[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 32 (Friday, February 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11024-11025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03203]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement, Mill Creek Project Operation and Maintenance, Walla 
Walla County, in the State of Washington

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 a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), in compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for the continued 
operation and maintenance (O&M) of the federally managed portion of the 
Mill Creek Flood Control Project (Project) at Walla Walla, Washington, 
and implementation of actions to avoid or minimize potential effects to 
Endangered Species Act (ESA)--listed fish and/or associated critical 
habitat. The SEIS will supplement the June 1975, Mill Creek Project, 
Walla Walla, Washington, Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), 
prepared by the Corps for the operation, maintenance, and improvement 
of the federally managed portion of the Project. The SEIS will identify 
and evaluate current O&M actions that may not have been adequately 
addressed in the 1975 FEIS or have been implemented since completion of 
the 1975 FEIS, and actions that are proposed for the future. It will 
also identify and evaluate operational and structural measures the 
Corps has proposed to improve fish passage through the Project. The 
1975 FEIS did not adequately address the effects of the Project on fish 
species, particularly Mid-Columbia River steelhead and Columbia Basin 
bull trout. These species were listed under the ESA in the 1990's, and 
both Mill Creek and Yellowhawk Creek (a distributary of Mill Creek) 
have been designated as critical habitat.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to Walla Walla District, Corps of 
Engineers, CENWW-PPL-C, Mill Creek SEIS, 201 North Third Avenue, Walla 
Walla, WA 99362-1876, or submitted via email to [email protected] 
and inserting ``Mill Creek SEIS'' in the subject line. Comments may 
also be submitted at the public scoping meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and SEIS can be answered by Mr. Alex Colter, Project Manager, Walla 
Walla District, Corps of Engineers, CENWW-PM-PPL-P, 201 North Third 
Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876, phone (509) 527-7254; or Ms. Sandra 
Shelin, NEPA Coordinator, Walla Walla District, Corps of Engineers, 
CENWW-PPL-C, 201 North Third Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876, phone 
(509) 527-7265; or via email to [email protected] and inserting 
``Mill Creek SEIS'' in the subject line.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Mill Creek Flood Control Project (MCFCP) 
was constructed to provide flood risk reduction for the City of Walla 
Walla (City) and adjacent downstream areas. The major structural 
components of the Project were completed in 1942 with minor components 
added thereafter. Fish ladders were constructed in 1982. The federally 
managed portion of the MCFCP (Project) consists of a diversion dam on 
Mill Creek to divert flood waters about 1\1/2\ miles upstream of the 
City to an off-stream storage reservoir (Bennington Lake); a dam that 
impounds Bennington Lake; a division works downstream on Mill Creek to 
direct flows into two distributaries, Yellowhawk and Garrison creeks; 
and about one mile of engineered channel extending between the 
diversion dam to just downstream of the division works. The local flood 
control district maintains the remaining six miles of engineered 
channel extending downstream from the federally managed channel through 
the City to Gose Street Bridge in Walla Walla County. The primary 
purpose of the Project is to provide flood risk management, but 
recreation was added as a project purpose in 1944. The Project also 
provides fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities 
associated with fish and wildlife. For the purpose of this SEIS, the 
``Project'' consists of only the federally operated and maintained 
portion of the MCFCP.
    The Corps has identified several on-going O&M activities that may 
not have been adequately addressed in the 1975 FEIS or were implemented 
after the 1975 FEIS, as well as proposed new O&M actions. These 
include:

On-Going O&M

     Update pest management to address invasive species.
     Perform levee vegetation maintenance.
     Periodically remove accumulated sediment from the 
diversion dam forebay.
     Periodically remove debris from the Russell Creek Canal 
(used to drain flood flows from Bennington Lake).
     Perform trail construction and maintenance.
     Install recreation features such as benches and shelters.
     Maintain a conservation pool for fish stocking and 
recreational use of Bennington Lake.

Proposed New O&M Actions

     Plant food plots for pollinating insects.
     Construct an interpretive center.
     Use prescribed burning to manage vegetation.
     Upgrade and improve the water seepage monitoring system at 
the storage dam.
     Remove accumulated sediment from around the intake tower 
in Bennington Lake.
     Evaluate the flow level for starting to divert flood flows 
into Bennington Lake.

[[Page 11025]]

    The Corps initiated consultation with the National Marine Fisheries 
Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Services) on the 
effects of Project O&M activities on species listed under ESA. As part 
of that consultation, the Corps has proposed several conservation 
measures that would modify structures or O&M of the Project. The 
Services are preparing their respective Biological Opinions (BiOps) and 
the Corps expects the Services may incorporate the conservation 
measures as part of their respective BiOps. The Corps will need to 
complete applicable environmental compliance, including evaluation 
under NEPA, prior to adopting and implementing any terms and conditions 
in the BiOps. The proposed SEIS would constitute that evaluation under 
NEPA. The Corps has proposed several measures to improve conditions for 
steelhead and bull trout, including the following, subject to authority 
and funding:
     Use an existing Memorandum of Understanding with 
Washington Department of Ecology to continue to allow diversion of 
flows down Yellowhawk Creek during non-flood periods to benefit fish.
     Construct a low flow channel through the remaining 81 
weirs in the one-mile section of engineered channel managed by the 
Corps.
     Construct a new fish ladder at the diversion dam.
     Construct a new fish ladder at the division works.
     Continue fish passage monitoring.
     Continue to operate and maintain the rotating drum fish 
screens at the entrance to the intake canal to prevent diversion of 
fish to Bennington Lake during non-flood flow diversions.
     Strive to make non-flood flow diversions to Bennington 
Lake when those diversions will not reduce flows in the engineered 
channel below an acceptable minimum flow.
     Conduct fish salvage, as necessary, during O&M activities 
that have the potential to strand fish.
     Use trap nets or similar methods to capture fish after a 
flood event if an unscreened diversion of flood flows into Bennington 
Lake occurs.
     Perform in-water work during identified in-water work 
windows.
     Take specific precautions to minimize effects of operating 
vehicles in or near streams.
    The SEIS may address some of the measures, alternatives, and 
impacts on a programmatic level. However, the SEIS will present the 
coordination and environmental review steps the Corps will take with 
regard to any subsequent site-specific actions.
    Request for Scoping Comments: The Corps invites affected Federal, 
state, and local agencies, affected Native American tribes, and other 
interested organizations and persons to participate in the development 
of the SEIS. The Corps invites interested parties to provide specific 
comments on issues and alternatives the Corps should evaluate in the 
SEIS related to the continued O&M of the Project. Comments, requests to 
be placed on the SEIS mailing list, and requests for information may be 
submitted to either of the addresses above. All comments and materials 
received, including names and addresses, will become part of the 
administrative record and may be released to the public. Interested 
parties should not submit confidential business or otherwise sensitive 
or protected information.
    Public Scoping Meeting: The Corps currently plans to conduct a 
public scoping meeting for this SEIS in early 2017. The exact date, 
time, and location of the scoping meeting has not yet been determined. 
The Corps will publicize this information once the meeting arrangements 
have been made. The draft SEIS is currently scheduled to be available 
for public review in fall 2017. The final SEIS is currently scheduled 
to be available for public review in summer 2018.

Lieutenant Damon A. Delarosa,
LTC, EN, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2017-03203 Filed 2-16-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P