[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19095-19096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09185]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLORN03000.L63100000.DB0000.17XL1116AF.252Z.HAG 17-0170]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety 
Environmental Impact Statement in Lane County, Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Siuslaw Field Office, Northwest 
Oregon District, intends to prepare the Hult Reservoir and Dam Safety 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Through this Notice, the BLM is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This Notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments may be submitted in writing until May 31, 2018. The date(s) 
and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through email and the ePlanning website. In order to be 
included in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the 
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the EIS by any of the 
following methods:
     Email: [email protected]; ATTN: 
Panchita Paulete, Hult Dam and Reservoir Safety EIS.
     Fax: 541-683-6981; ATTN: Panchita Paulete, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 3106 Pierce Parkway, 
Suite E, Springfield, OR 97477-7909.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Northwest Oregon District's Springfield Interagency Office located at 
3106 Pierce Parkway in Springfield, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Panchita Paulete, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator; 541-683-6976; 
[email protected] Contact Ms. Paulete if you wish 
to add your name to our mailing list. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1(800) 877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hult Reservoir is located within the 
Lake Creek fifth-field watershed, near the community of Horton, Oregon, 
within the Siuslaw Field Office of the Northwest Oregon District at 
Township 15S, Range 7W, Sections 23 and 26, in Lane County, Oregon.
    The Hult Reservoir is a 41-acre man-made lake, approximately a 
half-mile long and less than a quarter-mile wide. The reservoir's depth 
ranges from approximately 15 feet to 35 feet, and contains another 10 
to 15 feet of soft, silty sand. Below depths of 25 to 43 feet, it is 
estimated that the foundation of the reservoir consists of landslide 
deposits, which generally include cobbles, bounders, and large rock 
beds. The dam is an earthen dam which consists of loose rock placed on 
the downstream face.
    The dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir were originally constructed 
in 1950 to create a holding pond for logs by the Hult Timber Company. 
These lands were transferred to the BLM in 1994. During severe winter 
weather, the amount of rainfall in the catchment area contributes 
substantially to the water levels in the reservoir. The dam requires 
constant monitoring and adjustment of the outflow valve by BLM 
engineers to avoid overwhelming the current water level controls in 
place. Since the transfer of ownership, costly renovations to the dam 
(e.g., grouting, reinforcement structures, and monitoring devices) have 
been ongoing to address structural and safety concerns.
    In July 2012, the BLM completed a Comprehensive Dam Evaluation on 
the dam and spillway at Hult Reservoir, which found eleven potential 
failure modes presenting unacceptable high risks for dam failure, five 
of which warrant expedited action to address. These evaluations of the 
dam infrastructure also identified that the dam and spillway are 
currently at an elevated cumulative risk posed by all possible failure 
modes and associated potential life loss. In 2016, the BLM implemented 
improvements to the dam infrastructure, which improved some elements 
presenting cumulative risk. However, there is still a need to address 
the remaining cumulative safety risks associated with the dam at Hult 
Reservoir.
    The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of infrastructure 
failure at Hult Dam from excessive water and sediment loading, within 
the scope of what the BLM could reasonably fund and within the scope of 
the BLM's jurisdiction.
    The EIS will analyze a range of alternatives to provide for a long-
term management approach. The EIS will analyze a No Action alternative 
that would analyze the continued management and standard maintenance of 
Hult Dam in the current conditions. Some potential action alternatives 
include:
     Improving the existing dam infrastructure: This 
alternative would retain all existing dam infrastructure, but would 
implement patches, reinforcements, or other additions

[[Page 19096]]

necessary to ensure the safety and function of the structures.
     Removing the existing infrastructure and rebuilding the 
dam: This alternative would remove all existing dam infrastructure and 
rebuild the dam to necessary safety standards and flow functionality.
     Removing the dam and draining the reservoir: This 
alternative would permanently remove existing dam infrastructure to 
allow for permanent draining of the reservoir.
    Some of the anticipated concerns and resources that may be affected 
for this project include: Recreational opportunities, socioeconomic 
values, sediment routing, hydrologic flow controls, fisheries, 
sensitive plants, invasive and noxious weeds, cultural resources, 
access routes, and engineering design/safety. The BLM has identified 
the following potential issues to analyze in the EIS:
     How would the alternatives affect the safety risks to 
visitors and local communities from dam failure?
     How much would the alternatives cost to implement?
     How would the alternatives affect revenues of the local 
communities?
     How would the alternatives affect Endangered Species Act 
(ESA)-listed fish passage?
     How would the alternatives affect ESA-listed fish habitat, 
including water temperature?
     How would the alternatives affect downstream water 
quantity available for consumptive water rights?
     How would the alternatives affect the historic value of 
the dam?
     How would the alternatives affect visitor recreation 
access and opportunities?
     How would the alternatives affect BLM-managed recreation 
sites?
     How would the alternatives affect existing populations of 
Bureau sensitive species plants?
     How would the alternatives affect the introduction and 
spread of invasive plants?
    Access to lands to the north of Hult Dam may be impacted during 
implementation of some potential action alternatives. The EIS will 
include analysis of changes to access from engineering design of the 
alternatives and the effect on safety.
    The BLM is conducting an evaluation of the dam to determine if the 
structure would qualify as a National Historic Property.
    Hult Dam has a fish ladder that does not function for passing 
Oregon coastal coho salmon. The non-functional fish ladder at the dam 
site currently blocks upstream fish passage to several miles of 
designated Oregon coastal coho critical habitat. Oregon coastal coho 
salmon are listed as threatened under the ESA.
    Two BLM sensitive aquatic plant species are present at the northern 
end of Hult Reservoir in a marsh: Bog clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) 
and humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba). The noxious weed parrots 
feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) occurs in the reservoir, as does the 
non-native invasive weed reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). 
Herbicide use to manage the spread of the noxious and non-native 
invasive may be part of the alternatives considered.
    At this time, the reservoir upstream of the dam is managed as the 
Hult Reservoir Recreation Site Special Recreation Management Area, 
which offers opportunities for camping, day use, swimming, fishing, and 
scenic driving. There are no developed campsites; however, two vault 
toilets are available to the public.
    In December 2016, the BLM brought in a neutral third-party 
contractor to conduct stakeholder assessments and assist with 
facilitation of public involvement for this project. In March 2017, the 
contractor conducted in-person interviews with sixteen stakeholders, 
primarily in the town of Horton, Oregon, and in Triangle Lake 
community. Stakeholders represented property owners near the Hult 
Reservoir, local business owners, Triangle Lake School staff members, 
Siuslaw Watershed Council members, and fishing interest groups. The BLM 
will continue to use this neutral third-party contractor throughout the 
EIS process to assist with public outreach and engagement.
    Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
project that the BLM is evaluating are invited to participate in the 
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the 
BLM to participate in the development of the EIS as a cooperating 
agency. The BLM will consult with The Confederated Tribes of the Grand 
Ronde; Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw 
Indians; and Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians during this 
analysis process.
    Instructions for submitting a public comment are provided under the 
ADDRESSES section above, and are provided on the BLM's ePlanning page 
for this EIS. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, 
please 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.

Jamie E. Connell,
State Director, Oregon/Washington.
[FR Doc. 2018-09185 Filed 4-30-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P