[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 154 (Friday, August 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39369-39370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16744]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR01313000, 18XR0680A1, RX.00036916.5002000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Public Scoping Open Houses for the Boise River Basin Feasibility Study, 
Elmore County, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Boise River Basin 
Feasibility Study. Reclamation is requesting public and agency comment 
to identify significant issues or other alternatives to be addressed in 
the EIS.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before 
September 9, 2019.
    Three scoping open houses will be held on the following dates and 
times:
     August 27, 2019, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Pine, ID.
     August 28, 2019, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Boise, ID.
     August 29, 2019, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Mountain Home, 
ID.

ADDRESSES: Provide written scoping 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 Ms. Megan Sloan, 
Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, Snake River Area Office, 230 
Collins Road, Boise, ID 83702; or email [email protected].
    The scoping meetings and open houses will be located at:
     Pine--Boise River Senior Center, 350 North Pine 
Featherville Road, Pine, Idaho 83647;
     Boise--Wyndham Garden Boise Airport Hotel, 3300 South 
Vista Avenue, Boise, Idaho 83705; and
     Mountain Home--American Legion, 515 East 2nd South Street, 
Mountain Home, Idaho 83647.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Megan Sloan, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Snake River Area Office, 230 Collins Road, Boise, ID 
83702; telephone (208) 383-2222; facsimile (208) 383-2210; email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) at 1-
800-877-8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours or to leave a message or question after hours. You will 
receive a reply during normal business hours. Information on this 
project may also be found at: https://www.usbr.gov/pn/studies/boisefeasibility/index.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reclamation is issuing this notice pursuant 
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing NEPA, 43 CFR parts 1500 through 1508; and 
the Department of the Interior's NEPA regulations, 43 CFR part 46.

Background

    Under the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Omnibus Act), 
Public Law (Pub. L.) 111-11, Section 9001, Congress authorized 
Reclamation to conduct feasibility studies on projects that address 
water shortages within the Boise River Basin System and that are 
considered appropriate for study by Reclamation's 2006 Boise/Payette 
Water Storage Assessment Report (2006 Assessment Report). The action 
proposed was identified in the 2006 Assessment Report as appropriate 
for study and is the subject of an ongoing feasibility study pursuant 
to the Omnibus Act and the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the 
Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016. The WIIN Act authorizes Reclamation to enter 
into agreements with requesting states or subdivisions thereof to 
design, study, construct, or expand federally owned storage projects, 
and Congress has specified that this project be studied under WIIN Act 
authority. Public Law 114-322, Section 4007.
    The Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with the Idaho Water 
Resource Board (IWRB), proposes to raise Anderson Ranch Dam 6 feet, 
raising the top of the reservoir pool from the present elevation of 
4,196 feet to 4,202 feet, allowing the ability to capture and store 
approximately 29,000 additional acre-feet of water. This new space 
would allow Reclamation to capture additional water when available 
during wet years for supplemental supply and to hold over for use 
during dry years. Potential spaceholders include existing Reclamation 
contractors and IWRB, which could in turn contract water to existing 
Water District 63 water users and/or may offer water through the Idaho 
water supply bank's Water District 63 rental pool.
    Proposed dam structure modifications include:
     Raising the earthen embankment dam crest by 6 feet.

[[Page 39370]]

     Demolishing the existing spillway crest structure and 
bridge.
     Removing, rehabilitating, and re-installing the existing 
radial gates.
     Constructing a new spillway crest structure and bridge.
     Constructing a new two-lane road across the dam.
    The existing road across the dam would be closed during 
construction. An alternative route has been identified that would 
provide safe public transport. There would likely be a reservoir 
restriction of 6-10 feet during spillway construction.
    In addition to work on the dam, the project would include 
modification to structures around the reservoir such as culverts, 
bridges, and recreation sites.
    Reclamation is not presently aware of any known or possible Indian 
Trust Assets or environmental justice issues associated with the 
proposed action but requests any information relative to this issue be 
submitted during the scoping period.
    Reclamation intends to complete an EIS for this project pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act to study the potential 
environmental effects of the proposal and a reasonable range of 
alternatives designed to respond to the purpose and need for the 
project, as well as a no-action alternative. The scoping process and 
public open houses identified in this notice are intended to inform the 
public about the project and to request public and agency comment to 
identify significant issues or alternatives to be addressed in the EIS.

Special Assistance for Public Scoping and Open House Meetings

    If special assistance is required to participate in the public 
scoping and open house meetings, please contact Ms. Megan Sloan, Bureau 
of Reclamation, Snake River Area Office, 230 Collins Road, Boise, ID 
83702; telephone (208) 383-2222; facsimile (208) 383-2210; email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) at 1-
800-877-8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours or to leave a message or question after hours. You will 
receive a reply during normal business hours. All meeting facilities 
are physically accessible to people with disabilities.

Public Disclosure

    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 may 
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.

Jennifer Carrington,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-16744 Filed 8-8-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P