[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27327-27328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12559]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation


Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, Washington

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact 
statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of [[Page 27328]] Reclamation 
(Reclamation) intends to prepare a programmatic environmental impact 
statement (PEIS) for implementing provisions of the legislation 
authorizing the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project 
(Enhancement Project). The purpose of the Enhancement Project is to 
meet the competing needs of the Yakima River basin through improved 
water conservation and management, and other appropriate means. This 
may include reducing water diversions by improving conveyance, 
distribution, and onfarm irrigation facilities; and changing 
operations, management, and administration of Yakima River basin water. 
Conserved water will be used to increase instream flows and provide a 
more stable irrigation supply. The Enhancement Project legislation also 
authorizes actions on the Yakima Indian Reservation to benefit the 
members of the Yakima Indian Nation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Cline Sweet, Environmental Program Manager, Upper Columbia Area 
Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 1749, Yakima, WA 98907-1749; 
telephone (509) 575-5848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Federal involvement in the Yakima River basin began in 1905 with 
authorization of the first facilities of the Yakima Project. The Yakima 
Project now consists of seven divisions: A storage division consisting 
of seven reservoirs and six water service divisions with separate 
diversion, conveyance, and distribution facilities.
    The Yakima River basin is highly dependent upon water from the 
Yakima River and its tributaries to meet a multitude of economic, 
environmental, and societal needs. The Yakima Project provides the 
primary facilities for the regulation and use of basin waters.
    Congress first authorized a study of the Enhancement Project in 
1979. Phase one of the Enhancement Project was implemented in 1984 when 
Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior, through Reclamation, 
to construct fish passage and protective facilities in the Yakima River 
basin. The work was performed in partnership with the Bonneville Power 
Administration, the State of Washington, and others under the auspices 
of the Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning 
Council.
    The Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program adopted by the 
Northwest Power Planning Council in 1982 identified the Yakima River 
basin as one of the areas with the greatest potential for the 
production of salmon and steelhead. With the existing project 
facilities and operational requirements, maintaining a stable 
irrigation water supply and instream flows for the maintenance and 
enhancement of salmon and steelhead in the Yakima River basin is 
difficult to achieve.
    In dry years, the water supply available is allocated among the 
water users pursuant to entitlements set forth in a Federal District 
Court Judgment of January 31, 1945 (1945 Consent Decree). The 1945 
Consent Decree requires reductions in the water supply available to 
junior water right holders before any reductions to senior right 
holders. Additionally, a Federal Court directive on November 28, 1980, 
requiring Reclamation to make releases from Yakima Project reservoirs 
to assure adequate instream flows for anadromous fish spawning and 
rearing further reduces the reliability of irrigation water supplies.

Current Activities

    The Enhancement Project legislation established the Yakima River 
Basin Water Conservation Program which is central to balancing the 
competing demands on the basin's water supply. This voluntary program 
will reduce demands on the available water supply by promoting 
conservation measures to improve:
    <bullet> The efficiency of water delivery and use.
    <bullet> Instream flows for fish and wildlife.
    <bullet> The reliability of the irrigation water supply.
    The actual measures that will be adopted depend on the preparation 
of water conservation plans detailing what can be done. Cost 
effectiveness will be considered and separate NEPA compliance will be 
completed when recommending water conservation actions for 
implementation. The water conservation measures will occur in steps 
over a period of years providing the opportunity to monitor, evaluate, 
and adjust subsequent measures.
    The legislation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to 
establish a conservation advisory group, in consultation with the State 
of Washington, the Yakama Indian Nation, the Yakima River basin 
irrigators, and other interested parties. A charter for the group has 
been drafted and nominees are being sought.
    The legislation was developed by a consortium of local, tribal, 
State, and Federal entities involved with water resource activities in 
the basin and is the result of a consensus building effort to structure 
an acceptable, comprehensive approach to the basin's water problems. An 
extensive scoping effort will be conducted by mail along with public 
scoping sessions which will be scheduled at a later date.

Alternative Measures

    The PEIS will serve as an umbrella document to ensure that the 
interaction and cumulative effects of all activities proposed for 
implementation under Title XII of the Act of October 31, 1994 (Pub. L. 
103-434), which authorized the Enhancement Project, are addressed. The 
provisions and measures for the legislation will set the limits on 
activities to be evaluated in the PEIS.
    Two major alternatives are being considered: action, i.e., 
implementing the legislation, and no action. The action alternative 
will be an incremental analysis showing impacts at different levels of 
implementation of project components. Separate NEPA analyses addressing 
various alternatives will be conducted for site specific actions not 
covered in sufficient detail in the PEIS.

Potential Federal Action

    Reclamation is seeking funding to implement Public Law 103-434. The 
draft PEIS is expected to be completed in June of 1996.
    Anyone interested in more information concerning the study, or who 
has information concerning the study or suggestions as to significant 
environmental issues, should contact Mr. Sweet as provided above.

    Dated: April 27, 1995.
John W. Keys, III,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 95-12559 Filed 5-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M