[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77417-77418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30388]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2013 / 
Notices  

[[Page 77417]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket No. NRCS-2013-0007]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan, Caldwell County, 
Missouri

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, as lead federal agency, will prepare a Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Little Otter Creek 
Watershed Plan (LOCWP), Caldwell County, Missouri, involving the 
proposed construction of a multi-purpose reservoir. The purpose of this 
supplement is to address changes which have occurred since the NRCS 
prepared the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan and Environmental Impact 
Statement in 2003. The SEIS will update the original EIS with more 
recent relevant environmental information and expand the alternatives 
analysis beyond those previously considered. The SEIS will evaluate 
reasonable and practicable alternatives and their expected 
environmental impacts.

ADDRESSES: To be included on the mailing list for review of the SEIS, 
all requests should be submitted to Mr. Harold Deckerd, USDA-Natural 
Resources Conservation Service, Parkade Center Suite 250, 601 Business 
Loop 70 West, Columbia, Missouri 65203-2585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Harold Deckerd, NRCS Missouri 
State Office, by email: [email protected], by regular mail 
(see ADDRESSES), or by telephone: 573-876-0912.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRCS in cooperation with the Caldwell 
County Commission, Caldwell County Soil and Water Conservation 
District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will prepare an 
SEIS for the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan in Caldwell County, 
Missouri authorized pursuant to the Watershed Protection and Flood 
Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566, (16 U.S.C. 1001-1008). The NRCS has 
determined that additional analysis is required and that the purposes 
of the National Environmental Policy Act would be furthered through the 
preparation of the SEIS. The Corps will be a cooperating agency in the 
preparation of the SEIS. The SEIS will consider all reasonable and 
practicable alternatives to meet the purpose and need for the federal 
action. The SEIS will assess the potential social, economic, and 
environmental impacts of the project, and will address Federal, state, 
and local regulatory requirements along with pertinent environmental 
and socio-economic issues. The SEIS will analyze the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative effects of the proposed action. The Federal SEIS process 
begins with the publication of this Notice of Intent.
    1. Background: The 6,323-acre Little Otter Creek Watershed is 
located two miles east of Hamilton in Caldwell County in northwest 
Missouri. It is a tributary to Otter Creek which drains to Shoal Creek; 
the Grand River, and the Missouri River.
    Engineering reports dating back nearly fifty years document water 
supply problems in Caldwell County. Underlying geologic formations 
severely limit groundwater quality and availability. The Missouri 
Drought Plan places Caldwell County in a region classified as having 
``severe surface and groundwater supply drought vulnerability.'' 
Digital models estimate that existing water sources could supply only 
37 percent of the county's demand during the drought of record. In 
addition, the LOCWP documented annual flood damages to crop and pasture 
land, fences, roads and bridges. The LOCWP also identified the need for 
additional recreational opportunities in the surrounding area.
    At the request of the Caldwell County Commission and the Caldwell 
County Soil and Water Conservation District, the NRCS began watershed 
planning activities in July 2000 under the authority of the Watershed 
Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954, Public Law 83-566, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1001-1008). NRCS issued a Notice of Intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in July of 2002. On August 6, 
2002, the voters of Caldwell County approved a one-half percent sales 
tax to assist in funding the local match for project installation. NRCS 
completed the Little Otter Creek Watershed Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement in March 2003 and announced a Record of Decision to 
proceed with installation in May 2003. The project has not been 
installed because sufficient funding has not been available. 
Installation of the proposed action will result in temporary and 
permanent impacts to jurisdictional waters of the United States 
requiring a Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 permit. The Corps has not 
issued a Section 404 permit for this project. Comments received during 
the EIS process suggested that a larger number of reasonable and 
practicable alternatives be considered. Potential impacts of all 
reasonable and practicable alternatives will be updated and analyzed in 
the SEIS in compliance with Section 404(b)(1) of the CWA. The Corps and 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) completed an Approved 
Jurisdictional Determination in March 2010.
    2. Proposed Action: The proposed federal action as presented in the 
2003 EIS includes one approximately 362-acre multiple-purpose reservoir 
on Little Otter Creek, a water intake structure, a raw water line, fish 
and wildlife habitat enhancement and recreational facilities. The 
purpose of the proposed federal action is to: Provide approximately 
1.24 million gallons per day of locally-controlled raw water supply to 
meet the projected 50-year usage demand for Caldwell County; provide 
approximately 60,000 annual recreational user-days and provide an 
approximate 96% reduction in annual flood damages in the 3.8-miles of 
Little Otter Creek between the reservoir and the confluence with Otter 
Creek.
    3. Alternatives: The SEIS will evaluate environmental impacts of 
the following

[[Page 77418]]

alternatives and any other action alternatives identified that may be 
reasonable and practicable: (1) Creation of a multi-purpose reservoir; 
(2) a combination of independent purpose alternatives to meet the 
overall project purposes and needs; and (3) the no-action alternative. 
The SEIS will identify the National Economic Development (NED) 
alternative, which is the alternative with the greatest net economic 
benefit consistent with protecting the Nation's environment and 
document the estimated direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of the 
proposed action and alternatives on the environment.
    4. Scoping: In developing the LOCWP, numerous scoping meetings were 
held to gather public input and keep the community informed on the 
status of project planning activities. Several community surveys and 
interviews were conducted to gather information, and periodic news 
articles were published to update local citizens. The Caldwell County 
Lake Project Steering Committee was formed to further insure public 
input into the planning process. NEPA procedures do not require 
additional public scoping meetings for the development of a SEIS and 
none are planned at this time. Comments received from Federal, State or 
local agencies, Native American Tribes, non-governmental organizations, 
and interested citizens will be used to assist in the development of 
the Draft and Final SEIS (See ADDRESSES: above to submit comments).
    5. Public Involvement: The NRCS invites full public participation 
to promote open communication and better decision-making. All persons 
and organizations with an interest in the LOCWP are urged to comment. 
Public comments are welcomed and opportunities for public participation 
include submitting comments to the NRCS: (1) During the development of 
the Draft SEIS, (2) during the review and comment period upon 
publishing the Draft SEIS; and (3) for 30 days after publication of the 
Final SEIS. Distribution of the comments received will be included in 
the Administrative Record without change and may include any personal 
information provided, unless the commenter indicates that the comment 
includes information claimed to be confidential business information.
    6. Other Environmental Review and Coordination Requirements: The 
Corps will be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the SEIS. The 
NRCS as the lead federal agency will continue to coordinate with other 
agencies and entities throughout the NEPA process including: Caldwell 
County Commission, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri 
Department of Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and USEPA. 
The Draft SEIS will address project compliance with applicable laws and 
regulations, including NEPA, CWA, Endangered Species Act, and the 
National Historic Preservation Act.
    7. Permits or Licenses Required: The proposed federal action would 
require a CWA Section 404 permit from the Corps. The project would also 
require certification by the State of Missouri, Department of Natural 
Resources, under Section 401 of the CWA, that the project would not 
violate state water quality standards. A land disturbance permit issued 
by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources under Section 402 of 
the CWA (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit) would 
be required. Construction and Safety Permits issued by the Missouri Dam 
and Reservoir Safety Program would also be required.
    8. Availability of Draft SEIS: The draft SEIS is estimated to be 
complete and available for public review in 2014.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood 
Prevention, and is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and 
local officials.)


    Dated: December 10, 2013.
J.R. Flores,
State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-30388 Filed 12-20-13; 8:45 am]
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