[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 99 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 29534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11349]



[[Page 29534]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Red Bluff Diversion Dam Fish Passage Improvement Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

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

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the National 
Environmental Policy Act Federal lead agency. The Tehama Colusa Canal 
Authority (TCCA) is the California Environmental Quality Act State lead 
agency. Together, these agencies have prepared a Final EIS/EIR for the 
Red Bluff Diversion Dam Fish Passage Improvement Project (Project). The 
Project provides for improved fish passage at the Red Bluff Diversion 
Dam as called for by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act section 
3406 (b)(10), while also providing for continued agricultural water 
deliveries to TCCA member districts.
    The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in 
the Federal Register on September 6, 2002 (Volume 67, No. 173). The 
written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended December 6, 2002. On 
January 30, 2007, Reclamation published a second Notice of Availability 
for the Draft EIS/EIR in the Federal Register (Volume 72, No. 19), 
which began an additional comment period lasting through March 16, 
2007. 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.

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 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 disk of the Final EIS/EIR may be requested from 
Mr. Don Reck, by writing to the Bureau of Reclamation, 16349 Shasta Dam 
Boulevard, Shasta Lake, CA 96019-8400; by calling 530-275-1554; or by 
e-mailing [email protected]. The Final EIS/EIR is also accessible from 
the following Web site: http://www.mp.usbr.gov. See the Supplementary 
Information section for locations where copies of the Final EIS/EIR are 
available for public review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Don Reck, Bureau of Reclamation, 
at 530-275-1554 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Since construction of the Red Bluff 
Diversion Dam, concern has been expressed regarding the dam's effect on 
both upstream and downstream fish migration. The dam was built with 11 
movable gates. Raising the gates eliminates the dam's effect and allows 
the river to flow unimpeded. Lowering the dam gates allows for gravity 
diversion of water into canals and results in the creation of Lake Red 
Bluff.
    Over the years, the dam gates have been raised for increasingly 
longer periods in an attempt to enhance fish passage. Therefore, the 
ability to divert irrigation water has been gradually decreased from 
year-round to the current 4-month (gates-in) operations from May 15 to 
September 14. During the remainder of the year, the dam gates are open, 
allowing a free flowing, unimpeded river. Detailed studies show the 
current design of the fish ladders and the operations of the dam gates 
do not adequately allow passage of all threatened and endangered fish 
species.
    The Draft EIS/EIR evaluated the proposed project alternatives that 
could improve fish passage at Red Bluff Diversion Dam, while also 
providing for continued diversion of water for irrigation.
    The Draft EIS/EIR documented the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
effects to the physical, natural, and socioeconomic environment that 
may result from implementation of one of the alternatives. Copies of 
the Final EIS/EIR are available for public review at the following 
locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Regional 
Library, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, Colorado 
80225.
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.
    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in any correspondence, you 
should be aware that your entire correspondence--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your correspondence to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Dated: May 9, 2008.
Donald R. Glaser,
Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region. 1
 [FR Doc. E8-11349 Filed 5-20-08; 8:45 am]
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