[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15747-15748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7785]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage Project, Lower American River, 
California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and notice of public scoping 
meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation), the lead Federal agency, and the California 
Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), acting as the lead State agency, 
will prepare a joint EIS/EIR for the proposed Nimbus Fish Hatchery Weir 
Replacement Project (Project). The purpose of the Project is to create 
and maintain a reliable system of collecting adult fish for use in the 
Nimbus Fish Hatchery (Hatchery).

DATES: Two scoping meetings will be held to solicit public input on the 
scope of the environmental document, alternatives, concerns, and issues 
to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. The scoping meeting dates are:
     Thursday, April 30, 2009. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Gold River, 
CA.
     Thursday, April 30, 2009. 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Gold 
River, CA.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR will be accepted until 
May 28, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meetings will be held at the California 
State University Sacramento Aquatic Center, 1901 Hazel Avenue, Gold 
River, CA 95670.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR document should be 
sent to Mr. David Robinson, Central California Area Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630-1799; or e-mailed 
to [email protected].

[[Page 15748]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Robinson, Central California 
Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, at the CCAO general telephone 
number 916-988-1707, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Nimbus Hatchery is located along the 
lower American River approximately \1/4\ mile downstream from Nimbus 
Dam in Rancho Cordova, CA. The Hatchery is a mitigation facility that 
was constructed by Reclamation in 1955 to compensate for the loss of 
spawning habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout inundated by 
the construction of Nimbus Dam. The Hatchery annually produces 4 
million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts and 430,000 winter-run American 
River steelhead yearlings. The fish weir is needed to prevent adult 
salmon from continuing upstream and allows them to locate and enter the 
fish ladder and hatchery.
    CDFG has continuously operated and maintained the Hatchery under 
contract with Reclamation since it was originally constructed in 1955. 
CDFG operates and maintains all salmon and steelhead hatcheries within 
the State of California and is responsible for the management of 
statewide fisheries resources. As manager of the State fisheries 
resources, CDFG is also responsible for recommending and implementing 
fishing regulations. One alternative under consideration would result 
in changes to the fishing opportunities immediately downstream from 
Nimbus Dam pursuant to CDFG Regulation Section 2.35, ``Taking Fish near 
Dams, Screens, and Egg-taking Stations.'' CDFG will also consider the 
potential modification to the seasonal fishing regulations between the 
Hatchery and Nimbus Dam as part of the evaluation of this alternative.
    Background: The Project is needed because the existing fish 
diversion structure is aging, susceptible to periodic significant 
damage from high flows, and its operation requires annual flow 
reductions for maintenance which effect protected steelhead populations 
in the river. Annual short-term flow reductions are required to install 
the weir at a time when steelhead are rearing in the lower American 
River. Flow reductions of longer duration are periodically required to 
repair significant flood damage to the existing structure and scouring 
around its foundation. This scouring destabilizes the weir and creates 
large holes that upstream migrant fish can pass through avoiding the 
entrance into the hatchery ladder.
    Objectives: The primary objective of the Project is to maintain a 
fully functional system of collecting adult fish sufficient to meet 
mitigation goals. Secondary objectives are to minimize operations and 
maintenance costs, do away with the need to reduce river flows, and 
improve public and worker safety.
    Alternatives: Reclamation has evaluated a broad set of potential 
solutions in a series of planning evaluations beginning in the mid-
1990s. Two basic approaches to solving the problems that were advanced 
through the planning process include: (1) Constructing a new fish 
diversion weir with concrete foundation and air bladder control gates 
and pickets; and (2) the extension of the fish ladder upstream to 
Nimbus Dam and removal of the existing fish diversion weir. The EIS/EIR 
will evaluate each of these alternative approaches and a no action 
alternative.

Special Assistance for Public Scoping Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
meetings, please contact Ms. Janet Sierzputowski at 916-978-5112, TDD 
916-978-5608, or e-mail [email protected]. Please notify Ms. 
Sierzputowski as far in advance as possible to enable Reclamation to 
secure the needed services. If a request cannot be honored, the 
requestor will be notified.

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.

    Dated: March 16, 2009.
Mike Chotkowski,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-7785 Filed 4-6-09; 8:45 am]
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