8918 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 38 / Friday, February 27, 2009 / Notices 

No Federal Action Alternative; (2) 

Proposed Projects; (3) Reduced Aquatic 

Impacts Alternative; (4) Previously 

Proposed Project; and (5) No Build 

Alternative. The Draft EIR/EIS will also 

consider any other reasonable 

alternative(s) identified during the 

scoping or the preparation of the 

document. 

3. Scoping Process: Pursuant to CEQA 

and NEPA, the City and USACE must 

include a ‘‘scoping’’ process for the 

Draft EIR/EIS. Scoping primarily 

involves determining the scope of issues 

to be addressed in the Draft EIR/EIS and 

identifying the anticipated significant 

issues for in-depth analysis. The 

scoping process includes public 

participation to integrate public needs 

and concerns regarding the proposed 

action into the process. 

a. Public Involvement Program: 

Vehicles for public comment on the 

proposed action will include: a public 

hearing to be conducted jointly by the 

City and USACE, the preparation of the 

Draft EIR/EIS, and receipt of public 

comment in response to the Draft EIR/ 

EIS. In addition, affected Federal, state 

and local agencies, affected Native 

American tribes, and other interested 

private organizations and parties are 

encouraged to participate in the 

program. 

b. Significant Issues to be Analyzed in 

Depth in the Draft EIR/EIS: The 

following significant environmental 

issues have already been identified and 

will be analyzed in depth in the Draft 

EIR/EIS: (1) Aesthetics; (2) Agriculture; 

(3) Air Quality; (4) Biological Resources; 

(5) Cultural Resources; (6) Geology/ 

Soils; (7) Hazards/Hazardous Materials; 

(8) Hydrology/Water Quality; (9) Land 

Use/Planning; (10) Noise; (11) 

Population and Housing; (12) Public 

Services; (13) Recreation; (14) Traffic 

and Circulation; and (15) Utilities/ 

Service Systems. 

c. Environmental Review/ 

Consultation Requirements: 

• National Environmental Policy Act. 

• Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. 

• Endangered Species Act. 

• Clean Air Act. 

• National Historic Preservation Act. 

• California Environmental Quality 

Act. 

• Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. 

4. Scoping Meeting: The City and the 

USACE will hold a scoping meeting at 

the Fairfield City Council Chambers, 

1000 Webster Street, Fairfield, CA 

94533–4883, to provide information on 

the project and receive oral comments 

on the scope of the document on March 

16, 2009, at 7 p.m. Mail comments 

within 30 days of publication to: Mr. 

Bryan Matsumoto, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, 1455 Market Street, CESPN– 

R–N, San Francisco, CA 94103–1398, or; 

Mr. David Feinstein, Senior Planner, 

Department of Community 

Development, City of Fairfield, 1000 

Webster Street, Fairfield, California 

94533–4883. 

5. Availability of Draft EIR/EIS: The 

Draft EIR/EIS is expected to be available 

for public review August 2009. 

(Authority: 40 CFR part 1501.7) 

Dated: February 13, 2009. 

Laurence M. Farrell, 

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Commanding. 

[FR Doc. E9–4201 Filed 2–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3720–58–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army, Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Little Colorado River at Winslow, a 

Feasibility Study of a Portion of the 

Little Colorado River From Chevelon 

Canyon to the North End of the 

Winslow Levee, in and Near Winslow, 

Navajo County, AZ 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, DOD. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Analyses of foreseeable 

environmental impacts from potential 

actions along the Little Colorado River 

in the vicinity of the City of Winslow, 

Navajo County, AZ, will commence. No 

explicit plans have been advanced as 

yet, so contents of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

remain to be determined during the 

public scoping process. The Little 

Colorado River at Winslow Study area 

encompasses the floodplain of the Little 

Colorado River (LCR) from Chevelon 

Canyon downstream (northwest) to the 

north end of the existing Winslow 

Levee, a distance of about 18 river 

miles. The study area includes the 

majority of the City of Winslow, 

including the Ruby Wash Diversion 

Levee and the Ruby Wash Levee. 

The purposes of this Feasibility Study 

are to develop and evaluate potential 

non-structural and engineered solutions 

to address flooding issues within the 

City of Winslow, and to investigate 

potential opportunities for ecosystem 

restoration along the LCR and its 

tributaries in the vicinity of Winslow. 

There is also an opportunity to provide 

much-needed recreational opportunities 

concurrent with flood risk management 

and ecosystem restoration. If there are 

measures and alternatives or plans that 

could be implemented within the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) 

missions, Navajo County has indicated 

their interest to support and provide 

necessary cost-sharing and other 

requirements for the project. Navajo 

County has identified within this length 

of the river needs associated with loss 

of native riparian habitat and the 

presence of significant cultural 

resources. Those needs will guide the 

formulation of plans for this segment of 

the Little Colorado River. The USACE 

and Navajo County, AZ, will cooperate 

in conducting this Feasibility Study. 

ADDRESSES: District Engineer, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles 

District, ATTN: CESPL–PD–RP, P.O. 

Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053– 

2325. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Michael J. Fink, Environmental 

Manager, telephone (602) 640–2001, ext. 

232, or Mr. Mike Ternak, Project 

Manager, telephone (602) 640–2004, ext. 

272. The cooperating entity, Navajo 

County, requests inquiries be directed to 

Mr. Homero Vela, telephone (928) 524– 

4000, for any additional information. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Authorization. This study has been 

conducted under the authority provided 

by the Flood Control Act of 1937. This 

authority amends the Flood Control Act 

of 1936 to permit the Secretary of the 

Army, through the Chief of Engineers, to 

conduct preliminary examinations and 

surveys for flood control at the Little 

Colorado River upstream from the 

boundary of the Navajo Indian 

Reservation. Further authority is 

provided under House Committee on 

Public Works Resolution (Docket 2425) 

May 17, 1994 which states: 

* * * The Secretary of Army is hereby 

requested to review reports of the Chief of 

Engineers on the State of Arizona * * * in 

the interest of flood damage reduction, 

environmental protection and restoration, 

and related purposes. 

2. Background. The Little Colorado 

River (LCR) Watershed encompasses an 

area of approximately 27,051 square 

miles in northeastern Arizona and 

northwestern New Mexico. The 

drainage basin of the LCR is about 245 

miles long and 158 miles wide at the 

widest point. The mainstem of the LCR 

is entirely in Arizona, has a channel 

length of 356 miles, and total elevation 

drop of about 6,300 feet from its 

headwaters in the White Mountains to 

its confluence with the Colorado River. 

The LCR flows in generally a northwest 

direction and receives runoff from 18 

sub-watershed basins and contributing 

drainage areas with hundreds of miles 

of small tributary streams. The 


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 38 / Friday, February 27, 2009 / Notices 8919 

tributaries of Ruby Wash, Clear Creek, 

Cottonwood Wash and Salt Creek join 

the LCR within the study area. The LCR 

joins the Colorado River in the Grand 

Canyon on the northwest edge of the 

basin. The City of Winslow is located in 

the west-central part of the LCR 

Watershed in western Navajo County, 

AZ. 

The LCR was once a broad and flat 

bottomland environment, conveying 

shallow perennial flows along a braided, 

meandering channel. As a result, 

numerous backwater sloughs and 

marshes offered appropriate biotic 

conditions and habitat for a diversity of 

riparian species. Today the LCR is a 

deep, narrow, incised channel which 

experiences only intermittent to 

ephemeral flows. This entrenchment 

has disconnected large parts of the 

floodplain from the river. During 

flooding, channel migration results from 

sedimentation deposition and scour. 

This erosion has contributed to habitat 

degradation and threatened cultural 

resources throughout the Watershed. 

Riparian vegetation has been largely 

replaced by the non-native salt cedar, 

which forms almost pure in-channel 

stands. Changes in vegetation types, 

channel morphology and sediment 

transport are believed to be contributing 

to the flooding problems being 

experienced by the Winslow 

community. 

In response to recurrent flooding 

problems along the LCR, Navajo County 

requested assistance from the Arizona 

Department of Water Resources (ADWR) 

to build the Winslow Levee in 1979. 

The 7.2 mile Winslow Levee was 

constructed along the west side of the 

LCR between 1986 and 1989 for the 

purpose of providing 100-year flood 

protection to the city. This levee has 

failed twice in recent years. The levee 

was overtopped in 1993, resulting in 

washout of a 400-foot levee section, and 

damage to an additional 3,000 feet of 

levee. The resulting flooding inundated 

204 parcels and 140 structures. 

Permanent levee repairs were completed 

in 1994. However, problems with the 

levee continue as evidenced by a second 

levee failure in 2003. This was a piping 

failure, believed to have been caused by 

desiccation cracks, root channels, 

rodent burrows, a structural flaw, and 

other factors. 

Recent studies indicate that the levee 

now only provides a 55-year level of 

protection. The Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) has 

completed decertification of the levee 

for 100-year protection, returning 

approximately 2,700 individual parcels 

and 1,500 structures to the regulated 

floodplain. Owners of developed 

properties in this area will now be 

required to obtain flood insurance from 

the National Flood Insurance Program. 

The Navajo County Public Works 

Department is attempting to rehabilitate 

the levee along the 7.2 mile reach east 

of Winslow. Navajo County is seeking 

assistance from the USACE to resolve 

recurrent flooding problems in the 

Winslow community. 

The potential environmental impacts 

to be evaluated by this DEIS will 

include: (1) Non-structural solutions to 

address flooding issues; (2) engineered 

solutions to address flooding issues; (3) 

opportunities for ecosystem restoration, 

especially as necessary to support the 

primary purpose of flood risk 

management; (4) mitigation of impacts 

to cultural resources, and; (5) designs 

for recreational features which would be 

most compatible with the natural 

resources of the region. 

Prehistoric and historic cultural 

resources are abundant along the 18 

mile reach of the Little Colorado River 

Feasibility Study area. Sensitive natural 

habitats for federally listed species in 

the general vicinity of the confluence of 

Chevelon Creek with the Little Colorado 

River have previously been identified by 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS), and the Arizona Game and 

Fish Department (AZGFD). 

3. Proposed Action. No plan of action 

has yet been identified. 

4. Alternatives. a—No Action: No 

plans would be implemented to reduce 

flood risk to the Winslow area. 

b—Proposed Alternative Plans: None 

have been formulated to date. 

5. Public Involvement. Public 

involvement, an essential part of the EIS 

process, is integral to assessing the 

environmental consequences of the 

proposed action and improving the 

quality of the environmental decision 

making. The public includes affected 

and interested Federal, State, and local 

agencies, Indian tribes, concerned 

citizens, stakeholders, and other 

interested parties. Public participation 

in the EIS process will be strongly 

encouraged, both formally and 

informally, to enhance the probability of 

a more technically accurate, 

economically feasible, and socially and 

politically acceptable EIS. Public 

involvement will include but is not 

limited to: Information dissemination; 

identification of problems, needs and 

opportunities; idea generation; public 

education; problem solving; providing 

feedback on proposals; evaluation of 

alternatives; conflict resolution by 

consensus; public and scoping notices 

and meetings; public, stakeholder and 

advisory groups consultation and 

meetings; and making the EIS and 

supporting information readily available 

in conveniently located places, such as 

libraries and on the Internet. 

Participation of all interested Federal, 

State, and County resource agencies, as 

well as Native American peoples, 

groups with environmental interests, 

and all interested individuals is 

encouraged. Public involvement will be 

most beneficial and worthwhile in 

identifying pertinent environmental 

issues, offering useful information such 

as published or unpublished data, direct 

personal experience or knowledge 

which inform decision making, 

assistance in defining the scope of plans 

which ought to be considered, and 

recommending suitable mitigation 

measures warranted by such plans. 

Those wishing to contribute 

information, ideas, alternatives for 

actions, and so forth can furnish these 

contributions in writing to the points of 

contacts indicated above, or by 

attending public scoping meetings. 

Notice of public scoping meetings will 

be published in the local and regional 

newspapers. 

When plans have been devised and 

alternatives formulated to embody those 

plans, potential environmental and 

social impacts will be evaluated in the 

DEIS. These analyses will emphasize at 

least fifteen categories of resources: 

Land use, impromptu historic landfills 

created by dumping trash over the 

banks, hazardous wastes, physical 

environment, hydrology, groundwater, 

biological, archaeological, historical, 

geological, air quality, noise, 

transportation, socioeconomics, and 

safety. 

6. Scoping Process. Scoping, an early 

and open process for identifying the 

scope of significant issues related to the 

proposed action to be addressed in the 

EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the 

affected public and agency concerns; (b) 

facilitate an efficient EIS preparation 

process; (c) define the issues and 

alternatives that will be examined in 

detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in 

the overall process by helping to ensure 

that the Draft EIS adequately addresses 

relevant issues. An initial public 

scoping meeting will be held on 

Tuesday, March 24, 2009, in Winslow, 

AZ. Announcements through local and 

regional media, as well as a scoping 

meeting public notice announcing the 

location, date and time of the scoping 

meeting will be mailed to all interested 

parties during February 2009. Interested 

parties are encouraged to express their 

views throughout the entire study 

process. Comments will be welcomed at 

the public scoping meeting. In addition, 

written comments will also be accepted 

during the scoping comment period 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES2
8920 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 38 / Friday, February 27, 2009 / Notices 

which will extend 30 days from the date 

of the scoping meeting public notice. 

7. Interagency Coordination and 

Cooperation. The USACE and the 

USFWS have formally committed to 

work together to conserve, protect, and 

restore fish and wildlife resources while 

ensuring environmental sustainability of 

our Nation’s water resources under the 

January 22, 2003, Partnership 

Agreement for Water Resources and 

Fish and Wildlife. The USFWS will 

provide a Fish and Wildlife 

Coordination Act Report. Coordination 

will be maintained with the USFWS 

regarding threatened and endangered 

species under their jurisdictional 

responsibilities. The Arizona Game and 

Fish Department (AZGFD) will be 

consulted concerning potential impacts 

to sensitive species and habitats. 

Coordination will be maintained with 

the Advisory Counsel on Historic 

Preservation and the State Historic 

Preservation Officer (SHPO). 

Coordination will be maintained with 

the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (USEPA) concerning 

compliance with Executive Order 

12898, ‘‘Federal Action to Address 

Environmental Justice in Minority 

Populations and Low-Income 

Populations.’’ 

8. Availability of the EIS. It is 

anticipated that the DEIS will be 

available for public review during the 

spring of 2011. The DEIS or a Notice of 

Availability (NOA) will be provided 

during the 45-day review period to 

affected Federal, State and local 

agencies, Indian Tribes, and other 

interested parties. 

Dated: February 25, 2009. 

Thomas H. Magness, 

Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer. 

[FR Doc. E9–4200 Filed 2–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3720–58–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Army; Corps of 

Engineers 

Intent To Prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Southwest Coastal Louisiana 

Feasibility Study 

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The Corps of Engineers 

(Corps) intends to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Southwest Coastal Louisiana 

Feasibility Study for Calcasieu, 

Cameron and Vermilion Parishes, 

Louisiana. The Corps will evaluate a full 

suite of structural, nonstructural and 

coastal restoration measures to achieve 

hurricane protection and storm damage 

risk reduction within Calcasieu, 

Cameron and Vermilion Parishes in 

Louisiana. Southwestern Louisiana has 

been affected by several named storms 

in the past 50 years. The study area, 

which is characterized by low, flat 

terrain, is highly susceptible to flooding 

from tidal surges associated with 

hurricanes and tropical storms due to its 

close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Hurricanes that caused damage include 

Audrey (1957), Arlene (1959), Debra 

(1978), Chris (1982), Danny (1985), Juan 

(1985), Bonnie (1986), Allison (1989), 

Chantal (1989), Francis (1998), Hermine 

(1998), Allison (2001), Bertha (2002), 

Lili (2002), Rita (2005), Gustav (2008) 

and Ike (2008). As the ground elevation 

subsides relative to the levels of the Gulf 

of Mexico, the depth of potential 

flooding in the future will increase 

along with an increase in damages to the 

human and natural environments. 

Wetlands in the study area are affected 

by relative sea level rise, subsidence, 

tides and storm surge created by tropical 

storms and hurricanes, saltwater 

intrusion and ponding and reduced 

organic production. These conditions 

would continue at an increased rate as 

the mass of coastal land decreases. 

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section for scoping meeting dates. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Questions concerning the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

should be addressed to Ms. Sandra 

Stiles at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

CEMVNPM–RS, P.O. Box 60267, New 

Orleans, LA 70160–0267, phone (504) 

862–1583, fax number (504) 862–2088 

or by e-mail at 

sandra.e.stiles@usace.army.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Authority: Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. 

House of Representatives, Resolution 

Docket 2747, Southwest Coastal 

Louisiana, LA authorized the Secretary 

of the Army in accordance with section 

110 of the River and Harbor Act of 1962, 

to survey the coast of Louisiana in 

Cameron, Calcasieu and Vermilion 

Parishes with particular reference to the 

advisability of providing hurricane 

protection and storm damage reduction 

and related purposes to include the 

feasibility of constructing an armored 12 

foot levee along the Gulf Intracoastal 

Waterway. 

2. Proposed Action. The Corps will 

develop hurricane protection, storm 

damage risk reduction and coastal 

restoration measures for Calcasieu, 

Cameron and Vermilion Parishes to 

include: (1) Levee alignments to provide 

hurricane protection and reduce 

damages from storm surge; (2) restoring 

natural ecosystem features, such as 

Cheniers, to reduce damages from storm 

surge; (3) measures protecting, restoring 

or increasing wetlands to prevent 

saltwater intrusion or reduce storm 

surge; (4) measures reducing risk of 

storm damage to communities by 

preventing or reducing wetland losses 

in areas affected by navigation, oil and 

gas and other manmade channels; (5) 

creation of barrier islands to serve as the 

first line of defense against storms and 

reduce storm surge; (6) nonstructural 

measures such as raising structures inplace, relocating structures, buyouts, 

flood proofing and policy development. 

3. Alternatives. Hurricane protection 

and surge reduction measures being 

considered include multi-parish levee 

alignments, ring levees, ridges, and 

breakwaters to provide multiple lines of 

defense. Coastal restoration measures 

being considered include restoration of 

Cheniers, creation of barrier islands, 

large-scale marsh creation and 

restoration, salinity control, hydrologic 

restoration, and restoration of natural 

features to prevent/reduce storm surge. 

Non-structural measures include raising 

structures in-place, property buyouts, 

relocations of residents and 

communities, flood-proofing and 

hardening of infrastructure. Once 

hurricane protection, storm surge risk 

reduction and coastal restoration 

measures are identified, alternative 

plans will be developed through various 

combinations of measures that best meet 

the study goals and objectives and are 

determined to be cost-effective, 

environmentally acceptable and 

technically feasible. 

3. Public Involvement. Stakeholder 

and public involvement for this 

proposed action is integral to the 

project. Interested parties, concerned 

citizens, and other State and Federal 

agencies, private and not for profit or 

non-governmental organizations are 

strongly encouraged to participate in the 

development of the proposed action. 

Stakeholder and public meetings would 

be held throughout project 

development. Meeting announcements 

would be made as information becomes 

available. 

4. Public Scoping Meeting. Scoping is 

the process utilized for determining the 

range of alternatives and significant 

issues to be addressed in the EIS. For 

this study, a letter will be mailed to all 

parties believed to have an interest in 

the analysis. The letter will notify 

interested parties of public scoping 

meetings that will be held in the local 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES2