[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17341-17343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8241]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Intent to Supplement the December 1991 Joint EIS/EIR 
(Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report) for the 
ARWI (American River Watershed Investigation) Originally Filed With EPA 
in January 1992 With a Joint DSEIS/SDEIR (Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Report) on the ARWI

AGENCIES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD, in cooperation with the 
State of California, The Reclamation Board, and with the Sacramento 
Area Flood Control Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a joint DSEIS/SDEIR.

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SUMMARY: The reevaluation of the ARWI includes a DSEIS/SDEIR 
identifying and assessing new flood control alternatives and 
reanalyzing measures presented in the December 1991 EIS/EIR. When 
complete, this document will become part of the SIR (Supplemental 
Information Report). The DSEIS/SDEIR will describe the significance of 
the impacts of potential alternatives on the area's natural and 
cultural resources and mitigation requirements for the alternatives 
evaluated. The study area includes lands within the American River 
watershed and the Deer Creek area of the Cosumnes River basin. These 
alternatives examined in detail include construction of a peak flow 
detention dam, with various outlet configurations, near Auburn on the 
North Fork, American River; modifications to Folsom Dam; levee 
improvements on the lower American River; and increasing the flood 
storage allocation space in Folsom Reservoir.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Please address comments and/or questions regarding this DSEIS/SDEIR to 
Colonel John N. Reese, District Engineer, ATTN: Mr. Michael Welsh, 
Planning Division, Environmental Planning Section, CESPK-PD-R, U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814-
2922, telephone area code (916) 557-6718.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Proposed Action

    A DSEIS/SDEIR prepared by the Corps of Engineers, the State of 
California, The Reclamation Board and Department of Water Resources, 
and SAFCA (the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency) will expand upon 
the ARWI feasibility report approved by the Board of Engineers for 
Rivers and Harbors in June 1992. This supplemental investigation will 
identify and assess new flood control measures [[Page 17342]] and 
reevaluate previously studied measures using new baseline conditions.
    The Defense Appropriations Act of 1993 authorized the Natomas 
portion of the project, subject to certain conditions being complied 
with. Since that time, SAFCA has applied for, and received, a 
Department of the Army Permit pursuant to Section 404(b)(1) of the 
Clean Water Act to construct the levees described in the 1991 EIS/EIR. 
As part of the permit review process, SAFCA prepared and circulated a 
separate NEPA/CEQA (National Environmental Policy Act, and the 
California Environmental Quality Act) document describing the Natomas 
levee work. Work was initiated on the local project in 1994, and is 
expected to be completed in 1997. The Bureau of Reclamation and SAFCA 
have entered into an interim agreement to reoperate Folsom Reservoir to 
remove the Sacramento area from flooding from storm events having a one 
percent chance of occurring in any given year. This agreement is for a 
five year period, and may be extended an additional five year period, 
if mutually agreed upon.
    The Defense Appropriations Act of 1993 also authorized this 
reevaluation of the ARWI. This reevaluation analyzes the American River 
watershed for its contribution to Sacramento area flooding. The DSEIS/
SDEIR will fulfill requirements of NEPA and CEQA. The document will 
discuss alternatives and plan features and impacts on the American 
River watershed areas natural resources. The results of the 
investigations will be presented in a final SIR/EIS/EIR combined report 
submitted to Corps headquarters for approval and eventual submission 
for congressional consideration in mid 1996.

2. Alternatives

    The SIR and accompanying DSEIS/SDEIR will reassess flood control 
plans that consider improvements within the American River watershed 
and the Deer Creek area to increase protection to the Sacramento area 
from flooding on the American River. In addition to the alternatives 
discussed in the 1991 Feasibility Report and a no action alternative, 
this DSEIS/SDEIR will analyze the following major alternatives:
    Increase Folsom Reservoir Storage--This alternative includes 
modifying the outlets and spillway at Folsom Dam, and requiring that 
between 495,000 and 670,000 acre-feet of space be reserved in the 
reservoir each year, depending on the amount of water contained in the 
private reservoirs on the north and middle forks of the American River.
    Folsom Storage/Step Release Alternative--This alternative includes 
modifying the spillway and outlets at Folsom Dam, requiring that 
between 400,000 and 670,000 acre-feet of space be reserved in the 
reservoir each year, modify the levees along the lower American River 
to accommodate an objective release of 145,000 cfs with a maximum step 
release of 180,000 cfs, and lengthen and modify the Sacramento Weir and 
bypass and modify the levees along Yolo Bypass to accommodate the 
increased flows.
    Maximum Objective Release Alternative--This alternative includes 
modifying the spillway and outlets at Folsom Dam, requiring that 
between 425,000 and 670,000 acre-feet of space be reserved in the 
reservoir each year, modify the levees along the lower American River 
to accommodate an objective release of 180,000 cfs, and lengthen and 
modify the Sacramento Weir and bypass and modify the levees along Yolo 
Bypass to accommodate the increased flows.
    Flood Detention Dam Alternative--This alternative consists of a 
498-foot high concrete gravity dam constructed using roller compacted 
concrete. This dam would be constructed on the North Fork American 
River near Auburn, and would be able to temporarily detain 
approximately 894,000 acre-feet of water during a major storm event. 
The dam would have 20 operable gates and 2 ungated sluices to control 
the drawdown rate and minimize the affects of inundation during 
inundation events. The operation of Folsom Reservoir would be returned 
to a fixed space requirement of 400,000 acre-feet of storage. The 
objective releases from Folsom Dam would remain at 115,000 cfs.
    The DSEIS/SDEIR will analyze impacts and mitigation requirements, 
which them becomes part of the project's mitigation commitment in 
compliance with Federal and State statutes.

3. Public Involvement

    a. A notice outlining the ARWI and tentatively proposed 
alternatives was sent to public agencies, organizations, and 
individuals in the study area prior to the first public forum conducted 
in November 1993. Additional public forums, meetings, and workshops 
were conducted during the remainder of 1993, and throughout 1994. The 
initial notice and subsequent public meetings provided the public an 
opportunity to identify their concerns on area flooding and on 
significant natural resources in the area. Responses to the notice and 
public hearings helped develop an environmental inventory for use in 
preparing the DSEIS/SDEIR.
    b. The feasibility report was completed in December 1991. Prior to 
its completion, comments were received from the public concerning the 
flood control alternatives and environmental impacts of those 
alternatives. Numerous public workshops and coordinating meetings were 
held to assist the State and SAFCA to determine a preferred flood 
control plan. For the restudy of the ARWI this process will continue 
with a final SEIS/EIR and SIR scheduled for December 1995. Coordination 
has been maintained with Federal, State and local agencies, concerned 
individuals and organizations. Through this Notice of Intent, all 
segments of the affected public and agencies are invited to participate 
in this reevaluation.
    c. Significant issues discussed in the public meetings include the 
degree of protection offered by the alternatives, hydrology of the 
area, planning objectives, alternatives analysis, impacts on fish and 
wildlife resources, recreation, endangered species, vegetation, 
esthetics, cumulative impacts, cultural resources and, hazardous and 
toxic waste; and the mitigation requirements to compensate for impacts 
to significant resources.
    d. Other agency review and consultation for this DSEIS/SDEIR will 
occur with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who will provide a Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act Report under authority of the Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service will 
provide information on the anadromous fishery of both the American and 
Sacramento rivers under the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act. In 
addition, both agencies will provide information and opinions on how 
best to avoid impacts to species protected under the Endangered Species 
Act under their jurisdictions. Coordination on cultural resources will 
be accomplished through the State Historic Preservation Office in 
accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. Water quality 
issues will be addressed by an updated evaluation conducted pursuant to 
Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act, and will include coordination 
with the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency. All resource agency input, 
including recommendations on avoiding or minimizing impacts to natural 
resources, becomes part of the final ARWI SEIS/EIR. [[Page 17343]] 

4. Availability

    The DSEIS/SDEIR is scheduled to be distributed for public review 
and comment in August 1995. All interested persons are encouraged to 
respond to this notice and provide a current address if you wish to be 
contacted about the DSEIS/SDEIR public involvement process.

    Dated: March 24, 1995.
Michael P. Stuhr,
LTC, EN, Colonel, Corps of Engineers Deputy District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 95-8241 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-BF-M