[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 114 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27522-27524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12398]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR02800000, 17XR0680A3, RX178689471000000]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Shasta Dam Fish Passage 
Evaluation, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent and scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation. The 
document will evaluate the program that will be used to implement the 
near-term actions identified under Action V in the National Marine 
Fisheries Service's 2009 Biological Opinion and Conference Opinion on 
the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water 
Project Reasonable and Prudent Alternative. This EIS will evaluate the 
near-term actions of reintroducing Federally-listed endangered winter-
run Chinook salmon and potentially spring-run Chinook salmon to 
historical habitats.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before 
July 21, 2017.
    Oral and written comments will also be accepted during two scoping 
meetings held to solicit public input on alternatives, concerns, and 
issues to be addressed in the EIS:
    1. Tuesday, June 27, 2017, 2-4 p.m., Sacramento, CA.
    2. Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 6-8 p.m., Lakehead, CA.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Carolyn Bragg, Natural Resources 
Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I Street, 
Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 95814-2536; fax to (916) 414-2439; or email 
at [email protected].
    The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Sacramento--Federal Building, Cafeteria Room C-1001, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
    2. Lakehead--Lakehead Lions Club, 20814 Mammoth Drive, Lakehead, CA 
96051.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn Bragg, (916) 414-2433, fax 
(916) 414-2439, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Agencies Involved

    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) will invite the following 
agencies to participate as cooperating agencies for the preparation of 
the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA): National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and 
Wildlife, California Department of Water Resources, California State 
Water Resources Control Board, Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and 
additional Federal and State agencies with jurisdiction in the project 
area.

II. Why We Are Taking This Action

    The National Marine Fisheries Service's 2009 Biological Opinion and 
Conference Opinion on the Long-term Operation of the Central Valley 
Project and State Water Project (NMFS BO) concluded that the continued 
operation of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project 
were likely to jeopardize the continued existence of four anadromous 
species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act: Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Central 
Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), California 
Central Valley steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and the Southern 
Distinct Population Segment of North American green sturgeon (Acipenser 
medirostris). The NMFS BO sets forth a Reasonable and Prudent

[[Page 27523]]

Alternative (RPA) that if implemented, will allow the Central Valley 
Project and State Water Project to operate in compliance with the 
Endangered Species Act.
    RPA Action V includes an evaluation of the potential reintroduction 
of Federally-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead to historical 
habitats. Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation (SDFPE) is an effort to 
determine the feasibility of reintroducing winter-run and spring-run 
Chinook salmon and steelhead to tributaries above Shasta Dam. The SDFPE 
is separated into near-term and long-term actions. As part of the 
requirements of the RPA, Reclamation, in coordination with the 
Interagency Fish Passage Steering Committee, is developing the Pilot 
Program as an adaptive management process to evaluate the near-term 
reintroduction of Chinook salmon into historical habitat above Shasta 
Dam.
    Reclamation is focusing the initial near-term goals of re-
introducing winter-run and potentially spring-run Chinook salmon 
upstream of Shasta Dam as the location based on: a) the imperiled 
status of winter-run Chinook salmon and the resulting urgency to move 
these fish back into their historical habitats as a means of reducing 
extinction risk; and b) the good habitat conditions. NMFS requires the 
use of Federally-listed Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, 
either from the wild in the Sacramento River and/or the Livingston 
Stone National Fish Hatchery conservation program in order to meet the 
goals of RPA Action V.
    Reclamation has prepared a Draft Pilot Implementation Plan and an 
unpublished Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment for the proposed 
action, which can be found at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice/shasta-dam-fish-pass.html. The initial analysis conducted indicated 
uncertainties associated with the resources analyzed. Given these 
uncertainties, Reclamation has decided to prepare an EIS. If the near-
term actions indicate that long-term fish passage of listed salmonids 
is feasible and practical to implement, then in accordance with RPA 
Action V, Reclamation will develop and implement a Long-Term Fish 
Passage Program, which would require additional environmental 
documentation.

III. Purpose and Need for Action

    The range of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon has been 
reduced by Keswick and Shasta dams on the Sacramento River and by 
hydroelectric dam development on Battle Creek. Currently, Sacramento 
River winter-run Chinook salmon spawning is limited to the mainstem 
Sacramento River downstream of Shasta and Keswick dams where the 
naturally-spawning population is maintained by cool water releases from 
the dams. Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon spawning occurs 
primarily in other Sacramento River tributaries. The need for the 
proposed action arises from projections of increased incidences of 
temperature related impacts to listed anadromous fish, and their 
resulting vulnerability below Shasta Dam. The purpose of the proposed 
action is to evaluate the feasibility of establishing self-sustaining 
populations of listed anadromous fish above Shasta Lake. The Pilot 
Program seeks to do this by evaluating various aspects of 
reintroduction including the biological and technological challenges.

IV. Project Area

    The project area includes Shasta Lake, the Sacramento River from 
Shasta Lake upstream to Box Canyon Dam, and the McCloud River from 
Shasta Lake upstream to McCloud Dam. The project area is within Shasta 
and Siskiyou Counties.

V. Alternatives To Be Considered

    The Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment included analysis of 
reasonable alternatives that could potentially be considered to meet 
the purpose and need of the proposed near-term actions of this EIS 
under Action V for the reintroduction of Federally-listed Chinook 
salmon to historical habitats. A habitat assessment was conducted of 
the mainstem reaches of the Upper Sacramento River and McCloud River as 
part of the development of the Pilot Implementation Plan. The 
assessment found good habitat conditions in both watersheds. The Pilot 
Program includes multiple pilot studies intended to be conducted on a 
short-term basis to answer questions regarding feasibility of a Long-
term Fish Passage Program. The Preliminary Draft Environmental 
Assessment included analysis of two alternatives; introduction of 
Federally-listed endangered winter-run Chinook salmon and potentially 
spring-run Chinook salmon to the Upper Sacramento River and McCloud 
River in different years and the introduction of Federally-listed 
endangered winter-run Chinook salmon and potentially spring-run Chinook 
salmon to both the Upper Sacramento River and the McCloud River at the 
same time. Additional alternatives may be identified during the scoping 
process, and potential environmental effects of these alternatives will 
be evaluated in this EIS. The results of the proposed action will 
facilitate a determination by the Interagency Fish Passage Steering 
Committee as to whether it is feasible or practical to implement a 
full-scale and long-term reintroduction of listed anadromous fish in 
the watershed above Shasta Lake.

VI. Statutory Authority

    National Marine Fisheries Service's 2009 Biological Opinion and 
Conference Opinion on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley 
Project and State Water Project RPA Action V obligates the U.S. 
Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, to evaluate the 
feasibility for the reintroduction of winter-run and spring-run Chinook 
salmon and steelhead upstream of Shasta, Folsom and New Melones dams. 
NEPA [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] requires that Federal agencies conduct an 
environmental analysis of their proposed actions to determine if the 
actions may significantly affect the human environment. As required by 
NEPA, Reclamation will analyze in the EIS the potential direct, 
indirect, and cumulative environmental effects that may result from 
implementation of the proposed action and alternatives, which may 
include, but are not limited to, the following areas of potential 
impact: Surface Water Resources, Hazardous Materials, Fisheries and 
Aquatic Species, Wildlife, Botanical Resources, Visual, Scenic, or 
Aesthetic Resources, Air Quality, Noise, Transportation, Public 
Services, and Utilities, Recreation, Cultural Resources, 
Socioeconomics, Environmental Justice, Indian Trust Assets and Indian 
Sacred Sites, Global climate change/greenhouse gas emissions.

VII. Request for Comments

    The purposes of this notice are:
     To advise other agencies, potentially affected local 
governments, tribes, and the public of our intention to gather 
information to support the preparation of an EIS;
     To obtain suggestions and information from other agencies, 
interested parties, and the public on the scope of alternatives and 
issues to be addressed in the EIS; and.
     To identify important issues raised by the public related 
to the development and implementation of the proposed action.
    We invite written comments from interested parties to ensure that 
the full range of alternatives and issues related to the development of 
the proposed action are identified. Written comments may be submitted 
by mail, electronic

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mail, facsimile transmission or in person listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice. Comments and participation in the scoping 
process are encouraged.

VIII. 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 can 
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.

IX. How To Request Reasonable Accommodation

    If special assistance is required at one of the scoping meetings, 
please contact Carolyn Bragg at the information provided in the FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice, or (TTY) 800-877-
8339, at least five working days before the meetings. Information 
regarding this proposed action is available in alternative formats upon 
request.

    Dated: June 9, 2017.
 Pablo R. Arroyave,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-12398 Filed 6-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P