[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34891-34893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11468]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR04311000; 23XR0680A3; RX.01633F04.0020000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
the Middle Rio Grande Lower San Acacia Reach

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 Lower San Acacia Reach of 
the Middle Rio Grande. The project's goals are to increase water 
delivered to Elephant Butte Reservoir (EBR), maintain and enhance 
ecosystem health (such as protecting and promoting recovery of 
endangered species, minimizing river drying, and increasing available 
habitat), and increase the benefits of system maintenance actions by 
working with geomorphic trends of the river. Reclamation is seeking 
suggestions and information on the alternatives and topics to be 
addressed.

DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before 
June 30, 2023.
    Reclamation will hold three in-person public scoping meetings on 
the following dates:
    1. June 20, 2023, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (MDT), Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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    2. June 21, 2023, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (MDT), Socorro, New Mexico.
    3. June 22, 2023, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., (MDT), Truth or Consequences, 
New Mexico.

ADDRESSES: Send written scoping comments, requests to be added to the 
project mailing list, or requests for other special assistance needs 
via email to [email protected].
    The meetings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Albuquerque--International District Library, 7601 Central Ave., 
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108.
    2. Socorro--New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Macey 
Center, Upper Lobby, 909 Olive Lane, Socorro, New Mexico 87801.
    3. Truth or Consequences--Sierra County Fairgrounds, Albert J. Lyon 
Event Center, 2953 S Broadway Street, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico 
87901.
    To view more information regarding this project, go to https://www.virtualpublicmeeting.com/mrg-lsari-eis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashlee Rudolph, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway Blvd. NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 87102-2352; telephone (505) 462-3631; email [email protected].
    Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services 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: This Federal Register notice provides the 
public with information regarding Reclamation's intent to prepare an 
EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 
as amended. Reclamation will hold public scoping meetings to solicit 
comments on the scope of the EIS and the issues and alternatives that 
should be analyzed.

Purpose and Need

    Reclamation is authorized to conduct work within the channel and 
floodplain of the Rio Grande under the Federal Flood Control Acts of 
1948 and 1950 (Pub. L. 858 and 516, respectively). Reclamation is also 
authorized to engage in planning for major rehabilitation and 
replacement of existing assets under the Reclamation Project Act of 
1902 (32 Stat. 388) and supplementary acts; the Water Resources 
Development Act of 2007, Section 2031 (Pub. L. 110-114); the Omnibus 
Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11), Title IX, Subtitle 
G; the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
1962a-2); and Department of the Interior Manual Part 707 DM 1.
    The US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Middle Rio Grande 
Conservancy District, and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission will 
be invited to participate as cooperating agencies for the EIS. Other 
entities will be considered, as necessary, during the EIS process. 
Reclamation is considering realigning a portion of the Rio Grande from 
approximately river mile (RM) 74 to RM 54.5 (project, proposed action); 
this area is part of the Lower San Acacia Reach. Reclamation is the 
project proponent.
    Reclamation and fellow agencies manage the flow of water, transport 
and deposition of sediment, and environmental resources within the 
highly dynamic Rio Grande watershed. Reclamation's responsibilities 
include maintaining the river channel for downstream sediment and water 
conveyance, maintaining and enhancing ecosystem health, and increasing 
the benefits of system maintenance actions. At times, these needs 
conflict with each other. The need to convey water can be at odds with 
overbank flooding for species' needs and riparian health. The 
deposition of heavy sediment loads carried by the river, a natural 
geomorphic process, impedes delivering flows to the EBR and increases 
maintenance costs. Therefore, maintenance of this system requires 
understanding and accepting the trade-offs associated with these 
diverse and often competing needs. Trade-offs associated with the 
proposed action or alternative actions are to be documented for 
Reclamation's consideration.
    Reclamation and stakeholders identified the need for this project 
during focused workshops and a value planning study. Most issues during 
the workshops and value planning study identified sediment imbalance as 
their root cause which can be linked to agency needs and management 
practices being at odds with geomorphic trends. Key issues to be 
addressed by this project are conveyance losses, cost of maintenance on 
a system with limited benefit, declining of ecosystem health, channel 
perching, and aging Low Flow Conveyance Channel (LFCC) infrastructure.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to deliver water to EBR; 
maintain and enhance ecosystem health (i.e., protecting and promoting 
recovery of endangered species, minimizing river drying, increasing 
available habitat, conserving ecosystem functions), which will help 
meet requirements under the 2016 Middle Rio Grande Biological Opinion; 
and increase the benefit-to-cost ratio of system maintenance actions.

Proposed Action and Possible Alternatives

    Reclamation intends to realign a portion of the Rio Grande to the 
west of the existing channel between RM 74 and RM 54.5. Channel 
realignment will likely consist of multiple segments; it may not 
include the full distance between RM 74 and RM 54.5. Reclamation is 
currently considering two preliminary engineering alternatives and the 
no-action alternative. Reclamation will identify a preferred 
alternative before a final EIS. The following alternatives are 
preliminary and may be revised based on public input and internal 
considerations. The no-action alternative is currently considered 
Alternative A, where the existing channel between RM 74 and RM 54.5 
would remain as-is.
    Preliminary Alternative B would involve the construction of a 
single channel downstream of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife 
Refuge. A single channel is defined as merging the LFCC with the active 
river channel. Additional features may include a channel conveying 
inflow from Elmendorf Drain above RM 69 and secondary high-flow 
channels, where they are needed. The expected benefits of preliminary 
Alternative B are improved water delivery and sediment transport by 
eliminating channel perching, reduced channel incision to allow for 
improved low-velocity habitat for the Rio Grande silvery minnow 
(Hybognathus amarus), maintaining or promoting riparian habitat 
suitable for the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii 
extimus), and creating more effective operation and maintenance 
activities by focusing maintenance on a single primary channel with no 
levees or structures that would need to be protected from the river. 
Preliminary Alternative B is anticipated to reduce evaporative losses 
associated with the current LFCC and ponded water between RM 61 and RM 
60.
    Preliminary Alternative C would involve constructing a two-channel 
system above RM 64 and rerouting the LFCC between RM 68 and RM 64. Like 
preliminary Alternative B, the active river channel would be realigned 
to the

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west; however, the realignment would start farther downstream and would 
not intersect the LFCC. The expected benefits of preliminary 
Alternative C are improved water delivery and sediment transport by 
eliminating channel perching, increased conveyance within the LFCC, 
reduced channel incision to allow for improved low-velocity habitat for 
the Rio Grande silvery minnow, improved management of available 
southwestern willow flycatcher habitat, and a potential to reduce 
maintenance activities associated with sediment deposition within the 
river channel. It is anticipated that preliminary Alternative C would 
also reduce evaporative losses associated with the current LFCC and 
ponded water between RM 61 and RM 60.

Project Area (Area of Analysis)

    The project area is the Lower San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio 
Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico. This EIS focus is between the 
southern boundary of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge at 
RM 74 (upstream end) to the Silver Canyon and LFCC confluence with the 
Rio Grande at RM 54.5 (downstream end).

Statutory Authority and Anticipated Permits

    NEPA [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] requires Federal agencies to conduct 
an environmental analysis of their proposed actions to determine 
whether the actions may significantly affect the human environment. The 
EIS will analyze the environmental effects of implementing the proposed 
action and alternatives. In addition to NEPA, various other Federal, 
state, and local authorizations may be required for the proposed 
action. Applicable Federal laws include, but are not limited to, the 
Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Clean 
Water Act.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    Reclamation will review and consider comments received during 
scoping and will prepare a scoping report. After the draft EIS is 
completed, Reclamation will publish a notice of availability and 
request public comments on the draft EIS. After the public comment 
period ends, Reclamation will then develop the final EIS; Reclamation 
anticipates making the final EIS available to the public in late 2024. 
In accordance with 40 CFR 1506.11, Reclamation will not decide or issue 
a Record of Decision sooner than 30 days after the final EIS is 
released. Reclamation anticipates the issuance of a Record of Decision 
by March 2025.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal, identifying information in your comment submission, 
please be advised that the entire submission, including your personal 
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. 
While a commenter may request that Reclamation withhold personal 
identifying information from public review, Reclamation cannot 
guarantee that it will be able to do so.

How To Request Reasonable Accommodation

    For special assistance at one of the scoping meetings, please 
contact Ashlee Rudoph (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this notice) or TDD information in the same section, at least 5 working 
days before the meetings. Information regarding this project is 
available in alternate formats upon request.

Wayne Pullan,
Regional Director, Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2023-11468 Filed 5-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P