[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 132 (Monday, July 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33458-33460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-16462]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements Project Under the 
San Joaquin River Restoration Program, Fresno and Madera Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Notice of Scoping Meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California 
Department of Water Resources (DWR) are proposing to prepare a joint 
EIS/EIR, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to evaluate effects of 
the proposed Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Channel Improvements 
Project (Proposed Action) under the San

[[Page 33459]]

Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP or Program). The Proposed 
Action includes the construction, operation, and maintenance of the 
Mendota Pool Bypass and improvements, including the operation and 
maintenance of the San Joaquin River channel to allow Reach 2B to 
convey at least 4,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). The purpose of the 
proposed action is to improve Reach 2B conveyance conditions enough to 
provide a capacity of at least 4,500 cfs with integrated floodplain 
habitat, and to convey restoration flows of at least 4,500 cfs around 
Mendota Pool from Reach 2B downstream to Reach 3. The planning and 
environmental review for the Proposed Action is authorized under 
section 3406(c)(1) of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act 
(CVPIA) Title 34, (Pub. L. 102-575) and the San Joaquin River 
Restoration Act (SJRRA), included in Public Law 111-11. Construction of 
the Proposed Action is authorized under the SJRRA (Pub. L. 111-11). The 
Proposed Action is a component of the San Joaquin River Settlement.
    Scoping meetings will be held to solicit input on alternatives, 
concerns, and issues to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. Written comments 
may also be sent.

DATES: Two scoping meetings will be held to solicit comments from 
interested parties to assist in determining the scope of the 
environmental analysis, including the alternatives to be addressed, and 
to identify the significant environmental issues related to the 
Proposed Action. The scoping meeting dates and locations are:
     Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Piccadilly Inn-
Shaw, 2305 West Shaw Avenue, Fresno, California 93711; and
     Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Firebaugh City 
Council Chambers, 1659 13th Street, Firebaugh, California 96322.
    Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR should be sent by 
August 17, 2009 to Ms. Margaret Gidding, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 
Cottage Way MP-170, Sacramento, CA 95825 or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Margaret Gidding at the above 
address, by telephone at 916-978-5461, TDD 916-978-5608 or via fax at 
916-978-5469. Additional information is available online at http://www.restoresjr.net. If special assistance is required at the scoping 
meetings, please contact Ms. Margaret Gidding at the above phone or fax 
numbers or via e-mail at [email protected] no less than 
ten working days prior to the meetings.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation and DWR are proposing to prepare 
a joint EIS/EIR, pursuant to NEPA and CEQA, to evaluate the proposed 
Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Channel Improvements Project (Proposed 
Action) under the SJRRP. The Proposed Action includes the construction, 
operation, and maintenance of the Mendota Pool Bypass and improvements, 
including the operation and maintenance of the San Joaquin River 
channel to allow Reach 2B to convey at least 4,500 cfs. The planning 
and environmental review for the Proposed Action is authorized under 
section 3406(c)(1) of the CVPIA and the SJRRA included in Public Law 
111-11. Construction of the Proposed Action is authorized under the 
SJRRA (Pub. L. 111-11). The Proposed Action is a component of San 
Joaquin River Settlement.
    The Proposed Action would include a bypass around the Mendota Pool 
to convey at least 4,500 cfs around the Mendota Pool and re-connect 
with the San Joaquin River downstream of Mendota Dam. The Proposed 
Action would also include constructing a bifurcation structure at the 
upper end of the bypass to convey at least 4,500 cfs into the Mendota 
Pool Bypass. The proposed Mendota Bypass Bifurcation Structure would be 
designed to divert water from the San Joaquin River to the Mendota 
Pool, consistent with the design channel capacity of Reach 2B which 
conveys flows to the Mendota Pool. The bifurcation structure would be 
designed to direct fish into the bypass channel and minimize or avoid 
fish passage into the Mendota Pool. Specific bypass alignments and 
facilities locations will be determined through the course of this 
site-specific study.
    Reach 2B of the San Joaquin River extends from the Chowchilla 
Bypass Bifurcation Structure to the Mendota Dam. Proposed improvements 
to Reach 2B would include modifications to the San Joaquin River 
channel from the Chowchilla Bypass Bifurcation Structure to the new 
Mendota Bypass Bifurcation Structure to provide a capacity of at least 
4,500 cfs with integrated floodplain habitat. The project would expand 
the Reach 2B channel capacity while accounting for new floodplain 
habitat. Specific channel modification actions would be determined 
through the course of this site-specific study. These actions would 
consider fisheries requirements, land uses, subsurface conditions, 
topography, and the condition of existing levees.

San Joaquin River Restoration Program

    In 1988, a coalition of environmental groups led by the Natural 
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit challenging the 
renewal of the long-term water service contracts between the United 
States and the Central Valley Project Friant Division Contractors. 
After more than 18 years of litigation known as NRDC, et al. v. Kirk 
Rodgers, et al., the NRDC, Friant Water Users Authority, and the 
Departments of the Interior and Commerce (Settling Parties) reached 
agreement on the terms and conditions of the San Joaquin River 
Settlement (Settlement) which was subsequently approved by the Court on 
October 23, 2006. The Settlement can be found online at http://www.restoresjr.net.
The Settlement Is Based on Two Parallel Goals
     The Restoration Goal--To restore and maintain fish 
populations in ``good condition'' in the main stem of the San Joaquin 
River below Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River, including 
naturally reproducing and self-sustaining populations of salmon and 
other fish; and
     The Water Management Goal--To reduce or avoid adverse 
water supply impacts to all of the Friant Division long-term 
Contractors that may result from the Interim Flows and Restoration 
Flows provided for in the Settlement.
    The Settling Parties acknowledge that accomplishing the Goals 
requires planning, implementation, and funding of certain activities, 
such as environmental review, design, and construction. With regard to 
the Restoration Goal, the Settlement calls for a combination of channel 
and structural improvements along the San Joaquin River below Friant 
Dam, releases of additional water from Friant Dam to the confluence of 
the Merced River, and the reintroduction of spring and/or fall-run 
Chinook salmon.
    The Settlement states that the Secretary of the Interior shall 
implement the terms and conditions of the Settlement. Additionally, the 
Settling Parties agreed that implementation of the Settlement shall 
also require participation of the State of California. Therefore, 
concurrent with the execution of the Settlement, the Settling Parties 
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of 
California, by and through the California Resources Agency, DWR, the 
Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and the California Environmental

[[Page 33460]]

Protection Agency (CalEPA), regarding the State's role in the 
implementation of the Settlement. The program established to implement 
the Settlement is the SJRRP, and the ``Implementing Agencies'' 
responsible for the management of the SJRRP include Reclamation, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS), DWR, and DFG. The Federal Implementing agencies 
(Reclamation, USFWS and NMFS) are authorized to implement the 
Settlement under the SJRRA included in Public Law 111-11.
    A Program Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report (PEIS/EIR) is currently being developed for implementation of 
the SJRRP. If applicable, the EIS/EIR for the Proposed Action will 
supplement, tier from, incorporate by reference, or adopt relevant NEPA 
analyses from the PEIS/EIR. The Record of Decision for the PEIS/EIR is 
anticipated to be signed in 2010.

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: July 2, 2009.
Anastasia T. Leigh,
Acting Regional Environmental Officer, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. E9-16462 Filed 7-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P