[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 94 (Thursday, May 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28979-28980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10296]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR02910000, XXXR0680R1, RR.17529652.2900012]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project, 
Merced County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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[[Page 28980]]

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the B.F. Sisk 
Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project. Reclamation is requesting 
public and agency comment to identify significant issues or other 
alternatives to be addressed in the SEIS.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the SEIS on or before 
June 15, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Provide written scoping comments, requests to be added to 
the mailing list, or requests for other special assistance needs to Ms. 
Casey Arthur, Project Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, Willows 
Construction Office, 1140 W. Wood Street Willows, CA, 95988.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Casey Arthur, Project Manager, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Willows Construction Office, 1140 W. Wood Street 
Willows, CA, 95988.; telephone (530) 892-6202; facsimile (530) 934-
7679; 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.

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

    B.F. Sisk Dam is an earth-filled gravity embankment dam with a 
crest height of 382 feet and an overall length of about 3.5 miles, 
impounding San Luis Reservoir with a capacity of 2,041,000 acre-feet 
(AF). The dam is located near Santa Nella, California, along Pacheco 
Pass. Although the dam was constructed and is owned by Reclamation, the 
California Department of Water Resources (DWR) operates the facilities, 
and the California Department of Parks and Recreation manages the 
recreational resources associated with San Luis Reservoir. San Luis 
Reservoir is an off-stream reservoir within Reclamation's Central 
Valley Project (CVP) and DWR's State Water Project.
    Reclamation's Safety of Dams Office completed a risk analysis of 
B.F. Sisk Dam that evaluated dam stability in the event of seismic 
activity that proposed a structural solution, which included a crest 
raise. Reclamation and DWR prepared an environmental impact statement 
(EIS)/environmental impact report (EIR) analyzing the effects from a No 
Action Alternative, Operational Alternative, and Crest Raise 
Alternative, and noticed the availability of the Final EIS/EIR to the 
public via the Federal Register on August 23, 2019 (84 FR 44295). In 
December 2019, Reclamation signed a Record of Decision providing the 
rationale for choosing the Crest Raise Alternative (https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=34281). 
Reclamation is currently designing the Crest Raise Alternative under 
the B.F. Sisk Safety of Dams (SOD) Modification Project.
    As a connected action to the B.F. Sisk SOD Modification Project, 
Reclamation and San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) 
seek to evaluate an increase in storage capacity of the San Luis 
Reservoir. The increased storage capacity would be achieved by an 
additional 10-foot raise of the B.F. Sisk Dam embankment across the 
entire dam crest above the level proposed for dam safety purposes 
(Proposed Action). This additional 10 feet of dam embankment could add 
approximately 120,000 AF of water storage to San Luis Reservoir. 
SLDMWA, in coordination with Reclamation, is conducting a feasibility 
study to evaluate the Proposed Action and a potential cost-share in 
accordance with the Reclamation SOD Act (43 U.S.C. 506 et seq.), as 
amended by Public Law 114-113, and Section 4007 of the Water 
Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act (Pub. L. 114-
322).
    The Reclamation SOD Act of November 2, 1978, was amended to include 
authority for Reclamation to develop additional project benefits in 
conjunction with a SOD modification. Pursuant to Section 5.B. of the 
SOD Act, as amended, Reclamation must determine that additional project 
benefits are necessary and in the interest of the United States prior 
to developing any additional project benefits, consistent with 
Reclamation law. Furthermore, it must be determined that the 
development of additional project benefits will not negatively impact 
the SOD Modification Project.
    As a potential funder for the Proposed Action under the WIIN Act, 
and in accordance with the amended SOD Act, Reclamation's preliminary 
purpose and need is to evaluate the feasibility report and determine if 
SLDMWA's request to increase storage capacity as an additional benefit 
in conjunction with the current SOD Modification Project is consistent 
with Reclamation Law, can support a Secretary of the Interior's finding 
of feasibility, has Federal benefits pursuant to the WIIN Act, and can 
be accomplished without negatively impacting the SOD Modification 
Project.
    In addition to a feasibility study, Reclamation intends to complete 
a SEIS pursuant to NEPA to consider potential environmental effects 
from implementing the Proposed Action. This environmental document is 
supplemental to the Final EIS/EIR previously developed for the SOD 
Modification Project entitled B.F. Sisk Dam Safety of Dams Modification 
Project (84 FR 44295). Reclamation will focus the SEIS on analyzing 
effects to resources where a potentially significant impact exists. The 
resources intended to be discussed include: Water quality, surface 
water supply, geology and soils, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, 
visual resources, noise, traffic and transportation, hazards and 
hazardous materials, terrestrial resources, recreation, and cultural 
resources including tribal cultural resources. Agencies and the public 
are encouraged to provide input regarding potentially significant 
issues to be addressed in the SEIS, or to identify potential 
alternatives that would meet the purpose of the Proposed Action.

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.

Richard Welsh,
Principal Deputy Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Interior 
Region 10--California-Great Basin.
[FR Doc. 2020-10296 Filed 5-13-20; 8:45 am]
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