[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22808-22809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09321]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Boise 
River General Investigation Feasibility Study, Ada and Canyon Counties, 
in the State of Idaho

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Boise River General 
Investigation Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study will evaluate 
alternatives to reduce flood risk and meet current and future water 
supply needs in the lower Boise River watershed. To the extent 
feasible, the study will also seek to provide ancillary ecosystem 
restoration benefits, minimize impacts to species listed under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including bull 
trout, and minimize socioeconomic effects. The Feasibility Study will 
focus on the lower Boise River, a tributary to the Snake River, which 
is located in southwestern Idaho, primarily in Ada and Canyon Counties. 
The non-federal sponsor for this effort is the Idaho Water Resources 
Board.
    Almost 40 percent of Idaho residents live in the Boise River 
watershed, with one-sixth of the State's population residing in the 
floodplain. Communities and development along the Boise River have 
experienced repeated minor flooding, and flood risk management experts 
emphasize that a significant flood event with major flood damage will 
likely occur in the future. The Boise River watershed has recently 
experienced the most significant growth in the State and continuing to 
meet current and future water needs is a major concern for residents 
and state/local officials.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments on the alternatives or scope of analysis for 
the EIS to Mr. Tim Fleeger, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Walla Walla District, CENWW-PM-PD-PF, 201 North Third 
Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for further information 
should be directed to Mr. Tim Fleeger by phone at (509) 527-7247 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This study was authorized by Section 414 of 
the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-53) as amended 
by Section 4038 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 
100-114). Collectively, these two acts grant the Corps authority to 
conduct a study to determine the feasibility of undertaking flood risk 
management, water supply and ecosystem restoration on the Boise River. 
The Idaho Water Resources Board is authorized to study solutions for 
water supply and flood risk management, but is not authorized to expend 
funds studying ecosystem restoration. Therefore, the proposed 
Feasibility Study is focused on reducing flood risk and meeting current 
and future water supply needs along the Boise River, while seeking 
incidental environmental benefits to the extent feasible.
    The Boise River is approximately 102 miles in length, is located 
entirely within the State of Idaho, and is one of the major tributaries 
to the Snake River. The lower Boise River watershed (the focus of the 
Feasibility Study) contains the Boise River drainage from Lucky Peak 
Dam to its confluence with the Snake River in southwest Idaho (roughly 
64 miles). The lower Boise River floodplain encompasses primarily Ada 
and Canyon Counties, and includes the cities of Boise (state capital), 
Garden City, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Nampa, Middleton, Caldwell, Notus, 
and Parma. The Boise metropolitan area is the third largest in the 
Pacific Northwest after Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
    The Boise River is highly regulated. Natural flows are modified by 
the three Federal storage projects on the upper river which are jointly 
operated by the Corps (Lucky Peak Dam) and the Bureau of Reclamation 
(Arrowrock and Anderson Ranch Dams) as a system for the primary 
purposes of flood risk reduction and irrigation water supply. 
Additional project facilities include Lake Lowell, an offstream storage 
reservoir operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, and numerous diversion 
canals that are federally or privately operated. Operation of the 
Federal reservoirs is a balancing act between reducing flood risk and 
having sufficient irrigation water for crops by mid-late summer. 
Recreation, hydropower, and general fish and wildlife functions are 
secondary authorized purposes. Water is not released for these purposes 
unless reservoir storage space is assigned for that specific purpose. A 
non-continuous series of non-Federal levees line the Boise River 
through developed areas in downtown Boise, Garden City and Eagle. A few 
are inspected through the Corps' Levee Safety Program, but the majority 
are unregulated and not maintained.
    Complex, interconnected surface water and aquifer systems supply 
current water uses in the valley which includes irrigation and 
domestic, commercial, municipal, and industrial (DCMI) uses. Natural 
flow, stored surface water, and ground water are reused in multiple 
locations across the valley through a network of drains and direct 
discharge into the river. Surface water supplies an estimated 90 
percent of the current DCMI water demand. Approximately 77 percent of 
the annual Boise River flow occurs as snowpack runoff during the March 
to July period.
    The Corps will evaluate alternatives for their ability to reduce 
flood risk and provide water supply to the region. The preliminary 
range of alternatives will include, but is not limited to the 
following:
     No Action;
     Modification of Arrowrock Dam to provide additional flood 
risk management and water supply;
     Modification of Arrowrock Dam along with downstream 
structural modifications, non-structural measures, and modifications to 
existing undeveloped lands to reduce effects from localized flooding;
     Manage aquifer recharge to address future water supply 
along with downstream structural modifications, non-structural 
measures, and

[[Page 22809]]

modifications to existing undeveloped lands to reduce effects from 
localized flooding.
    The Corps invites affected Federal, State, local agencies, Native 
American tribes and other interested organizations and individuals to 
participate in the development of the EIS. Public information meetings 
will be conducted on May 6, 2014 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in Garden 
City, Idaho at the City Hall (6015 Glenwood Street); on May 7, 2014 
from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in Boise, Idaho at the Washington Group Plaza 
Training Room (720 Park Boulevard); on May 7, 2014 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 
p.m. in Caldwell, Idaho at the Caldwell Industrial Airport Hubler 
Conference Room (4814 E. Linden Street); and on May 8, 2014 from 6:00 
p.m.-8:00 p.m. in Idaho City, Idaho at the Ray Robinson Community Hall 
(206 West Commercial Street). The Corps will provide notice to the 
public of additional opportunities for public input on the EIS during 
review periods for the draft and final EIS.
    Issues to be analyzed in the EIS include, but are not limited to:
     Effects to ESA listed bull trout above Arrowrock 
Reservoir;
     Effects to fisheries in the South Fork Boise River;
     Effects to hydropower generation facilities at Arrowrock 
Reservoir;
     Effects to recreation in the South Fork Boise River;
     Effects to cultural resources, including to Arrowrock Dam, 
which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
    The Corps will serve as the lead Federal agency in preparation of 
the EIS. A decision will be made in the near future whether other 
agencies and/or tribes will serve in an official role as cooperating 
agencies or joint lead agencies. The draft EIS is scheduled to be 
available for public review in October 2015. The final EIS is currently 
scheduled to be available for public review in summer 2017.

Andrew D. Kelly,
LTC, EN, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2014-09321 Filed 4-23-14; 8:45 am]
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