[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16061-16062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07303]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the City 
of Abilene, Texas, Cedar Ridge Reservoir Water Supply Project

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 (USACE) is preparing an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative effects of a proposed water supply project, the Cedar 
Ridge Reservoir, proposed by the City of Abilene, TX. A Clean Water Act 
Section 404 permit would be required for the construction and operation 
of the proposed Project since it would result in permanent and 
temporary impacts to waters of the United States. The Project, as 
proposed by the applicant, is intended to provide approximately 34,400 
acre-feet of new reliable water supply to address additional water 
supply needs. The Cedar Ridge Project would be a non-federal project 
constructed, owned, and operated by the City of Abilene.

DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held May 16, 2018, 4:00 to 8:00 
p.m., in Abilene, TX.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting location will be at the Abilene 
Convention Center, 1100 North 6th Street, Abilene, TX.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments regarding the 
proposed action and EIS should be addressed to Mr. Frederick J. Land, 
Regulatory Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regulatory 
Division, 819 Taylor Street, Room 3A37, Fort Worth, TX 76102; (817) 
886-1731; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USACE will be conducting a public 
scoping meeting (see DATES and ADDRESSES) to describe the proposed 
Project, resources initially considered to be affected, the NEPA 
compliance process, and to solicit input on the issues and alternatives 
to be evaluated

[[Page 16062]]

and other related matters. Written comments for scoping will be 
accepted until June 15, 2018. The USACE has prepared a scoping 
announcement to familiarize agencies, the public, and interested 
organizations with the proposed Project and potential environmental 
issues that may be involved. Copies of the scoping announcement will be 
available at the public scoping meetings or can be requested by mail. 
The public Scoping meetings will include an `open house' format and a 
presentation of information. Although written comments are encouraged, 
no formal public statements or public testimony will be taken at this 
time.
    The applicant is proposing to construct and operate a new 227,127 
acre-foot reservoir, with a proposed surface area of 6,635 acres at 
conservation pool and an additional 2,151 acres at flood pool formed by 
an approximately 5,200-foot long earthen dam. Proposed impacts to 
waters of the United States at the project site include fill and 
inundation of 29-miles of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and 
inundation of 43 miles of intermittent and ephemeral tributaries to the 
Clear Fork. In addition, the proposed project would result in 
downstream impacts associated with hydrologic alterations. As part of 
the proposed project, other facilities to be constructed include two 
spillways, a multi-level outlet works, a pump station and 34-mile 
pipeline, roadways, and construction areas. The pump station and 
pipeline would affect areas that may be waters of the United States. 
Construction of the dam and associated facilities would require the 
placement of approximately 16,000 cubic yards of fill material below 
the ordinary high water mark of the river and a small amount of fill in 
an ephemeral tributary. The construction of the dam and spillways would 
require 117 acres of land. Temporary and permanent construction of the 
pump station, pipeline, access roadways, laydown areas, and borrow 
areas could impact an estimated 1,100 acres of land area.
    The proposed project would be located primarily in northwest 
Shackelford County on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River with small 
portions located in adjacent Haskell, Jones, and Throckmorton counties 
in West Central Texas. The southern limit of the proposed reservoir 
would be approximately 25 miles northeast of Abilene, TX, near the town 
of Lueders, TX. The upstream limit of the reservoir would be located 
0.4 river miles upstream from the State Highway (SH) 6 bridge over the 
Clear Fork near Lueders, TX. The downstream limit of the reservoir 
would be approximately 15 aerial miles downstream of the SH 6 bridge.
    The EIS would be prepared according to the USACE's procedures at 33 
CFR 230 and 325 Appendix B for implementing the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and 
consistent with the USACE's policy to facilitate public understanding 
and review of agency proposals. As part of the EIS process, the need 
for and purpose of the proposal as well as a full range of reasonable 
alternatives, including the proposed Project and no action, would be 
evaluated. Alternatives considered by the Applicant include developing 
new reservoirs at other locations including South Bend Reservoir, 
Double Mountain Reservoir (east or west sites), and Breckenridge 
Reservoir. Non-reservoir alternatives include securing additional water 
via a pipeline from Possum Kingdom reservoir, developing a scalping 
operation from Clear Fork to Hubbard Creek reservoir, water purchases, 
additional development of groundwater resources, and water reuse. The 
initial resource categories anticipated to be evaluated for direct, 
indirect and cumulative effects from the construction and operation of 
the project include soils, geology, mineral resources, geomorphology, 
surface and groundwater, hydrology, water rights and water use, air 
quality, noise, climate change, wetlands, water quality, fisheries, 
aquatics, vegetation, wildlife, threatened and endangered species, 
state sensitive species, transportation, visuals and aesthetics, 
cultural resources, paleontological resources, land use, energy use, 
property ownership, recreation, socioeconomics, hazardous materials, 
health and safety, and environmental justice.
    The USACE has invited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife 
Department, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Water 
Quality Division, and the Texas Historical Commission to be cooperating 
agencies in the formulation of the EIS.
    At this time it is projected that a Draft EIS could be released by 
Fall 2021.

Stephen L Brooks,
Chief, Regulatory Division, Fort Worth District.
[FR Doc. 2018-07303 Filed 4-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P