[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61584-61585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-28059]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR02800000, 17XR0687ND, RX185279402000000]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report 
for the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage 
Project, Yolo, Sutter, and Solano Counties, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation, as the National Environmental 
Policy Act Federal lead agency, and the California Department of Water 
Resources, as the California Environmental Quality Act State lead 
agency, have made available for public review and comment the Yolo 
Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR). 
Two public meetings will be held to receive comments from individuals 
and organizations on the Draft EIS/EIR.

DATES: Submit written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR on or before 
February 15, 2018.
    Two meetings have been scheduled to receive oral or written 
comments regarding environmental effects:
     Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., 
Woodland, California.
     Thursday, January 18, 2018, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., West 
Sacramento, California.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR to Mr. Ben 
Nelson, Bureau of Reclamation, 801 I Street, Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 
95814, or via email to [email protected].
    The public meetings will be held at the following locations:
     West Sacramento--Community Center, 1075 West Capitol Ave., 
West Sacramento, CA 95691.
     Woodland--Woodland Community and Senior Center, 2001 East 
Street, Woodland, CA 95776.
    Electronic CD copies of the Draft EIS/EIR may be requested from the 
Bureau of Reclamation, at (916) 414-2424, or [email protected]. The 
Draft EIS/EIR is also accessible from the following website: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/BayDeltaOffice/yolo-bypass.html.
    Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS are available for public review at the 
following locations:
    1. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Regional Library, 
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825.
    2. Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I Street, Suite 
140, Sacramento, CA 95814.
    3. Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Mr. Ben Nelson, Bureau 
of Reclamation, at (916) 414-2424, or via email at [email protected]; 
or Ms. Karen Enstrom, Department of Water Resources, at (916) 376-9778, 
or via email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS/EIR addresses methods to 
improve fish passage and increase floodplain fisheries rearing habitat 
in the Yolo Bypass to benefit Sacramento River winter-run Chinook 
salmon, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley 
steelhead, and Southern Distinct Population Segment North American 
green sturgeon. The Project actions would implement Reasonable and 
Prudent Alternative (RPA) actions I.6.1 and I.7, as described in the 
2009 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine

[[Page 61585]]

Fisheries Service Biological Opinion and Conference Opinion on the 
Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water 
Project (NMFS BO) and the 2012 Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration 
and Fish Passage Implementation Plan.
    Substantial modifications have been made to the historical 
floodplain of California's Central Valley for water supply and flood 
damage reduction purposes. The resulting losses of rearing habitat, 
migration corridors, and food web production for fish have adversely 
affected native fish species that rely on floodplain habitat during 
part or all of their life history. The Bureau of Reclamation is 
responsible for managing the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the 
California Department of Water Resources is responsible for operating 
and maintaining the State Water Project (SWP). The SWP and CVP are 
operated in a coordinated manner to deliver water to agricultural, 
municipal, and industrial contractors throughout California. On June 4, 
2009, the NMFS BO concluded that, if left unchanged, CVP and SWP 
operations are likely to jeopardize the continued existence of four 
anadromous species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act: 
Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley spring-run 
Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, and Southern Distinct 
Population Segment North American green sturgeon. The NMFS BO sets 
forth RPA actions that would allow CVP and SWP operations to remain in 
compliance with the Federal Endangered Species Act.
    The purpose of the Project is to enhance floodplain rearing habitat 
and fish passage in the Yolo Bypass and/or suitable areas of the lower 
Sacramento River by implementing RPA actions I.6.1 and I.7. The 
objective of RPA action I.6.1 is to increase the availability of 
floodplain fisheries rearing habitat for juvenile Sacramento River 
winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, 
and Central Valley steelhead. The objective of RPA action I.7 is to 
reduce fish passage migratory delays and loss of fish at Fremont Weir 
and other structures in Yolo Bypass for salmon, steelhead, and 
sturgeon.
    The EIS/EIR analyzes the No Action/No Project Alternative and six 
action alternatives. Alternative 1, East Side Gated Notch, Alternative 
2, Central Gated Notch, and Alternative 3, West Side Gate Notch, would 
allow up to 6,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) of increased flow from 
the Sacramento River to enter the Yolo Bypass through a gated notch on 
the east side, center, and west side, respectively, of Fremont Weir. 
Alternative 4, West Side Gated Notch--Managed Flow, would allow up to 
3,000 cfs of flow to enter the Yolo Bypass through a gated notch in 
Fremont Weir in the same western location as Alternative 3 and would 
incorporate water control structures to maintain inundation in defined 
areas for longer periods of time. Alternative 5, Central Multiple Gated 
Notches, includes multiple gates so that the deeper gate could allow 
more flow to enter the bypass when the river is at lower elevations to 
capture more fish during winter-run outmigration, with a maximum flow 
entering the Yolo Bypass of about 3,400 cfs. Alternative 6, West Side 
Large Gated Notch, would allow a higher flow of up to 12,000 cfs into 
the bypass to capture more fish when the Sacramento River is at lower 
elevations through a large notch in the western location of Fremont 
Weir.
    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
hearing, please contact Ms. Sarah McBride at (916) 978-5108, or via 
email at [email protected]. Please contact Ms. McBride at least 10 
working days prior to the meeting. A telephone device for the hearing 
impaired (TDD) is available at (916) 978-5608.
    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.

    Dated: December 21, 2017.
Federico Barajas,
Deputy Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-28059 Filed 12-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P