[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14418-14419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5696]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-ROMO-1201-8979; 1526-0002-630]


Grand Ditch Breach Restoration Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Grand Ditch Breach Restoration, Rocky Mountain 
National Park.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability 
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Grand Ditch Breach 
Restoration, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The purpose of 
this environmental impact statement is to guide management actions in 
the park to restore the hydrological processes, ecological services, 
and wilderness character of the area in the Upper Kawuneeche Valley 
impacted by the 2003 Grand Ditch breach. The National Park Service is 
obligated by law and policy to maintain and restore, to the extent 
possible, the natural conditions and processes in park units (NPS 
Management Policies 2006, section 4.1.5). The following objectives for 
restoring the area impacted by the 2003 Grand Ditch breach are 
identified in the environmental impact statement: restore appropriate 
stream and groundwater processes, restore appropriate native plant 
communities, restore the stability of the hillside below the breach 
site, restore wilderness character, restore wildlife habitat, restore 
aquatic habitat, and restore water quality in the affected area and 
downstream. Five alternatives are being considered: Alternative A, 
``the no action alternative,'' would continue current management 
activities within the impacted area, following existing management 
policies and NPS guidance. Alternative B, minimal restoration, would 
emphasize less intensive management activity to restore portions of the 
impacted area. This alternative would focus actions on areas that are 
unstable and present a high potential of continued degradation of 
existing ecosystem resources and services. Management activities would 
be conducted using hand tools to reduce impact on wilderness character. 
This alternative would include stabilization of zone 1A, the road-cut 
hillside immediately below the Grand Ditch, under one of two 
stabilization options. Alternative C, high restoration, would involve 
more intensive management actions over large portions of the impacted 
area. This alternative would focus actions on unstable areas that 
present a high to moderate potential of continued degradation of 
existing ecosystem resources and services. Restoration methods would be 
used to stabilize banks, slopes, and disturbed areas; to improve 
channel stability in portions of Lulu Creek and the Colorado River; and 
to reduce sediment transport over a larger portion of the project area. 
This alternative would involve the use of heavy equipment and possibly 
reusing excavated debris for restoration and stabilization actions both 
within and between zones. This alternative would include stabilization 
of zone 1A under one of two stabilization options. Alternative D, the 
preferred alternative, would emphasize the removal of large debris 
deposits in the alluvial fan area and in the Lulu City wetland. Actions 
would be conducted to stabilize limited areas of unstable slopes and 
banks throughout the upper portions of the restoration area. Hydrology 
through the Lulu City wetland would be restored in the historical 
central channel through removal of large deposits of debris, relying on 
the historical channel to transport river flow. Small-scale motorized 
equipment would be employed for stabilization and

[[Page 14419]]

revegetation activities, while larger equipment would be employed for 
excavation of large debris deposits and reconfiguration of the Colorado 
River through the Lulu City wetland. This alternative would include 
stabilization of zone 1A under the preferred option, option 1. 
Alternative E, maximum restoration, would involve extensive management 
activity and use of motorized equipment over large portions of the 
impacted area to restore the damage. Engineered solutions would be used 
to stabilize banks and slopes to approximate pre-breach contours and to 
reduce transport of sediments over a larger portion of the impacted 
area. Extensive changes would be made to the Colorado River channel to 
route the river to its historical alignment through the center of the 
Lulu City wetland. To facilitate movement of heavy mechanized equipment 
and excavated debris from the wetland to upland disposal areas, a 
temporary haul road would be constructed. This alternative would 
include stabilization of zone 1A under one of two stabilization 
options. All action alternatives would have substantial beneficial 
impacts to wilderness character; surface and groundwater hydrology; 
stream channel, floodplain and wetland morphology and function; water 
quality; riparian and wetland communities; aquatic habitat; visitor 
experience; and long-term resource productivity.

DATES: The National Park Service will accept comments on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement from the public for 60 days after the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes this Notice of 
Availability. No public meetings are scheduled at this time.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/romo, in the office of the 
Superintendent, Vaughn Baker, 1000 US Highway 36 Estes Park, CO 80517-
8397, 970-586-1200 and from the Public Information Office, Rocky 
Mountain National Park, 1000 US Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado 80517-
8397.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Public Information Office, Rocky 
Mountain National Park, 1000 US Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado 80517-
8397, (970) 586-1206, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on any other issues 
associated with the Grand Ditch Breach Restoration EIS, you may submit 
your comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to: 
Superintendent, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517-
8397. You may also comment via the Internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/romo. You can email comments to [email protected]. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to: 
Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, 1000 US Highway 36, Estes 
Park, Colorado 80517-8397 or to Kawuneeche Visitor Center, Rocky 
Mountain National Park, 16018 Highway 34, Grand Lake, CO 80447. Before 
including your address, phone number, email 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: November 23, 2011.
John Wessels,
Director, Intermountain Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-5696 Filed 3-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-D8-P