[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 3714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1602]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, WA, INT-FES
99-3
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final programmatic environmental
impact statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Department of the Interior, Bureau
of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a final programmatic
environmental impact statement (PEIS) for implementing provisions of
Phase 2 of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project
(Enhancement Project). The purpose of the Enhancement Project is to
meet the competing water needs of the Yakima River basin, including the
protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources
and improvement of the reliability of the water supply for irrigation,
through improved water conservation and management and other
appropriate means.
DATES: A decision will not be made on the proposed action shall at
least 30 days after this notice of availability of the final PEIS is
published in the Federal Register. Soon after the 30-day waiting
period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision, identifying the
action that will be taken and discussing all factors leading to the
decision.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the final PEIS may be obtained without charge from
the following location:
Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, 1917
Marsh Road, Yakima, Washington 98907
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Tiedeman, Environmental
Specialist, at the above address or at 509-575-5848.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final PEIS evaluates the effects of
Title XII of the Enhancement Project legislation. The provisions and
measures of the Enhancement Project legislation form the parameters and
the methods for achieving the protection, mitigation, and enhancement
of fish and wildlife through improved water management, instream flows,
water quality, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and improved
reliability of irrigation water supplies. Central to this legislation
is the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program which attempts to
balance 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 the efficiency of water delivery and
use, instream flows for fish and wildlife, and the reliability of the
irrigation water supply.
Specific measures that will be implemented depend upon proposals
contained in the water conservation plans, feasibility investigations
of measures selected for consideration, and program criteria.
Consequently, the final PEIS is a broad scope document to provide
``umbrella'' coverage for implementing the Enhancement Project with
subsequent tiering for NEPA compliance of specific follow-on actions as
appropriate.
Six alternatives, including no action, were evaluated in the final
PEIS. The no action alternative is presented as the most likely future
condition that could be expected without the implementation of
additional Title XII provisions beyond the currently established
riverflows, which includes the new operational criteria required by the
legislation. This alternative provided the basis for impact
comparisons. Five action alternatives presented the implementation of
all elements of the Enhancement Project at different levels of
implementation of project components. The preferred and environmentally
preferred alternative is Alternative 2A, which includes all provisions
of Title XII, and which would provide for the implementation of water
conservation measures throughout the basin, rather than concentrating
in specific areas.
Beneficial impacts of the project are considered to be enhanced
water quality, increased streamflow, and overall reinforcement of fish
and wildlife habitat, as well as an increase in the reliability of
irrigation water supplies.
Dated: January 7, 1999.
Steven R. Clark,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 99-1602 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M
