Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 54 / Thursday, March 20, 1997 / Notices 13369

meeting the biological needs of species

protected under the Endangered Species

Act. Pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969,

selection of a system operation strategy

preferred alternative is documented in

the SOR Final Environmental Impact

Statement, November 1995. This Record

of Decision documents the decision of

the Corps of Engineers to implement

existing and modified plans for

reservoir regulation and project

operation for the following Corps

projects: Bonneville, The Dalles, John

Day, and McNary; Oregon and

Washington: Ice Harbor, Lower

Monumental, Little Goose, Lower

Granite, and Chief Joseph; Washington:

Dworshak and Albeni Falls, Idaho: and

Libby, Montana. The Record of Decision

was signed on February 20, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Copies of the record of decision and

further information may be requested

from: Division Engineer, US Army

Engineer Division, North Pacific

Division, 220 NW 8th Ave., Portland,

Oregon 97209-3589, PO Box 2870,

97208–2870, Attention: Ray Jaren,

Telephone (503) 326–5194 ((503) 808–

3857 after March 21, 1997).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of

the Record of Decision are available for

inspection and review at the following

Corps of Engineers offices:

Office, Chief of Engineers, 20

Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington,

DC 20314–1000.

Portland District, Robert Duncan Plaza,

333 SW First Ave., Portland, OR

97204–3495, (503) 326–5268.

Seattle District, 4735 East Marginal Way

South, Seattle, WA 98134–2385, (206)

764–6578.

Walla Walla District, 201 North 3rd

Ave., Walla Walla, WA 99362–1876,

(509) 527–7244.

Robert H. Griffin,

Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Division

Engineer.

[FR Doc. 97–7005 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

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Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for the Eastern Arkansas

Region Comprehensive Study, Grand

Prairie Area Demonstration Project,

General Reevaluation

AGENCY: Memphis District, U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, Department of

Defense.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this general

reevaluation is to develop a plan of

improvement that addresses all of the

identified water resource problems and

opportunities within the Grand Prairie

project area. It will evaluate and

determine the optimum plan for

providing agricultural water supply and

conservaiton while incorporating water

quality, fish and wildlife, recreaiton,

and environmental protection/

restoration measures. The general

reevaluation is being conducted in

response to congressional direction and

funding provided by Energy and Water

Development Appropriations Acts. It is

a continuation of preconstruction,

engineering, and design of the Eastern

Arkansas Region Comprehensive Study

authorized by the Committee on Public

Works and Transportaiton of the U.S.

House of Representatives on September

23, 1982. The Grand Prairie—Bayou

Metro Project was reauthorized by the

Water Resources Development Act of

1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Ken Bright, telephone (901) 544–0745,

CELMM–PD–F, 167 North Main Street

B–202, Memphis, TN 38103–1894.

Questions regarding the DEIS may be

directed to Mr. Edward Lambert,

telephone (901) 544–0707, CELMM–PD–

R.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Proposed Action

A Corps feasibility study, completed

in 1990, identified the Grand Prairie as

one of five geographic areas within

eastern Arkansas exhibiting critical

groundwater depletion proglems as a

result of agricultural irrigation demands

on the alluvial aquifer. Subsequent

congressional appropriaiton acts

directed the Corps to select and develop

implementation plans for one of the five

areas to serve as an agricultrual water

supply demonstraiton project. The

Grand Prairie was selected because

groundwater depletion is comparably

more severe within this area. The Grand

Prairie Area Demonstration Project

general reevaluation proposes to

devleop an economically feasible and

environmentally acceptable plan to

supply and conserve irrigation water in

such a manner as to allow stabilization

of the aquifer. An eloborate water

distribution system, water conservation

measures, groundwater management

strategies, retrofit of existing farm

irrigation systems, and new on-farm

storage reservoirs will be integral

components of this plan. In addition,

harvested rice fields will be flooded to

benefit migratory waterfowl and shore

birds. Since a vast tallgrass prairie

historically occupied this area, native

prairie grasses will be planted within

project rights-of-way. This project area

encompasses 362,662 acres and

includes significant portions of Prairie

and Arkansas counties and small

portions of Monroe and Lonoke

counties.

2. Alternatives

Alternatives being considered include

plans that provide various on-farm

water conservation measures and

additonal water storage and plans that

combine conservation measures and

additional storage with irrigation water

supply from the White River. These

plans will be compared to the No Action

alternative.

3. Scoping Process

An intensive public involvement

program has been maintianed

throughout this study to (1) solicit input

from individuals and interested parties

so that problems, needs, and

opportunities within the project area

could be properly identified and

addressed and (2) provide status

updates to concerned organizations and

the general public. A formal public

meeting was held in Stuttgart, Arkansas,

on December 8, 1992, to provide

information on the general reevaluation

and proposed project alternatives and to

discuss project related issues and

concerns with the general public.

Numerous meetings with the local

public, sponsor coordination meetings,

interagency environmental meetings,

and public project briefings/

presentaitons have been conducted.

Also, project displays have been

exhibited at county fairs and outdoors

festivals. No additional public scoping

meetings are anticipated, but

interagency environmental meetings

will continue. Significant issues being

analyzed include potential project

impacts (negative and positive) to

fisheries, water quality, wetlands,

upland forests, waterfowl, endangered

species, and cultural resources. It is

anticipated that the DEIS will be

available for public review during the

fall or winter of 1997. A public meeting

will be held during the reivew period to

recieve comments and address

questions concerning the DEIS.

Josef R. Hallatschek,

Major, Corps of Engineers, Deputy District

Engineer.

[FR Doc. 97–7006 Filed 3–19–97; 8:45 am]

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