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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 97 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 28520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9736]

[[Page 28520]]

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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO

 United States Section; Notice of Availability of a Final 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Flood 
Control Improvements: International Dam to Riverside Diversion Dam 
Levee Segment within the Rio Grande Rectification Project, located in 
El Paso County, TX

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment (EA) 
and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508); and the United States 
Section's Operational Procedures for Implementing Section 102 of NEPA, 
published in the Federal Register September 2, 1981, (46 FR 44083); the 
United States Section hereby gives notice that the Final Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Flood Control 
Improvements: International Dam to Riverside Diversion Dam Levee 
Segment within the Rio Grande Rectification Project, in El Paso County, 
Texas are available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gilbert Anaya, Supervisory 
Environmental Protection Specialist; Environmental Management Division; 
United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission; 
4171 N. Mesa, C-100; El Paso, Texas 79902. Telephone: (915) 832-4702, 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Section of the 
International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has prepared this 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed action to raise the 
levee system within the reach from International Dam to Riverside 
Diversion Dam. The levee system under consideration for this EA, 
approximately 15-miles long, is located entirely in El Paso County, 
Texas. Within this reach the USIBWC identified 8.14 miles of levee 
system as one of the priority areas within the Rio Grande Rectification 
Project for flood control improvements. The need for improvements to 
the levee system was determined by hydraulic modeling completed by the 
USIBWC in 2003. The USIBWC hydraulic study for this reach indicated 
that an increase in levee height would be required to meet design 
criteria for flood protection. An increase from 0.5 to 2.5 feet is 
anticipated for an approximate 8.14-mile levee segment.
    The Environmental Assessment assesses potential environmental 
impacts of the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. A Finding 
of No Significant Impact was issued for the Proposed Action, including 
mitigation measures, based on a review of the facts and analyses 
contained in the Environmental Assessment.
    FEMA decertification of USIBWC levees in El Paso County, TX and 
Dona Ana County, New Mexico, in February 2006, has resulted in the need 
to upgrade the levees to FEMA criteria; draft Digital Flood Insurance 
Rate Maps will be issued in spring of 2007. The USIBWC plans on raising 
approximately 8.14-miles of USIBWC levees within the city limits of El 
Paso to meet the minimum 3 feet of freeboard criteria. This will enable 
USIBWC to partially certify the reach from American Dam to Riverside 
Dam in the Rio Grande Rectification Project before the end of calendar 
year 2007.
    Availability: Electronic copies of the Final EA and FONSI are 
available from the USIBWC Home Page at http://www.ibwc.state.gov.

    Dated: May 15, 2007.
Susan Daniel,
General Counsel.
 [FR Doc. E7-9736 Filed 5-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7010-01-P
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