[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5622-5623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-2545]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army


Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the Eastern Arkansas Region Comprehensive Study, Bayou Meto Basin, 
AR, General Reevaluation

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this general reevaluation is to develop a plan 
that

[[Page 5623]]

provides flood control, agricultural water supply, groundwater 
protection and conservation, waterfowl management, and environmental 
enhancement and restoration. The Grand Prairie Region and Bayou Meto 
Basin, Arkansas, flood-control project was authorized by the Flood 
Control Act of 1950 and deauthorized by the Water Resources Development 
Act (WRDA) of 1986. This project was reauthorized by the WRDA of 1996 
with an expanded scope that includes groundwater protection and 
conservation, agricultural water supply, and waterfowl management. 
Language in the Fiscal Year 1998 Appropriations Act directed the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers to initiate a reevaluation of the Bayou Meto 
Basin from within available funds. The appropriations acts for fiscal 
year 1999 and 2000 provided funding to continue to reevaluation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ken Bright, telephone (901) 544-
0745, CEMVM-PM, 167 North Main Street, Room B-202, Memphis, TN 38103-
1894. Questions regarding the DEIS may be directed to Mr. Edward 
Lambert, telephone (901) 544-0707, CEMVM-PM-E.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

1. Proposed Action

    The Eastern Arkansas Region Comprehensive Study, completed in 1990, 
indicated that a feasible plan of improvement for agricultural water 
supply and conservation exists for the Bayou Meto Basin, Arkansas. The 
Bayou Meto Basin Project general reevaluation will focus on developing 
a plan of improvement that will meet the flood control and water supply 
needs of the project area while providing substantial net environmental 
benefits. Preliminary studies indicate the a combination of measures of 
needed to meet the water supply needs of the project area. Identified 
water-supply components are (1) water conservation (increased 
irrigation efficiencies), (2) groundwater protection and conservation, 
(3) additional on-farm storage, and (4) a system to import surface 
water from the Arkansas River. Irrigation and flood-control features 
will be designed to avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts; 
alternative plan designs will include recommendations from state and 
Federal natural resource agencies. Moreover, a major emphasis will be 
placed on the formulation of environmental project features. Measures 
to create and/or restore fish and wildfish habitat (including waterfowl 
habitat), improve water quality, and protect existing surface water and 
groundwater resources will be integral components of all alternative 
plans. The project area encompasses 779,109 acres between the Arkansas 
and White rivers in east central Arkansas; it includes portions of 
Arkansas, Jefferson, Lonoke, and Prairie counties.

2. Alternatives

    Alternatives will be developed that provide flood control, 
agricultural water supply, groundwater conservation and protection, 
waterfowl management, and environmental enhancement and restoration. 
Comparisons will be made among alternative plans, and alternative plans 
will be compared to the ``no action'' alternative.

3. Scoping Process

    An intensive public involvement program has been initiated and will 
be maintained throughout the study to (1) solicit input from 
individuals and interested parties so that problems, needs, and 
opportunities within the project area can be properly identified and 
addressed and (2) provide status updates to concerned organizations and 
the general public. Affected Federal, state, and local agencies; 
affected Indian tribes; and other interested private organizations and 
parties are encouraged to participate in the scoping process. 
Significant issues to be analyzed include potential impacts (negative 
and positive) to groundwater and surface water resources, fisheries, 
water quality, wetlands, wildlife, endangered species, cultural 
resources, and agricultural lands. Two public scoping meetings will be 
held within the project area. The first scoping meeting will be held on 
February 15, 2000, 5:30 p.m., at the England Elementary School, 400 
East DeWitt, England, Arkansas. The second meeting is scheduled for 
February 16, 2000, 5:30 p.m., at the Lonoke Primary School, 800 Lincoln 
Street, Lonoke, Arkansas. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be 
available for public review during the fall of 2002. A public meeting 
will be held during the review period to receive comments and address 
questions concerning the DEIS.

    Dated: January 26, 2000.
Daniel W. Krueger,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 00-2545 Filed 2-3-00; 8:45 am]
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