[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1581]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 26, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science
Central Utah Project Completion Act; Scoping on the Daniel
Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project EIS
AGENCY: Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings to invite public input for use in
preparing the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency
Project EIS.
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SUMMARY: Public Law 102-575 Section 202(a)(3) and 303(b)(3)(a) directs
the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD) to conduct, within
two years from the date of enactment of this Act, a feasibility study
with public involvement, of efficiency improvements in the management,
delivery and treatment of water in Wasatch County; and to construct a
Daniel Replacement pipeline from the Jordanelle Reservoir to the
existing Daniel Irrigation Company water regulating facilities for the
purpose of providing a permanent replacement of water in an amount
equal to the water being diverted from the Strawberry watershed
(Colorado River Basin) to the Daniels Creek irrigation area. This
replacement would allow the water currently being diverted from streams
tributary to Strawberry Reservoir to flow unrestricted into the
reservoir, resulting in improvement to the fishery resources. This
improvement is a segment of the aquatic mitigation plan for the
Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project.
CUWCD will serve as the joint lead agency with the Secretary of the
Interior for preparation of the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water
Efficiency Project EIS pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the NEPA of
1969 as amended and the Central Utah Project Completion Act.
A Federal Register notice 57 FR 62576 issued on December 31, 1992,
announced the CUWCD's intent to prepare an EIS. The purpose of this
notice is to invite the public's participation in the EIS scoping
process. The purpose of scoping is to solicit public input on the scope
and content of the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency
Project EIS.
The EIS for the Daniel Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency
Project will be prepared in two sections. One section will evaluate the
environmental impact of the Daniel Replacement Project and alternatives
for providing greater water efficiency and certain environmental
improvements in Wasatch County, Utah. Preliminary alternatives to be
included in this section of the EIS are: Daniel Replacement Project
using only a pipeline to transport the water; Daniel Replacement
Project using a combination of pipeline and enlarging existing canals;
Daniel Replacement Project in combination with efficiency projects
(i.e. conversion of flood irrigation to sprinkler irrigation) using
only pipelines to convey the water; Daniel Replacement Project in
combination with efficiency projects (i.e. conversion of flood
irrigation to sprinkler irrigation) with maximum use of existing canals
to transport the water; and Daniel Replacement Project in combination
with efficiency projects (i.e. conversion of flood irrigation to
sprinkler irrigation) and use of River Ditch, Wasatch Canal and
enlarged Timpanogos Canal to transport the water. The EIS will also
evaluate the impact of the No-Action alternative.
Type of potential issues include impacts to wetlands and downstream
water users associated with the conversion from flood to sprinkler
irrigation; impacts associated with flow reduction in upper Daniels
Creek; impacts on threatened and endangered species; and, the impact of
restoring the natural flow to several streams in the upper Strawberry
River basin.
The second section of the EIS will cover the Provo River
Restoration Prject (PRRP). The principal objective of the PRRP is to
return the Provo River between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir
to a naturally functional state, wherein long-term dynamic equilibrium
and stability would be self-sustaining. Three alternatives for the PRRP
will be analyzed in the EIS. They are: no action, which would consist
of making only those improvements (i.e. fisherman access to the river
and installation of in-channel fish habitat enhancement structures)
covered by the 1987 Final Supplement to the Municipal & Industrial
System Bonneville Unit EIS; existing channel enhancement, which would
consist of transforming the channel into a step-pool system to the
extent possible within the existing flood easements; and maximum
practical restoration which would involve reconstructing essentially
the entire river channel as a meandering riffle-pool system which may
extend well beyond the present diked and flood easement area.
Type of potential issues include impacts to wetlands and riparian
vegetation; and impact of increased recreational use along the Provo
River corridor on ranching operations.
DATES: The scoping meetings which will begin at 7 p.m. will be held:
March 1, 1994 at the Utah Department of Natural Resources auditorium,
1636 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah; and March 2, 1994 at the
Wasatch County High School, 64 East 600 South, Heber, Utah. The CUWCD
seeks participation in the scoping process from interested members of
the public, including potentially affected landowners, public
officials, agency representatives, special interest groups and
interested individuals. CUWCD will make every effort to make these
meetings accessible to disabled attendees. Please contact CUWCD at 801-
226-7171 with any special needs or requests at least three days prior
to the meeting. For those who are unable to attend the meetings,
written input on the issues or alternatives which should be included in
the EIS should be received no later than April 4, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: An information package on the project
is available upon request from the CUWCD. All such requests and written
input should be addressed to: Kirt Carpenter, Project Manager, Daniels
Replacement/Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project, 355 West 1300
South, Orem, Utah 84058-7303, 801/226-7171 or 801/226-7150 (fax).
Ron Johnston,
CUPCA Program Director, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 94-1581 Filed 1-25-94; 8:45 am]
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