[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 194 (Friday, October 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61003-61005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21870]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report XIV [XIV] for 
the 2016 American River Watershed Common Features Project, Sacramento, 
CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a 
draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)/Subsequent 
Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) to the 2016 American River Watershed 
Common Features (ARCF) General Reevaluation Report (GRR), Final 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (FEIS/FEIR). 
USACE will serve as the lead National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
agency and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB) will serve 
as the lead California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) agency, with 
support from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The 
construction of cutoff walls and seepage berms to decrease the 
likelihood of levee failure, and installation of bank armoring to 
protect levees from erosion, are project actions authorized by WRDA 
2016 to reduce flood risk to metropolitan Sacramento. The elements of 
the project will be organized and discussed in the SEIS in a manner to 
avoid restating discussions and findings that remain current and 
accurate in the 2016 ARCF EIS/EIR. This would allow the reader of the 
ARCF SEIS/SEIR to focus on the document's analysis of impacts of design 
changes to project features, while the relevant sections of the 2016 
ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR would be referenced where no design changes are 
planned. Mitigation will be considered as required for any additional 
impacts addressed in the ARCF SEIS/SEIR.
    A description of the current proposed plans for the project is set 
forth below.

DATES: Written comments regarding the scope of the environmental 
analysis should be received by November 3 1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning ARCF Project and 
requests to be included on the Project mailing list may be submitted to 
Guy Romine, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Attn: 
Environmental Analysis Section (CESPK-PDR-A), 1325 J Street, 
Sacramento, CA 95814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Guy Romine, telephone at (916) 
557-5100, email at [email protected]. Additional information 
will also be posted on the internet at: www.sacleveeupgrades.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Purpose and Need

    The Purpose of the ARCF SEIS/SEIR project is to reduce the overall 
flood risk within the study area. An unacceptably high risk of flooding 
from levee failure threatens the public safety of the City of 
Sacramento, as well as property and critical infrastructure throughout 
the study area. The Sacramento metropolitan area is one of the most at-
risk areas for flooding in the United States. There is a high 
probability that flood flows in the American and Sacramento Rivers will 
stress the network of levees protecting the system to the point that 
levees could fail. Previous segments of the authorized project have 
been or will be constructed as authorized, but there are remaining 
segments that must still be implemented to reduce flood risk associated 
with erosion, seepage, and levee stability within the study area.
    USACE has determined that the levee system along the Sacramento and 
American Rivers do not meet the current Federal standards for flood 
risk reduction due to seepage, slope stability, and erosion. The 
proposed project is needed to reduce risk of levee failure.

2. Proposed Action

    USACE is preparing to draft a SEIS/SEIR to analyze changes made 
during final preliminary design of multiple contract actions within the 
ARCF project that could result in potentially significant environmental 
effects. This supplemental document will centralize where the public 
and agencies can look for the most current project information and will 
bring environmental considerations up to date. The SEIS/SEIR will focus 
on new or different features of project designs that have evolved since 
the original ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR was completed, while analyzing the 
potential environmental impacts of these changes. Accordingly, the 
Proposed Action for this SEIS/SEIR consists of project features where 
the final design is sufficiently different from the original design. 
Environmental impacts are likely to be different than those analyzed in 
the 2016 FEIS/FEIR, with these project features are outlined below.

Lower American River Design Refinements

    Using updated modeling and data, USACE completed a semi-
quantitative risk assessment (SQRA), which identified several areas on 
the Lower American River requiring design refinements that were not 
specifically addressed in the ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR. Different erosion 
protection methods than those discussed in the ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR are 
now indicated to provide better onsite mitigation, fisheries habitat, 
and to decrease impacts to heritage oak trees. Specifically, launchable 
toe protection and tie backs may be required in many areas. A 
launchable rock toe and tie backs are placed at the waterside edge of a 
constructed planting bench, lower on the levee/riverbank, to allow 
riparian vegetation to grow next to the water's edge. If erosion and 
scour occur below the launchable toe, the revetment placed in the 
launchable toe would launch and cover the eroded area, preventing 
further erosion and providing bank slope stability. Additionally, haul 
routes and staging areas to implement these erosion control areas will 
be needed. Erosion protection work may also be implemented around trees 
in certain areas, to minimize a risk for scour caused by trees.

Lower American River--State Route 160 Bridge Area Design Refinements

    The SQRA also determined that the area under the State Route 160 
Bridge contributes to flood risk, and will need supplementary measures 
to properly

[[Page 61004]]

address this risk. The Proposed Action will require additional bank 
protection work in this area, including evaluation of staging areas, 
the addition of haul routes outside the original project footprint, and 
an extended nighttime work schedule not evaluated in the 2016 ARCF GRR 
FEIS/FEIR.

Sacramento River Erosion Design Refinements and Construction 
Requirements

    The 2016 ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR did not analyze staging areas for 
erosion protection work since it was assumed all work would be done by 
barge. Land side staging areas and haul routes to the staging areas 
have been added to the Proposed Action to ensure revised construction 
needs are met. Erosion protection features are now designed to include 
more rock than was originally estimated in the 2016 ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR 
and will be further considered in the ARCF SEIS/SEIR.

Magpie Creek Area

    The Proposed Action would require realignment of the levee and 
canal at Magpie Creek, increase localized storage and water conveyance, 
and an increased height of the levee at that site. Night work would be 
considered in the Proposed Action as a method to reduce daytime noise 
impacts and reduce the daytime closures of Raley Boulevard. In the 
Preferred Alternative of the ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR, Raley Boulevard was 
presumed to be partially closed with the possibility of the loss of the 
northern right-hand turn lane, but under the Proposed Action the road 
would be fully closed during a portion of the construction season.

Mitigation Sites

    The Proposed Action includes a comprehensive mitigation proposal to 
cover all remaining impacts of the ARCF project. The ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR 
cited the need for additional mitigation and restoration planning once 
the designs of the ARCF Project were closer to completion. Project 
planners have now determined that on-site mitigation commitments set 
forth in the ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR will be inadequate if the revised 
Proposed Action is implemented. The Proposed Action may include 
purchase of mitigation bank credits, or construction of dedicated 
mitigation facilities, or both, to meet additional mitigation 
requirements.

3. Alternatives

    The Alternatives to the Proposed Action that may be considered in 
the SEIS/SEIR include: (1) Construction of mitigation sites and 
purchase of mitigation bank credits, as well as design refinements and 
construction requirements discussed above; and (2) the required No 
Action Alternative. The No Action Alternative would be defined as 
construction of the ARCF 2016 Project exactly as described in 
Alternative 2 of the ARCF GRR FEIS/FEIR, (the Preferred Alternative).

4. Scoping Process

    a. A public scoping meeting will be held in the form of a 
teleconference and/or webinar to present an overview of the Proposed 
Action, its project features, and the ARCF SEIS/SEIR Process. Scoping 
will afford all interested parties an opportunity to provide comment on 
the proposed scope of analysis in the draft document and to identify 
alternatives measures. Comments on scoping, including potential 
alternatives, pertinent information, studies, and/or analyses, relevant 
to this Proposed Action may be submitted to the contacts listed below. 
If any reasonable alternatives are identified during the scoping 
period, USACE will evaluate those alternatives in the draft SEIS/SEIR, 
along with a no action alternative. The public scoping meeting is 
anticipated to be held on 2 November 2022. Exact time, registration 
details, additional information, and any schedule changes will be 
announced online at: www.sacleveeupgrades.com.
    b. The Proposed Action is anticipated to affect the following 
resources, which the SEIS/SEIR will fully consider, including visual 
resources, vegetation and wildlife, fisheries, special status species, 
cultural resources, air quality, transportation, climate change, 
recreation, hydrology and water quality, noise, geological resources, 
environmental justice, and public utilities. Those resources expected 
to be unaffected by the design changes encompassed by the Proposed 
Action will not be discussed in the ARCF SEIS/SEIR.
    c. USACE will consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to ensure that the 
Proposed Action complies with the Endangered Species Act and the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act. The NMFS anticipates receipt of one or 
more requests for authorization to take incidental to activities 
related to the project under the Magnuson[hyphen]Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA). USACE will also consult with the 
State Historic Preservation Officer and Native American Tribes to 
ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, and with 
the National Parks Service to seek a Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 
consistency determination for the Proposed Action. Additional State 
consultations may be required under CEQA or other California State 
Regulations. These consultations will be coordinated by CVFPB or DWR.
    USACE intends to consult with CRWQCB support its decision on any 
permits and permissions requested under sections 10 and 14 of the 
Rivers and Harbors Act, section 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act.
    d. This NOI commences the public scoping process to identify issues 
and potential alternatives for consideration in the ARCF SEIS/SEIR. 
Throughout the scoping process, Federal agencies; Tribal, State, and 
local governments; and the general public have the opportunity to help 
USACE determine significant resources and issues, impact-producing 
factors, reasonable alternatives (e.g., size, geographic, seasonal, or 
other restrictions on construction and siting of facilities and 
activities), and potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the 
SEIS/SEIR, as well as to provide additional information. In the 
interests of efficiency, completeness, and facilitating public 
involvement, the SEIS/SEIR will use the NEPA process to fulfill public 
involvement requirements established in 36 CFR 800.2(d).
    USACE anticipates it will hold a virtual public scoping meeting for 
the SEIS/SEIR on 2 November 2022. Registration details, additional 
information, and any schedule changes will be announced online at: 
www.sacleveeupgrades.com.
    After completion of the Draft ARCF SEIS/SEIR a 45-day public review 
period will be provided for interested parties and agencies to review 
and comment on the draft document. All interested parties are 
encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current address if 
they wish to be notified of the ARCF SEIS/SEIR circulation.

4. Availability

    After the draft ESIS/SEIR is completed, USACE will publish a notice 
of availability (NOA) and request public comments on the draft SEIS/
SEIR. USACE expects to issue the NOA in August 2023. After the public 
comment period ends, the Army will review and respond to comments 
received and will develop the final SEIS/SEIR. USACE expects to make 
the final SEIS/SEIR available to the public in May 2024. A ROD will be 
completed no sooner than

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30 days after the final EIS is released, in accordance with 40 CFR 
1506.11.

Antoinette R. Gant,
COL (P), EN, Commanding.
[FR Doc. 2022-21870 Filed 10-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P