[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79163-79164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30642]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study; Benton, 
Yakima, and Kittitas Counties, Washington INT-FES 08-65

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Planning Report and 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) has prepared a combined Final Planning Report and 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final PR/EIS) on the Yakima River Basin 
Water Storage Feasibility Study (Storage Study). The cooperating 
agencies on this study are the Washington Department of Ecology 
(Ecology), Yakima County, the U.S. Department of the Army: Yakima 
Training Center and the Seattle District of the U.S. Corps of 
Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Energy: Office of River 
Protection.
    The purpose of the Storage Study is to evaluate alternatives that 
would create additional water storage for the Yakima River Basin and 
assess their potential to supply the water needed for ecosystem aquatic 
habitat, basin-wide agriculture, and municipal demands. The need for 
the study is based on the existing finite water supply and limited 
storage capability of the Yakima River Basin in low water years. This 
finite supply and limited storage capacity do not meet the water supply 
demands in all years and result in significant adverse impact to the 
Yakima River Basin's economy, which is agriculture-based, and to the 
basin's aquatic habitat, specifically, anadromous fisheries. The study 
seeks to identify means of increasing water storage available, 
including storage of Columbia River water, for purposes of improving 
anadromous fish habitat and meeting irrigation and municipal water 
supply needs.

DATES: Written comments on the Final PR/EIS will be accepted through 
February 2, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Final PR/EIS should be addressed to 
the Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, Attention: David 
Kaumheimer, Environmental Programs Manager, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, 
Washington 98901-2058. Comments may also be submitted electronically to 
[email protected]. Requests for paper or CD copies of the Final 
PR/EIS may be made to (509) 575-5848, ext. 612.
    See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section on public review for 
locations where copies of the Final PR/EIS are available for public 
review. Information on this project can also be found at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/storage_study/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact David Kaumheimer, Environmental 
Programs Manager, Telephone: (509) 575-5848, extension 232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background Information

    Reclamation has undertaken this study to explore ways to augment 
water supplies in the Yakima River Basin for the benefit of anadromous 
fish, irrigated agriculture, and municipal water supply under the 
authority of Public Law 108-7, Title II, Section 214 which was passed 
by Congress on February 20, 2003. Public Law 108-7 states:

    The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of 
Reclamation, shall conduct a feasibility study of options for 
additional water storage in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, with 
emphasis on the feasibility of storage of Columbia River water in 
the potential Black Rock Reservoir and the benefit of additional 
storage to endangered and threatened fish, irrigated agriculture, 
and municipal water supply. There are authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

    Ecology was a joint lead with Reclamation in the preparation of the 
Draft PR/EIS, in order to meet compliance under the State Environmental 
Policy Act (SEPA). However, they elected to become a cooperating agency 
on the Final PR/EIS as they believe they may not have fulfilled their 
requirements under Washington State law to identify and evaluate all 
reasonable water supply

[[Page 79164]]

alternatives. Comments received on the Draft PR/EIS suggested that all 
reasonable water supply alternatives could not be adequately evaluated 
without considering fish habitat and fish passage needs. Ecology is 
proceeding with a separate evaluation of water supply and management 
alternatives. Ecology continues as a cooperating agency in this study 
which evaluates storage options per Public Law 108-7.
    In addition to the No Action Alternative, this jointly prepared 
Final PR/EIS analyzes three storage alternatives, referred to as the 
Joint Alternatives, which Reclamation and Ecology are considering as 
part of the Storage Study. These include Black Rock, Wymer Dam and 
Reservoir, and Wymer Dam plus Yakima River Pump Exchange Alternatives. 
The No Action Alternative is identified as the Preferred Alternative in 
the Final PR/EIS.

Public Review

    Because additional information about mitigation of seepage from 
Black Rock Reservoir is contained in the Final PR/EIS, a 45 day review 
period is being provided so that this new information can be reviewed. 
Changes to the Final PR/EIS are highlighted for ease of review. 
Responses to comments about the new information will be contained in 
the Record of Decision which will be issued following the review 
period. If you wish to comment on this Final PR/EIS, mail us your 
comments by February 2, 2009 as indicated under the ADDRESSES section.
    Copies of the Final PR/EIS are available for public review at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Main Library, Room 1151, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver 
Federal Center, Building 67, Room 167, Denver, Colorado 80225.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, 
1150 North Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, 1917 
Marsh Road, Yakima, Washington 98901.
     Kennewick City Library, 1620 S. Union St., Kennewick, 
Washington 99338.
     Pasco City Library, 1320 W. Hopkins, Pasco, Washington 
99301.
     Richland City Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland, 
Washington 99352.
     Yakima Valley Regional Library, 102 N. 3 rd St., Yakima, 
Washington 98901.
     Washington State Library, 6880 Capitol Blvd. SW., Olympia, 
Washington 98504.

Public Disclosure

    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.

J. William McDonald,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. E8-30642 Filed 12-23-08; 8:45 am]
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