[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 127 (Monday, July 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30923-30925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14187]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Draft Feasibility Report and 
Integrated Environmental Impact Statement for the Adams and Denver 
Counties, Colorado General Investigation Study, Adams and Denver 
County, Colorado

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has made available 
for public review and comment the Adams and Denver Counties, Colorado 
General Investigation Study Draft Feasibility Report and Integrated 
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS). The Draft EIS analyzes and 
discloses potential effects associated with the proposed Federal action 
to restore aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitat along the South 
Platte River and implement flood risk management solutions along Weir 
Gulch and Harvard Gulch.

DATES: The public comment period on the Draft EIS begins on July 2, 
2018 and will last 45 days. Submit written comments on the Draft EIS on 
or before August 16, 2018. Three public meetings to share information 
and for the public to provide oral or written comments will be held for 
specific study segments at the following locations:
     Weir Gulch: Tuesday, July 31, 2018, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 
at Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker Street, Denver, CO 80219.
     South Platte River: Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 5:30 p.m. 
to 7:30 p.m. at REI, 1416 Platte Street, 3rd Floor, Denver, CO 80202.
     Harvard Gulch: Thursday, August 2, 2018, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 
p.m. at Porter Hospital, 2525 S Downing Street, Grand Mesa Conference 
Room (2nd Floor), Denver, CO 80210.
    The parking garage is available and access is through the main 
hospital entrance. Each meeting will begin with an open house at 5:30 
p.m. followed by a formal 30-minute presentation at 6:00 p.m., with the 
rest of the meeting consisting of an open house until 7:30 p.m.

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ADDRESSES: Send written comments, requests to be added to the mailing 
list, or requests for sign language interpretation for the hearing 
impaired or other special assistance needs to U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers Omaha District, ATTN: CENWO-PMA-A, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, 
NE 68102; or email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeffrey Bohlken, U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, NE 68102, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Corps is issuing this notice pursuant to 
section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; the Council on 
Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations for implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA, 43 CFR parts 1500 through 1508; the 
Department of the Interior's NEPA regulations, 43 CFR part 46.
    Background Information. The Adams and Denver Counties, Colorado 
General Investigation Study is located in eastern Colorado in Adams and 
Denver Counties. The study area includes three streams--the South 
Platte River, Weir Gulch, and Harvard Gulch. The Weir and Harvard 
Gulches are tributaries to the South Platte River. Stream-specific 
project areas were established for each stream and are as follows:

 South Platte River--6th Ave to 58th Ave.
 Harvard Gulch--Colorado Blvd. to the confluence
 Weir Gulch--Just west of Sheridan Blvd. to the confluence, 
including 1st Ave. and Dakota Ave. Tributaries

    Original authority for the Adams County, Colorado study was 
expanded by a resolution adopted 24 September, 2008, by the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, 
Docket 2813, Adams and Denver Counties, Colorado, directing the USACE 
to conduct a study on flood damage reduction, floodplain management, 
water supply, water quality improvement, recreation, environmental 
restoration, watershed management, and other allied purposes along the 
South Platte River and its tributaries in Adams and Denver Counties, 
Colorado. Additional study guidelines were provided by the USACE 
Northwestern Division, ensuring that the Omaha District developed 
measures that focus on environmental restoration (e.g., migratory bird 
habitat, wetlands, etc.) rather than primarily targeting improvement of 
aesthetic features.
    This notice announces the availability of the Draft EIS and begins 
a 45-day public comment period on the range of alternatives and effects 
analysis. Analysis in the Draft EIS will support a decision on the 
selection of an alternative. The Draft EIS can be accessed at: http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Project-Reports/. 
The Corps is serving as the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis 
process and preparation of the Draft EIS. No Cooperating Agencies were 
established for this study.
    Project Alternatives. The purpose of the Adams and Denver Counties, 
Colorado General Investigation Study is to restore aquatic, wetland, 
and riparian habitat along the South Platte River. Along Weir and 
Harvard Gulches, the purpose of the study is to implement flood risk 
management improvements. The Draft EIS analyzes 10 alternatives which 
includes a No Action Alternative for each stream.
    South Platte River Alternative 1. The South Platte River No Action 
Alternative (NAA) would involve continued ongoing operation and 
maintenance of existing flood risk management features, operation and 
maintenance of constructed habitat restoration projects, and associated 
activities to comply with state and Federal law. Some actions expected 
to be taken under the no action alternative would include the 
redevelopment of the National Western Center (including some ecosystem 
restoration features along the east bank of the South Platte River and 
floodplain), relocation of sewage lines along the east bank, minor 
ongoing invasive species removal efforts, and ongoing water quality 
improvement efforts. Several ongoing master planning efforts and their 
proposed activities would also be expected to continue. Large-scale 
ecosystem restoration construction would not be expected to be 
implemented.
    South Platte River Alternative 2. The South Platte River ecosystem 
restoration Plan 9 alternative would involve extensive aquatic, 
wetland, riparian, and some upland buffer habitat restoration and would 
incorporate some incidental flood risk management improvements. The 
footprint of this alternative spans approximately 150 acres of 
floodplain and approximately 95 acres in-channel. Restoration 
activities include dredging and removal of accreted sediment, removal 
and modification of multiple in-channel drop structures, regrading of 
floodplain banks, installation of rock jetties, construction of wetland 
benches, removal of invasive species vegetation, and revegetation of 
all disturbed land with native species. The project would result in the 
restoration of 85 acres of riparian habitat, 43 acres of wetland 
habitat, 95 acres of aquatic habitat, and the removal and replacement 
of 24 acres of additional invasive species vegetation with native 
riparian species. In addition, construction of the recommended plan 
would reconnect approximately 190 acres of existing riparian areas, 
ponds, parks, and other ``green'' areas in the urban landscape. These 
habitat areas would directly support breeding migratory birds and could 
serve as valuable corridors for native wildlife utilizing this area. In 
total, almost 450 acres of habitat would see direct and indirect 
improvement from this project. Infrastructure improvements conducted 
under this alternative would include realignment of a portion of 
sanitary sewer lines and the Burlington Canal; replacement of the 
Confluence Park diversion structure with flashboards; relocation of a 
pedestrian bridge; and relocation of all impacted recreational trails.
    Weir Gulch Alternative 1. The Weir Gulch NAA would involve Urban 
Drainage & Flood Control District (UDFCD) and City and County of Denver 
(CCD) ongoing operation and maintenance of constructed flood risk 
management features along the Weir Gulch. Ongoing minor invasive 
species management and water quality improvements would be expected to 
continue, but construction of habitat restoration or additional flood 
risk management features would not be expected to occur.
    Weir Gulch Alternative 2. The Weir Gulch flood risk management 
channel alternative would involve increasing conveyance through the 
project area by widening the channel in reaches 1 through 3 with a 
culvert expansion in reach 6. The channel widening in reaches 1 through 
3 would involve maintaining the approximately 1-foot wide daily flow 
channel, excavating a low flow channel and re-grading the upper channel 
sides to a 3H:1V slope. The flood control channel would consist 
generally of a trapezoidal low-flow channel designed to convey 
approximately 70% of the 50% annual chance exceedance (ACE) flood event 
(2-year return interval flood), per UDFCD guidelines. The overall 
channel width varies by location and reach, but in general top of 
channel widths averages 100 feet. Native species vegetation plantings 
would also be incorporated into this alternative to restore some 
riparian vegetation along the channel banks as well as to restore

[[Page 30925]]

wetland benches within the daily flow channel.
    Weir Gulch Alternative 3. The Weir Gulch nonstructural flood risk 
management alternative includes such nonstructural measures as 
elevation, buyouts, relocations, wet floodproofing, dry floodproofing, 
etc. Incremental nonstructural measures were added to reaches 4, 5, and 
7. There were only five structures with an individual benefit-cost 
ratio (BCR) over 1.0 in reaches these reaches, therefore to include as 
many structures as possible, structures with an individual BCR above 
0.5 were included. A total of 13 structures were identified as part of 
the nonstructural alternative.
    Weir Gulch Alternative 4. The Weir Gulch flood channel and 
nonstructural flood risk management combination alternative combines 
the measures and properties considered in alternatives 2 and 3 into a 
single alternative by looking at how isolated nonstructural measures 
could be used to further reduce the existing flood risk and thus 
generate higher flood risk reduction benefits.
    Harvard Alternative 1. The Harvard Gulch NAA would involve the 
UDFCD and CCD ongoing operation and maintenance of constructed flood 
risk management features along the Harvard Gulch. Harvard Gulch Park 
would continue to be maintained for its current mixed use recreational 
purposes. Ongoing minor invasive species management and water quality 
improvements would be expected to continue, but construction of habitat 
restoration or additional flood risk management features would not be 
expected to occur.
    Harvard Gulch Alternative 2. The Harvard Gulch flood channel 
alternative would involve increasing conveyance through the project 
area by widening the channel in reaches 2 through 5 with a culvert 
expansion in reach 1. The channel widening in reaches 2 through 5 would 
involve maintaining the approximately 1-foot wide daily flow channel, 
excavating a low flow channel and re-grading the upper channel sides to 
a 3H:1V slope. The flood control channel would consist generally of a 
trapezoidal low-flow channel designed to convey approximately 70% of 
the 50% ACE (2-year return interval flood), per UDFCD guidelines. The 
overall channel width varies by location and reach, but in general top 
of channel widths average 80 feet. Native species vegetation plantings 
would also be incorporated into this alternative to restore some 
riparian vegetation along the channel banks and restore wetland benches 
within the daily flow channel.
    Harvard Gulch Alternative 3. The Harvard Gulch nonstructural flood 
risk management alternative includes structures in all reaches with an 
individual BCR above 1.0 and 10 buyouts located in the floodway in 
reach 4. The 10 residential buyouts in the floodway were selected based 
on flood damages beginning at the 10% ACE (10-year return interval 
flood) and inundation depths around 3 feet during the 1% ACE (100-year 
return interval flood). Of the structures meeting this criteria, the 10 
closest to the channel were selected. This selection criteria also 
aligns with the non-Federal sponsor's Harvard Gulch Major Drainageway 
Plan. The nonstructural measures for the 96 structures in this 
alternative include elevation, basement fill, dry floodproofing, and 
buyouts.
    Harvard Gulch Alternative 4. The Harvard Gulch flood channel and 
nonstructural flood risk management combination alternative combines 
the measures and properties considered in alternatives 2 and 3 into a 
single alternative by looking at how isolated nonstructural measures 
could be used to further reduce the existing flood risk and thus 
generate higher flood risk reduction benefits.
    The Draft EIS evaluates the potential effects on the human 
environmental associated with each of the alternatives. Issues 
addressed include: Land use and vegetation, social and economic 
conditions, recreation, water resources, climate change, biological 
resources, cultural resources, geomorphology, preexisting 
contamination, utilities and infrastructure, air quality, noise, and 
environmental justice.
    Schedule. A 45-day public comment period will begin July 2, 2018. 
Comments on the Draft EIS must be received by August 16, 2018. The 
Corps will consider and respond to all comments received on the Draft 
EIS when preparing the Final EIS. The Corps expects to issue the Final 
EIS in the spring of 2019, at which time a Notice of Availability will 
be published in the Federal Register.
    The public meeting date or location may change based on inclement 
weather or exceptional circumstances. If the meeting date or location 
is changed, the Corps will issue a press release and post it on the web 
at http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/ to announce the 
updated meeting details.
    Special Assistance for Public Meeting. The meeting facility is 
physically accessible to people with disabilities. People needing 
special assistance to attend and/or participate in the meeting should 
contact: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, ATTN: CENWO-PMA-
A, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, NE 68102; or email to [email protected]. To allow sufficient time to process special 
requests, please contact no later than one week before the public 
meeting.
    Public Disclosure Statement. If you wish to comment, you may mail 
or email your comments as indicated under the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
any other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made available to the public at any time. While you 
can request in your comment for us to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

    Dated: June 25, 2018.
Eric Laux,
Chief, Environmental and Cultural Resources Section.
[FR Doc. 2018-14187 Filed 6-29-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3720-58-P