 
the Participants, have requested contracts and special use permits with 
the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. The Participants 
require contracts with Reclamation for use of excess storage capacity 
in Pueblo Reservoir, part of the federal FryingpanArkansas project. The 
contracts would include storage, conveyance, and exchange between 
Pueblo Reservoir and Reclamation reservoirs in the upper Arkansas River 
Basin of Colorado.
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the SDS project is to 
provide a safe, reliable, and sustainable water supply for the 
Participants through the foreseeable future. The SDS project is needed 
by the Participants for the following reasons:
     The Participants have a need to use developed and 
undeveloped water supplies to meet most or all projected future demands 
through 2046.
     The Participants have a need to develop additional water 
storage, delivery, and treatment capacity to provide system redundancy.
     The Participants have a need to perfect and deliver the 
Participants' existing Arkansas River Basin water rights.
    The purpose of the proposed Federal action is to authorize the use 
of Reclamation's Fryingpan-Arkansas project features and facilities for 
SDS project purposes. The proposed Federal action is needed for the 
following reasons:
     Pueblo Reservoir and its associated facilities are owned 
and operated by Reclamation.
     Storage and/or conveyance of non-federal and/or non-
Fryingpan-Arkansas project water in federal project facilities must be 
authorized by Reclamation prior to their use. The proposed use would 
require contracts between the Participants and Reclamation.
     The contracts would authorize use of Fryingpan-Arkansas 
project features and facilities to store and convey non-Federal and/or 
non-project water. There is an opportunity to beneficially use unused 
existing storage capacity in Pueblo Reservoir to meet future water 
demand of the Participants.
    Alternatives: The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the potential 
effects of seven alternatives:
     The No Action Alternative represents the most likely 
future water development project without Reclamation's proposed Federal 
action.
     The Proposed Action Alternative represents the Southern 
Delivery System project as the Participants propose to construct and 
operate it.

[[Page 11146]]

     The Wetland Alternative was developed to minimize 
disturbance to wetlands.
     The Arkansas River Alternative was developed to provide 
the highest minimum flow in the Arkansas River through Pueblo and to 
minimize water quality effects on the lower Arkansas River.
     The Fountain Creek Alternative was developed to minimize 
geomorphic and water quality effects on Fountain Creek by minimizing 
the use of Fountain Creek and its tributaries for receiving and 
conveying reusable return flows to the Arkansas River.
     The Downstream Intake Alternative would use an untreated 
water intake from the Arkansas River downstream of Fountain Creek and 
was developed to address public interest in an alternative location for 
diversion of water.
     The Highway 115 Alternative would convey untreated water 
through a pipeline that generally follows Colorado 115 between the 
Arkansas River and Colorado Springs and was developed to address public 
interest in an alternative pipeline location.
    Public Disclosure Statement: Before including your name, address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Dated: February 21, 2008.
Gary W. Campbell,
Deputy Regional Director, Great Plains Region.
 [FR Doc. E8-3679 Filed 2-28-08; 8:45 am]
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