[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 192 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62322-62323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20909]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


United States Section; Notice of Availability of the Final 
Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Arroyo Colorado at Harlingen Flood Flow Improvement Project, Cameron 
County, Texas

AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water 
Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; the 
Council on Environmental Quality Final Regulations, and the USIBWC 
Operational Procedures for Implementing Section 102 of NEPA, published 
in the Federal Register September 2, 1981, the USIBWC hereby gives 
notice that the FINAL Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact Arroyo Colorado at Harlingen Flood Flow Improvement 
Project, Cameron County Texas is available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Blough, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, USIBWC, 4191 N Mesa, El Paso, Texas 79902. Telephone: (915) 
832-4734, Fax: (915) 493-2428, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USIBWC prepared the EA to evaluate the 
environmental effects of several options that would restore the full 
flood conveyance capabilities to a 6.3-mile reach of Arroyo Colorado 
between U.S. Highway 77 Business (US 77 Business) and Cemetery Road in 
Harlingen, Cameron County Texas. The Preferred Alternative would dredge 
sediment from the channel throughout the reach and expand existing 
vegetation management operations. Vegetation management currently 
occurs along a 3.7-mile reach of Arroyo Colorado between US 77 Business 
and Farm-to-Market Road 509 (FM 509). The Preferred Alternative would 
expand vegetation management operations to include the 2.6-mile reach 
from FM 509 to Cemetery Road. These actions are intended to restore 
Arroyo Colorado's design flood conveyance capacity of 21,000 cubic feet 
per second.
    The final EA evaluates potential environmental impacts of the No 
Action Alternative and the Preferred Alternative. Two additional 
alternatives were considered and evaluated but were removed from 
consideration because they were either not effective or not feasible. 
Potential impacts on natural, cultural, and other resources were 
evaluated. A Finding of No Significant Impact has been prepared for the 
Preferred Alternative based on a review of the facts and analyses 
contained in the EA.
    An open-house public scoping meeting was held for the proposed 
project on December 12, 2019, at the Harlingen Community Center located 
at 201 E. Madison Avenue, Harlingen, Texas 78552. Notifications of the

[[Page 62323]]

meeting and instructions to access materials and provide comment 
electronically were sent by mail to approximately 200 recipients. 
Recipients included adjacent landowners, regional and local 
representatives of federal and state resource agencies, interested 
Native American tribes, and local elected officials. Additionally, 
notifications were posted in newspapers of local circulation and on 
City of Harlingen and USIBWC media outlets during the first week of 
December.
    Thirty-five attendees signed in and 13 comments were received 
within the comment period. Approximately seven commenters stated that 
they were in general support of the Expanded Vegetation & Sediment 
Removal Alternative (i.e., the Preferred Alternative). One commenter 
expressed support for a combination of the three actions that would 
include Off-Channel Storage, Expanded Vegetation Removal, and Expanded 
Vegetation & Sediment Removal. The remaining five comments proposed 
additional actions outside of the scope of this project that may be 
considered in the future. An environmental impact statement will not be 
prepared unless additional information which may affect this decision 
is brought to our attention within 30 days from the date of this 
Notice.
    Availability: The electronic version of the Final EA is available 
on the USIBWC web page: https://www.ibwc.gov/Files/FinalEA_ArroyoColorado_Harlinen_Signed_082420.pdf.

    Dated: September 16, 2020.
Jennifer Pena,
Chief Legal Counsel, International Boundary and Water Commission, 
United States and Mexico, United States Section.
[FR Doc. 2020-20909 Filed 10-1-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7010-01-P