[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 50093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19266]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Allatoona Lake 
Water Supply Storage Reallocation Study and Updates to Weiss and Logan 
Martin Reservoir Project Water Control Manuals in the Alabama-Coosa-
Tallapoosa River Basin, Alabama and Georgia

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of the record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announces the 
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final Integrated 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Allatoona Lake 
Water Supply Storage Reallocation Study and Updates to Weiss and Logan 
Martin Reservoir Project Water Control Manuals in the Alabama-Coosa-
Tallapoosa River Basin, Alabama and Georgia (FR/SEIS), published in the 
Federal Register on Friday, November 20, 2020. The Assistant Secretary 
of the Army for Civil Works signed the ROD on August 27, 2021. Copies 
of the ROD along with the FR/SEIS and other supporting documents are 
available for viewing at https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning-Environmental/Allatoona-Lake-Water-Supply-Storage-Reallocation-Study-and-Updates-to-Weiss-and-Logan-Martin-Reservoirs-Project-Water-Control-Manuals/Document-Library/.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, Post Office 
Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Malsom, Inland Environment 
Team, Planning and Environmental Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer 
District-Mobile, Post Office Box 2288, Mobile, AL 36628-0001; Telephone 
(251) 690-2023; delivered by electronic facsimile at (251) 694-3815; or 
by electronic mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FR/SEIS includes a water supply storage 
reallocation study evaluating a March 30, 2018, request by the State of 
Georgia and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority for increased 
water supply use at Allatoona Lake; a State of Georgia recommended 
storage accounting method; updated operating criteria and guidelines 
for managing the water storage and release actions of Federal water 
managers; Alabama Power Company's (APC) proposed raising of winter pool 
levels for recreation and lowering the upper limit of the induced 
surcharge operational pools at Weiss Dam and Lake (Reservoir); and 
Logan Martin Dam and Lake (Reservoir). USACE will also update the Water 
Control Manuals (WCMs) for Allatoona Lake and APC's Weiss and Logan 
Martin Reservoirs, and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin 
Master Manual.
    A final array of alternatives was considered in detail during the 
plan formulation process. USACE identified Alternative 11 as the 
Recommended Plan in the FR/SEIS; however, Alternative 12 was chosen as 
the Selected Plan and will be implemented. Alternative 11 would have 
reallocated 33,872 acre-feet (ac-ft) of storage in Allatoona Lake 
(11,670 ac-ft from flood storage and 22,202 ac-ft from conservation 
storage) and would have utilized the USACE storage accounting method. 
The USACE storage accounting method charges all water supply 
withdrawals to the respective water supply account and credits all 
inflows, including return flows directly to Allatoona Lake or additive 
flows released from Hickory Log Creek Reservoir, to all accounts 
according to their proportion of project yield. Alternative 11 would 
have also modified flood control storage to the APC projects Weiss Lake 
and Logan Martin Lake. The Selected Plan (Alternative 12) would 
reallocate 14,159 ac-ft from conservation storage at Allatoona Lake for 
water supply storage and utilizes the Georgia preferred storage 
accounting method in which 100 percent of return flows from Cobb 
County's water treatment facilities at Allatoona Lake and releases from 
the upstream Hickory Log Creek Reservoir would be credited to water 
supply storage accounts. The Selected Plan also includes modified flood 
control storage to the APC projects' Weiss and Logan Martin Reservoirs 
(unchanged from Alternative 11).
    A summary of environmental consequences for the final array of 
alternatives is provided in the FR/SEIS. Three of the alternatives (in 
addition to the no action alternative) were selected for detailed 
analysis of impacts in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act; they are Alternative 11 (the Recommended Plan), Alternative 
10, and Alternative 3. The other alternatives are variations of these 
three alternatives, and they would involve similar impacts as one of 
these three alternatives. The Selected Plan (Alternative 12) is similar 
to Alternative 10, except that Alternative 12 includes the use of the 
Georgia preferred storage accounting method. The anticipated 
environmental consequences of the Selected Plan (Alternative 12) are 
not significantly different from those anticipated for Alternatives 10 
or 11.
    The ROD documents why the USACE has chosen to implement Alternative 
12 instead of Alternative 11, as described in the FR/SEIS.

    Dated: September 1, 2021.
Jason E. Kelly,
Brigadier General, U.S. Army Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2021-19266 Filed 9-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P