[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34029-34030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13914]


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DEPARTMENT of DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Draft Feasibility Study/
Environmental Impact Statement for the Chatfield Reservoir Storage 
Reallocation, Littleton, CO

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepared a Draft 
Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement (FR/EIS) for the 
Chatfield Reservoir Storage Reallocation, Littleton, Colorado and by 
this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: The comment period will be open from June 8, 2012 to August 7, 
2012. Public meetings will take place in June, 2012. The specific 
schedule is provided under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Department of the Army; 
Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PM-AA; ATTN: Chatfield 
Reservoir Storage Reallocation FR/EIS; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 
68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: 
[email protected]. Comments on the Draft FR/EIS for the 
Chatfield Reservoir Storage Reallocation must be postmarked, emailed, 
or otherwise submitted no later than August 7, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or 
questions about the Chatfield Reservoir Storage Reallocation FR/EIS, 
please contact Ms. Gwyn Jarrett, Project Manager, by telephone: (402) 
995-2717, by mail: 1616 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102-4901, or by 
email: [email protected]. For inquiries from the media, 
please contact the USACE Omaha District Public Affairs Officer (PAO), 
Ms. Monique Farmer by telephone (402) 995-2416, by mail: 1616 Capitol 
Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102-4901, or by email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Background. Population growth within the Denver, Colorado, 
metropolitan area continues to create a demand on water providers. 
Colorado's population is projected to be between 8.6 and 10.3 million 
in 2050. The Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI), commissioned by 
the State Legislature, estimates that by 2050, Colorado will need 
between 600,000 and 1 million acre-feet/year of additional municipal 
and industrial water. There is also a strong need for additional water 
supplies for the agricultural community in the South Platte Basin as 
thousands of acres of previously irrigated land has not been farmed in 
recent years due to widespread irrigation well curtailments. The 
purpose and need of the Chatfield Reservoir Storage Reallocation study 
is to increase availability of water, sustainable over the 50-year 
period of analysis, in the greater Denver area so that a larger 
proportion of existing and future (increasing) water needs can be met.
    By authority provided under Section 808 of the Water Resources 
Development Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 99-622), as amended by Section 3042 of 
the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-114), the 
Secretary of the Army, upon request of and in coordination with, the 
Colorado Department of Natural Resources (CDNR), and upon the Chief of 
Engineers' finding of feasibility and economic justification, may 
reassign a portion of the storage space in the Chatfield Lake project 
to joint flood control-conservation purposes, including storage for 
municipal and industrial water supply, agriculture, environmental 
restoration, and recreation and fishery habitat protection and 
enhancement. The reallocation was conditioned upon the appropriate non-
Federal interests agreeing to repay the

[[Page 34030]]

cost allocated to such storage in accordance with the provisions of the 
Water Supply Act of 1958, the Federal Water Project Recreation Act, and 
such other Federal laws as the Secretary determines appropriate. The 
payments would go to the United States Treasury. The recreation 
modifications and environmental mitigation work are additionally 
authorized by Section 103(c)(2) WRDA 1986, requiring non-Federal 
payment of 100 percent of the costs of municipal and industrial water 
supply projects, and this work will be cost shared pursuant to that 
section.
    It is the purpose of this study to identify alternatives, compare 
those alternatives, and select the best alternative for meeting the 
needs based on solid planning principles. The FR/EIS allows the public, 
cooperating agencies, and Corps decision makers to compare the impacts 
and costs among a range of alternatives.
    2. Document Availability. The Chatfield Reservoir Storage 
Reallocation FR/EIS is available online at http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pd-p/Plan_Formulation/GI/GI_Chatfield.html. Hard copies will be available at the following 
community libraries and Corps of Engineers Chatfield Project Office no 
later than June 15, 2012.

Highlands Ranch Library, 9292 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands Ranch, CO 
80129, 303-647-6642.
Colorado Water Conservation Board, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721, 
Denver, CO 80203, 303-866-3441.
Columbine Library, 7706 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123, 303-
235-5275.
Lincoln Park Library, 919 7th Street, Suite 100, Greeley, CO 80631, 
970-546-8460.
Aurora Public Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora, CO 80012, 
(303) 739-6600
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tri-Lakes Project Office, 9307 S. 
Wadsworth Blvd., Littleton, CO 80128.

    3. Public Involvement Meetings. The Omaha District of the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers invites all interested entities including Tribal 
governments, Federal agencies, state and local governments, and the 
general public to comment on the Chatfield Reservoir Storage 
Reallocation FR/EIS. The public comment period began with the 
publication of this notice on June 8, 2012 and will continue until 
August 7, 2012.
    All public involvement meetings will use an open house format and 
will include the opportunity to make public comment. Informational 
materials about the Chatfield Reservoir Storage Reallocation FR/EIS 
will be located throughout the room for participant perusal throughout 
the evening. Corps representatives will be available to meet one-on-one 
with meeting participants. In addition to the public comments being 
recorded, written comments will be collected on comment cards, and the 
opportunity to have formal verbal comments transcribed will be 
available. All forms of comment will be weighted equally. Input from 
the public involvement meetings, along with comments received by other 
means (regular mail or email), will be used to refine the document 
before a Final FR/EIS is released.
    The Corps has scheduled public involvement meetings from 5:30 p.m. 
to 8:30 p.m. at the following locations:

1. Monday, June 25th--The Wildlife Experience, 10035 S. Peoria St. 
Parker, CO 80134, (720) 488-3300.
2. Tuesday, June 26th--Dakota Ridge High School, 13399 West Coal Mine 
Avenue, Littleton, CO 80127, (303) 982-1970.
3. Wednesday, June 27th--Valley High School, 1001 Birch St, Gilcrest, 
CO 80623, (970) 737-2494.

    If you require assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act 
please send your name and phone via email to 
[email protected] at least three days prior to the 
meeting you plan to attend. Persons who use a telecommunications 
service for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at (800) 877-8339, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to 
relay this same information.
    For more information about the Chatfield Reservoir Storage 
Reallocation FR/EIS, please visit http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pd-p/Plan_Formulation/GI/GI_Chatfield.html.

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-13914 Filed 6-7-12; 8:45 am]
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