[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 169 (Friday, August 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50999-51000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19829]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Windy Gap Firming Project; Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Grand 
and Larimer Counties, CO

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (Draft EIS) and Announcement of Public Hearings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has completed the 
Windy Gap Firming Project Draft EIS. It is now available for public 
review and comment. Two public hearings are scheduled during the 
comment period. The Draft EIS describes and discloses the estimated 
environmental effects of five alternatives, including a no action 
alternative and four action alternatives that accomplish the purpose 
and need for the project.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Western Area Power 
Administration (Western), and the Board of County Commissioners, Grand 
County, Colorado (Grand County) are cooperating agencies that are 
providing assistance in the preparation of the Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act.

DATES: A 60-day public comment period begins with the publication of 
this notice. Written comments on the Draft ES are due by October 28, 
2008 and should be submitted to Reclamation listed in the ADDRESSES 
section. Public hearings will be held during October 2008 in Colorado. 
See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for dates of the public 
hearings.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft EIS should be sent to the attention of 
Will Tully, Bureau of Reclamation, 11056 West County Rd. 18E, Loveland, 
CO 80537. Comments may also be submitted in writing by fax, e-mail, or 
at the public hearings. Send faxes to the attention of Will Tully at 
970-663-3212. Send e-mail to [email protected] with Windy Gap Draft 
EIS Comment as the subject line.
    Copies of the Draft EIS and related documents are available online 
from Reclamation's Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/gp/nepa/quarterly.cfm. Paper copies of the Draft EIS may be obtained by calling 
Kara Lamb at 970-962-4326. Refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section for locations of libraries at which copies of the Draft EIS are 
available for review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kara Lamb at 970-962-4326 or 
[email protected] or Will Tully at 970-962-4368 or [email protected]. 
Mail requests should be addressed to the Bureau of Reclamation at the 
address indicated in the ADDRESSES section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation will hold public hearings, 
preceded by an open house, to receive oral and written comments on the 
Draft EIS at the following times and places:
     October 7, 2008, open house at 6 p.m., public hearing at 7 
p.m., McKee Conference Center, 2000 Boise Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538, 
(ph. 970-669-4640).
     October 9, 2008, open house at 5 p.m., public hearing at 7 
p.m., Inn at Silver Creek, 62927 U.S. Highway 40, Granby, CO 80446, 
(ph. 970-887-4080).
    Public Hearing Process Information: Each public hearing will be 
preceded by an open house hosted by Reclamation to display project 
information and allow for questions. The meeting facilities are 
physically accessible to people with disabilities. People needing 
special assistance to attend and participate in the public hearings 
should contact Ms. Kara Lamb at 970-962-4326 as soon as possible. To 
allow sufficient time to process special requests, please call no later 
than one week before the public hearing of interest.
    The purpose of the public hearings is to provide the public with an 
opportunity to comment on information presented in the Draft EIS. Oral 
comments may be limited to a specified period of time if deemed 
necessary by Reclamation to complete the hearing in an appropriate 
period of time. Written comments will also be accepted at the hearings. 
Information regarding this proposed action is available in alternative 
formats upon request.
    Locations where the Draft EIS may be reviewed:
     Eastern Colorado Area Office, 11056 W. County Rd. 18E, 
Loveland, CO 80537 970-962-4410.
     Corps of Engineers, Chatfield Reservoir Office, 9307 South 
Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128.
     Morgan Library, Colorado State University, 501 University 
Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019.
     Berthoud, Berthoud Public Library, 236 Welch Avenue.
     Broomfield, Mamie Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community 
Park Road.
     Ft. Collins, Fort Collins Public Library, 201 Peterson 
Street.
     Ft. Lupton, Ft. Lupton Public Library, 425 South Denver 
Avenue.
     Granby, Granby Branch Library, 13 East Jasper Avenue.
     Grand Lake, Juniper Library, 316 Garfield Street.
     Greeley, Centennial Park Branch, Weld Library District, 
2227 23rd Avenue.
     Greeley, Fart Branch, Weld Library District, 1939 61st 
Avenue.
     Greeley, Lincoln Park Branch, Weld Library District, 919 
7th Street.
     Hot Sulphur Springs, Hot Sulphur Springs Branch Library, 
105 Moffat.
     Kremmling, Kremmling Branch Library, 300 South 8th Street.

[[Page 51000]]

     Longmont, Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue.
     Louisville, Louisville Public Library, 950 Spruce St.
     Loveland, Loveland Public Library, 300 North Adams Avenue.
     Lyons, Lyons Depot Library, 5th and Broadway.
    Background: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has received a 
proposal from the Municipal Sub-district, Northern Colorado Water 
Conservancy District, acting by and through the Windy Gap Firming 
Project Water Activity Enterprise (Sub-district or Applicant) to 
improve the firm yield of the existing Windy Gap Project by 
constructing the Windy Gap Firming Project (WGFP). Firm yield is 
defined by the Sub-district as the yield that can be provided by the 
project each year of the study period without shortages. The proposal 
includes a connection of WGFP facilities to the Colorado-Big Thompson 
Project (C-BT) and construction of a new dam and reservoir dedicated to 
the storage of Windy Gap and C-BT water, and under the Proposed Action 
(Alternative 2), for the storage of C-BT water in the proposed 90,000 
acre-foot Chimney Hollow Reservoir under the concept of prepositioning. 
The major Federal actions triggering the need for this EIS are that 
Reclamation must authorize a connection to C-BT facilities and approve 
any required amendment or change to the Amendatory Carriage contract 
(Contract No. 407-70-W0107) dated March 1, 1990; the Corps of Engineers 
must issue a 404 permit if a dam is constructed that requires placement 
of fill within a water of the United States; and the Western Area Power 
Administration must relocate a portion of a utility line for two of the 
alternatives being considered.
    Purpose and Need for the Action: When constructed in the early 
1980s, it was anticipated by the Sub-district and Reclamation that the 
Windy Gap Project would divert a long-term annual average of 56,000 
acre-feet per year from the Colorado River. In 1981, Reclamation 
completed an EIS on approving the use of C-BT facilities to transport 
Windy Gap diversions to eastern slope participants. Reclamation 
subsequently entered into contracts for the storage and transport of 
Windy Gap water through the C-BT system. In practice, the project has 
been unable to provide the expected yield due to Windy Gap's junior 
water right and to provisions in the current agreements that protect 
the yield of the C-BT system. Current agreements stipulate that 
whenever Windy Gap water remains in the C-BT system, any water required 
to be spilled from Granby Reservoir is considered to be Windy Gap 
water. When Granby Reservoir is full or anticipated to spill, space is 
not available for Windy Gap water. The Sub-district estimates the firm 
yield of the Windy Gap Project is zero because the project is unable to 
deliver water to the participants in all years. The Windy Gap Firming 
Project is seeking to provide 30,000 acre-feet of firm yield from the 
Windy Gap Project that will be available to the participants in all 
years. This would result in a long term average annual gross diversion 
of about 46,000 acre-feet per year compared to the 13,829 acre-feet of 
average annual diversions that have been made by the Windy Gap Project 
from 1985 to 2007 and the originally anticipated 56,000 acre-feet per 
year as analyzed in the 1981 EIS. All of the alternatives except the No 
Action alternative require a connection to C-BT Project facilities and 
all except the No Action alternative require a Section 404 permit from 
the Corps of Engineers. Two of the four action alternatives require 
relocation of a power line by the Western Area Power Administration. 
Grand County is a cooperating agency due to its permitting authority 
under the County's 1041 regulations. Alternatives: The Draft EIS 
discloses the anticipated effects of four action alternatives and the 
No Action alternative. The alternatives evaluated in the EIS include:
     Alternative 1 (No Action)--Continuation of existing 
operations and agreements between Reclamation and the Sub-district for 
conveyance of Windy Gap water through C-BT facilities and enlargement 
of Longmont's Ralph Price Reservoir by approximately 13,000 acre-feet.
     Alternative 2 (Proposed Action)--Chimney Hollow Reservoir 
(90,000 AF) with prepositioning.
     Alternative 3--Chimney Hollow Reservoir (70,000 AF) and 
Jasper East Reservoir (20,000 AF).
     Alternative 4--Chimney Hollow Reservoir (70,000 AF) and 
Rockwell/Mueller Creek Reservoir (20,000 AF).
     Alternative 5--Dry Creek Reservoir (60,000 AF) and 
Rockwell/Mueller Creek Reservoir (30,000 AF).
    The No Action alternative is defined as what would happen if 
Reclamation declines to allow the proposed connection to C-BT 
facilities. It includes continuation of the existing Windy Gap 
agreement between Reclamation and the Sub-district and other 
predictable actions the participants would take individually to firm 
their Windy Gap units. Public Disclosure Statement: Before including 
your name, address, telephone 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: August 22, 2008.
Michael J. Ryan,
Regional Director, Great Plains Region.
[FR Doc. E8-19829 Filed 8-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P