[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16457-16458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7751]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Coos Bay-North Bend Water Supply Project, 
Coos County, Oregon

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action is the issuance of a Department of the 
Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977, as 
amended, and Section 9 of the River and Harbor Act of 1899 for the 
construction of a dam and reservoir on Joe Ney Creek, and raising of an 
existing dam on Upper Pony Creek. Both projects would be located in 
Coos County, Oregon, The Coos Bay-North Bend Water Board is the permit 
applicant, and is proposing this action for the purpose of increasing 
the municipal and industrial water supply for its service area.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, P.O. Box 
2496, Portland, Oregon 97208-2946.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Kurkoski, (503) 326-6094. 
Internet address: david<INF>- kurkoski @smtplink.npp.usace. army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coos Bay-North Bend Water Board, Coos 
County, Oregon has applied to the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers for a Department of the Army Permit under section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act of 1977, as amended, and Section 9 of the River and 
Harbor Act of 1899. The proposed action is to construct a new dam and 
reservoir on Joe Ney Creek, and raise an existing dam on Upper Pony 
Creek to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir. The purpose of 
the proposed action is to increase municipal and industrial water 
supply storage for the area serviced by the Water Board.

Pony Creek

    The existing Upper Pony Creek Reservoir was created by a dam across 
Pony Creek near the headwaters at approximately River Mile (RM) 4.5). 
The dam was constructed in 1951 to provide water storage for the Water 
Board's service area. The proposed expansion would involve raising the 
existing 45-foot earthfill dam by 21.5 feet, to increase reservoir 
storage capacity from the existing 2,150 acre-feet to 6,250 acre-feet.

Joe Ney Creek

    The existing reservoir on Joe Ney Creek was created by a 9-
foot=high earthen dam constructed in 1947 at RM 1.5. The Water board 
proposes to build a larger dam approximately 800 feet upstream of the 
existing dam. the new dam, which would be built to an evaluation of 39 
feet, would provide storage for 2,500 acre-feet.

Operations

    Both reservoirs would be operated by the Water board for municipal 
and industrial water supply. Water would be pumped from Joe Ney 
Reservoir through [[Page 16458]] a pipeline across the ridge to the 
Pony Creek basin, discharging into a natural channel flowing into Upper 
Pony Creek Reservoir. As needed, water stored in Upper Pony Creek 
Reservoir would be released into lower Pony Creek where it is withdrawn 
and treated at the water treatment plant.
    The alternatives to be considered in the DEIS area:

--the proposed project
--development of other water supplies to meet the project objectives
--no action.

    The scoping process will commence in March 1995 with the issuance 
of a scoping letter. Federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes, 
and interested organizations and individuals will be asked to comment 
on the significant issues relating to the potential effects of the 
alternatives. Potentially significant issues to be addressed in the 
DEIS include: effects of the project on wetlands, wildlife habitat and 
populations, and fisheries.
    A formal scoping meeting has not been scheduled. The applicant has 
scheduled a public meeting to be held at 7:00 pm, on April 5, 1995, at 
the North Bend Public Library, North Bend, Oregon. the purpose of the 
public meeting is to provide more information on the project and the 
scope of studies to be accomplished for this DEIS, to assist interested 
parties in developing their scoping comments.
    The DEIS is scheduled to be made available to the public in late 
1995.
Kenneth L. Denton,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 95-7751 Filed 3-29-95; 8:45 am]
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