[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 155 (Thursday, August 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49786-49787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20393]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Nimbus Hatchery 
Fish Passage Project, Lower American River, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the lead Federal 
agency, and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), the lead 
State agency, have prepared a joint Final 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: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action 
until at least 30 days after release of the Final EIS/EIR. After the 
30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision 
(ROD). The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and 
discuss all the factors that led to the decision.
    The CDFG will advance its recommendations to the California Fish 
and Game Commission (Commission) for consideration. The Commission will 
hold additional hearings on the recommendations and a Notice of 
Determination will be filed after the hearings. This action will 
trigger a 30-day review period under California Environmental Quality 
Act.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS/EIR may be requested from Ms. Janet 
Sierzputowski at 916-978-5112, TTY 916-978-5608, or e-mail 
[email protected].
    The Final EIS/EIR is also accessible from the following Web site: 
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=5216 or 
http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/hatchery/index.html.
    See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for locations where 
copies of the Final EIS/EIR are available for public review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Robinson, Central California 
Area Office (CCAO), 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

[[Page 49787]]

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 about 4 
million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts and 430,000 winter-run American 
River steelhead yearlings. A fish weir is currently used to prevent 
adult salmon from continuing upstream and allows them to locate and 
enter the fish ladder and hatchery.
    The Project is needed because the existing weir is aging, 
susceptible to periodic significant damage from high flows, and its 
operation requires annual flow reductions to perform maintenance which 
affect protected steelhead populations in the river. Annual short-term 
flow reductions when steelheads are rearing in the lower American River 
are required to install the weir. Flow reductions of longer duration 
are periodically required to repair significant flood damage to the 
existing structure and scouring around its foundation. This scouring is 
harmful because it destabilizes the weir and creates large holes that 
upstream migrant fish can pass through and therefore fail to enter into 
the hatchery ladder.
    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 operation and 
maintenance costs, avoid reducing river flows, and improve safety. 
Reclamation has evaluated a broad set of potential solutions in a 
series of planning evaluations beginning in the mid-1990s. Two 
approaches to solving the problems that were advanced through the 
planning process are: (1) Constructing a new fish diversion weir with a 
concrete foundation and air bladder control gates and pickets; and (2) 
extending the fish ladder upstream to Nimbus Dam and removing the 
existing fish diversion weir. The EIS/EIR evaluates each of these 
alternative approaches and a no action alternative.
    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,'' and likely would result in 
significant impacts to the Chinook salmon population. CDFG is also 
considering modification to the seasonal fishing regulations between 
the Hatchery and Nimbus Dam as part of the evaluation of this 
alternative.
    A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR and a schedule for 
public meetings was published in the Federal Register on October 01, 
2010 (75 FR 60804). The formal comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR 
ended on November 30, 2010. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all 
comments received and reflects comments and any additional information 
received during the review period.
    Copies of the Final EIS/EIR 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, Department of the Interior, 
1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240-0001.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Regional 
Library, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
     Central California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 
7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630.
     Nimbus Fish Hatchery, 2001 Nimbus Road, Gold River, CA 
95670.

    Dated: July 25, 2011.
Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-20393 Filed 8-10-11; 8:45 am]
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