[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 126 (Monday, July 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30895-30896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13926]



[[Page 30895]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR02030000, 17XR0687NA, RX185279056002000]


Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion, 
Contra Costa County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation, as the National Environmental 
Policy Act Federal lead agency, and the Contra Costa Water District, as 
the California Environmental Quality Act State lead agency, have made 
available for public review and comment the Los Vaqueros Reservoir 
Expansion Project Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Draft SEIS/EIR). The Draft SEIS/
EIR describes and presents the environmental effects of the No-Action 
Alternative and four action alternatives. Six public hearings will be 
held to receive comments from individuals and organizations on the 
Draft SEIS/EIR.

DATES: Submit written comments on the Draft SEIS/EIR on or before 
September 1, 2017.
    Six public hearings have been scheduled to receive oral or written 
comments regarding environmental effects:

 Tuesday, July 11, 2017, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Sacramento, CA
 Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Santa Clara, CA
 Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Concord, CA
 Thursday, July 20, 2017, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Oakland, CA
 Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Brentwood, CA
 Thursday, July 27, 2017, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Los Banos, CA

    A 1-hour open house to view project information and interact with 
the project team will precede each public hearing.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the Draft SEIS/EIR to Ms. Lisa 
Rainger, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825, 
or [email protected].
    Electronic CD copies of the Draft SEIS/EIR may be requested from 
Ms. Marguerite Patil, Contra Costa Water District, at 925-688-8018, or 
[email protected]. The Draft SEIS/EIR is also accessible from the 
following Web site: http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=903.
    The public hearings will be held at the following locations:

 Sacramento--Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I Street, 
Sacramento, CA 95814
 Santa Clara--Santa Clara Valley Water District, 5750 Almaden 
Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95118
 Concord--Contra Costa Water District, 1331 Concord Avenue, 
Concord, CA 94520
 Oakland--East Bay Municipal Utility District, 375 11th Street, 
Oakland, CA 94607
 Brentwood--Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak Street, 
Brentwood, CA 94513
 Los Banos--San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
Headquarters and Visitors Center, 7376 S. Wolfsen Road, Los Banos, CA 
93635

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Rainger, Bureau of 
Reclamation, at 916-978-5090 (TDD 916-978-5608), or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft SEIS/EIR documents the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects to the physical, biological, and 
socioeconomic environment that may result from the expansion of Los 
Vaqueros Reservoir.
    The Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project Draft SEIS/EIR 
evaluates expanding the existing Los Vaqueros Reservoir and conveyance 
facilities. Los Vaqueros Reservoir was previously expanded to 160 
thousand acre-feet (TAF), and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) 
and Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) are currently evaluating the 
second phase of expansion up to the 275 TAF capacity. The project 
objectives consist of: (1) Developing water supplies for environmental 
water management that supports fish protection, habitat management, and 
other environmental water needs; (2) increasing water supply 
reliability for water providers within the San Francisco Bay Area, to 
help meet municipal and industrial water demands during drought periods 
and emergencies or to address shortages due to regulatory and 
environmental restrictions; and (3) improving the quality of water 
deliveries to municipal and industrial customers in the San Francisco 
Bay Area, without impairing the project's ability to meet the 
environmental and water supply reliability objectives stated above.
    One of the five potential surface storage projects described in the 
CALFED Bay-Delta Program's long-term plan is the expansion of the 
existing Los Vaqueros Reservoir, an existing 160,000 acre-foot off-
stream surface storage facility, located in Contra Costa County, 
California. The existing facility is owned and operated by CCWD.
    The primary study area includes the Los Vaqueros Reservoir 
watershed and associated dam and reservoir facilities, which are 
situated in the coastal foothills west of the Delta and east of the Bay 
Area, the central and south Delta, and service areas of Bay Area water 
agencies. The Bay Area water agencies and additional water agencies 
served by the Central Valley Project potentially affected include CCWD, 
Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Zone 7, 
Alameda County Water District, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation 
Agency, Byron-Bethany Irrigation District, City of Brentwood, East Bay 
Municipal Utility District, East Contra Costa Irrigation District, San 
Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water 
Authority, and Santa Clara Valley Water District. Due to the project 
influence on other programs and projects, an extended study area is 
defined to include the service areas of the Central Valley of 
California and south-of-Delta wildlife refuges.
    Reclamation was authorized in Public Law 108-7 (Omnibus 
Appropriations Act of 2003) and re-affirmed in Public Law 108-361 
(2004) to conduct a feasibility-level investigation of the potential 
expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Planning studies have focused on 
identifying water resources problems, needs, and opportunities in the 
primary study area; developing a set of planning objectives; and 
formulating alternatives.
    If special assistance is required at the public hearings, please 
contact Ms. Lisa Rainger at 916-978-5090, or via email at 
[email protected]. Please notify Ms. Rainger as far in advance as 
possible to enable Reclamation to secure the needed services. If a 
request cannot be honored, the requestor will be notified. A telephone 
device for the hearing impaired (TTY) is available at 800-877-8339.
    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.


[[Page 30896]]


    Dated: May 17, 2017.
Pablo R. Arroyave,
Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-13926 Filed 6-30-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P