[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 142 (Monday, July 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37051-37052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17793]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Madera Irrigation District Water Supply Enhancement Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public meeting for the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has made available for 
public review and comment the Draft EIS for the Madera Irrigation 
District Water Supply Enhancement Project (MID WSEP). Reclamation 
proposes to approve the banking of up to 55,000 acre-feet per year of 
Central Valley Project (CVP) water outside the MID service area and the 
alteration of Reclamation-owned facilities. The total banking capacity 
of the MID WSEP is 250,000 acre-feet.
    The draft EIS evaluates the potential environmental effects of the 
proposed MID WSEP on the property known as Madera Ranch (west of the 
City of Madera, Madera County, CA), and the improvements to associated 
facilities needed to operate the MID WSEP. Portions of the 24.2 Canal, 
Section 8 Canal, Main Number 1 Canal, Cottonwood Creek, and Gravelly 
Ford Canal would be enlarged, extended, or improved.
    The MID WSEP would be completed in two phases. Phase 1 would 
involve recharge-related facilities only. Phase 2 would involve 
supplemental recharge facilities and facilities for recovery of banked 
water. The draft EIS addresses both phases.

DATES: Submit written comments on the draft environmental document on 
or before September 25, 2009.
    A public meeting will be held on August 27, 2009 from 5 to 6:30 
p.m. in Madera, CA to discuss the purpose and content of the draft 
environmental document and to provide the public an opportunity to 
comment on the draft environmental document. Written comments will also 
be accepted at the public meeting.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at Madera Irrigation 
District Office, 2152 Road 28\1/4\, Madera, CA 93637.
    Written comments on the Draft EIS should be addressed to Ms. 
Patricia Clinton, Bureau of Reclamation, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 
93721-1831.
    Copies of the draft document may be requested from Ms. Patricia 
Clinton at the above address, by calling 559-487-5127, TDD 559-487-
5933, or at [email protected]. See Supplementary Information section 
for locations where copies of the Draft EIS are available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Patricia Clinton, Bureau of 
Reclamation at the phone numbers or e-mail address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Groundwater levels in the Madera subbasin 
have experienced steep declines. These conditions have made it 
increasingly expensive for farmers to pump groundwater. In addition, in 
many years, MID has been unable to deliver sufficient surface water to 
farmers either because surface water is available primarily during the 
early months of the year when irrigation demand is low, or surface 
water is available only for short periods of time during the growing 
season.
    To increase water storage, enhance water supply reliability and 
flexibility for current and future water demand and reduce local 
overdraft, MID proposes to implement the WSEP. MID would bank CVP water 
and other imported water in the aquifer underlying Madera Ranch. In wet 
years,

[[Page 37052]]

water would be banked in the overdrafted aquifer for use in dry years. 
To help alleviate the overdraft condition, 10 percent of the water 
banked would remain in the aquifer.
    The Draft EIS considers the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
effects on the physical, natural, and human environment that may result 
from the construction and operation of a water bank on Madera Ranch. 
The Draft EIS addresses potentially significant environmental issues 
and recommends adequate and feasible mitigation measures to reduce or 
eliminate significant environmental impacts, where possible. Three 
banking alternatives as well as the no action alternative are 
addressed.
    Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public review at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225.
     Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Regional Office 
Library, 2800 Cottage Way, W-1825, Sacramento, CA 95825-1898.
     Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area 
Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721-1831.
     Madera Library, 121 North G Street, Madera, CA 93637.
     Chowchilla Library, 300 Kings Avenue, Chowchilla, CA 
93610.
     Madera Ranchos Library, 37167 Ave 12 Suite 4C, Madera, CA 
93636.
     Fresno County Public Library, 2420 Mariposa, Fresno, CA 
93721.
     Clovis Regional Library, 1155 Fifth Street, Clovis, CA 
93612.
    If special assistance is required at the public meeting, please 
contact Ms. Patricia Clinton at 559-487-5127, TDD 559-487-5933, or at 
[email protected] no less than five working days before the meeting to 
allow Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a request cannot be 
honored, the requestor will be notified.
    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 23, 2009.
 Richard M. Johnson,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on July 22, 2009.
[FR Doc. E9-17793 Filed 7-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P