[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64975-64976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25689]



[[Page 64975]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[XXXR0680R1 RR.R0336A1R5WRMP01.03 RR01113000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Public Scoping Meetings for the Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess 
Reservoir Conveyance and Kachess Inactive Storage, Yakima River Basin 
Water Enhancement Project, Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, 
Kittitas County, Washington

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir 
Conveyance and the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage projects. The 
Washington State Department of Ecology will be a joint lead agency with 
the Bureau of Reclamation in the preparation of this EIS. The Bureau of 
Reclamation is requesting public comment and agency input to identify 
significant issues or other alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before 
December 16, 2013.
    Two scoping meetings, combined with open houses each day, will be 
held on the following dates and times:
     November 20, 2013, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. 
to 7:00 p.m., Yakima, WA.
     November 21, 2013, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. 
to 7:00 p.m., Cle Elum, WA.

ADDRESSES: Send written scoping comments, requests to be added to the 
mailing list, or requests for sign language interpretation for the 
hearing impaired or other special assistance needs to Ms. Candace 
McKinley, Environmental Program Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, WA 98901; or 
email [email protected].
    The scoping meetings and open houses will be located at:
     Yakima--Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Way, Yakima, 
WA 98901.
     Cle Elum--U.S. Forest Service (Cle Elum Ranger District 
Conference Room), 803 W 2nd Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Candace McKinley, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, WA 
98901; telephone (509) 575-5848, ext. 232; facsimile (509) 454-5650; 
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) at 1-800-877-
8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FedRelay is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours. Information on this project may 
also be found at: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/yrbwep/index.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is 
issuing this notice pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; the Council on 
Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA, 43 CFR 
Parts 1500 through 1508; the Department of the Interior's NEPA 
regulations, 43 CFR Part 46, and the Washington State Environmental 
Policy Act.

Background

    On July 9, 2013, the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final 
Programmatic EIS (PEIS) for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water 
Resource Management Plan (Integrated Plan) was signed. In the ROD, the 
Reclamation selected the Integrated Plan Alternative for 
implementation. The Integrated Plan Alternative is comprised of seven 
elements which were considered in the PEIS:
    1. Reservoir Fish Passage;
    2. Structural and Operational Changes;
    3. Surface Water Storage;
    4. Groundwater Storage;
    5. Habitat/Watershed Protection and Enhancement;
    6. Enhanced Water Conservation; and
    7. Market Reallocation of Water Resources.
    As described in the PEIS, Reclamation and the Washington State 
Department of Ecology (Ecology) will complete project-level, site-
specific environmental review for actions within the Integrated Plan 
once the agencies are ready to move forward each action or groups of 
actions. For instance, with regard to the present NOI, Reclamation and 
Ecology have determined that it is appropriate to initiate the 
environmental review process with regard to the Keechelus Reservoir-to-
Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage 
projects.
    These actions were previously evaluated at a programmatic level of 
analysis in the Integrated Plan PEIS (see chapters 2 through 5 of the 
PEIS available at: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/yrbwep/reports/FPEIS/fpeis.pdf). That PEIS examined the effects of the overall 
Integrated Plan Alternative, which included the Keechelus Reservoir-to-
Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and the Kachess Reservoir Inactive Storage 
projects. Now the agencies will prepare a project-level EIS for the 
Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and the Kachess 
Reservoir Interactive Storage projects and will tier to the Integrated 
Plan PEIS as provided for in the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR 1502.20, Tiering). The project-level environmental 
analysis to be conducted in this EIS will expand upon and add detail to 
those analyses already completed in the Integrated Plan PEIS.
    The proposed, site specific actions to be evaluated in the 
Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance and Kachess 
Reservoir Inactive Storage EIS are:
    1. Transfer water through a tunnel from the Keechelus watershed to 
Kachess Reservoir. Two alternatives have been identified for a tunnel 
to convey water from Keechelus watershed to Kachess Reservoir. One 
would include construction of a new outlet works at the north end of 
Keechelus Dam connecting to a 10-12 foot-diameter, 3.7-mile-long, 
gravity flow tunnel. The other would include construction of a 
diversion structure on the Yakima River about 8,000 feet downstream of 
Keechelus Dam, connecting to a 10-12 foot-diameter, 3.2-mile-long, 
gravity flow tunnel. Both tunnel alternatives would discharge into 
Kachess Reservoir through a new structure located on the west shore; 
and
    2. Release an additional 200,000 acre-feet of water from Kachess 
Reservoir during severe droughts by accessing inactive storage through 
additional outlet facilities. A substantial volume of water stored in 
Kachess Reservoir is currently inaccessible because it is below the 
elevation of the outlet works. This is referred to as inactive storage. 
An alternative being considered to access the inactive storage in 
Kachess Reservoir includes a new outlet works at a lower elevation in 
the reservoir connected by a tunnel to a pump station that would 
discharge to the Kachess River.
    The objectives of these proposed actions are to increase the total 
water supply available from the Keechelus watershed for irrigation and 
instream flow, provide additional water for

[[Page 64976]]

proratable irrigation districts during severe drought conditions, and 
create more normal flows in the upper Yakima River between Keechelus 
Dam and Lake Easton to improve fish habitat.
    At this time, there are no known Indian Trust Assets or 
environmental justice issues associated with the Proposed Actions.

Special Assistance for Public Scoping and Open House Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
scoping and open house meetings, please contact Ms. Candace McKinley, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, 
Yakima, WA 98901; telephone (509) 575-5848, ext. 232; facsimile (509) 
454-5650; email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) at 1-
800-877-8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours. The FedRelay is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours. All meeting 
facilities are physically accessible to people with disabilities.

Public Disclosure

    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 may 
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: October 24, 2013.
Lorri J. Lee,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-25689 Filed 10-29-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P