[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18441-18442]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9943]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Tucson Aqueduct System Reliability Investigation, Central Arizona
Project, INT-FES 98-12
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability on the final environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (as
amended) (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a
final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the Tucson Aqueduct
System Reliability Investigation (TASRI) project, Tucson Division,
Central Arizona Project (CAP). The FEIS addresses alternatives that
have been studied to incorporate short-term delivery reliability into
the CAP system for the Tucson area. This short-term reliability would
ensure the delivery of CAP water to Tucson area users during periods of
planned maintenance outages of the CAP. Reclamation proposes the
construction of a 15,000 acre-foot surface storage reservoir, located
southwest of the Tucson metropolitan area, to provide reliability to
Tucson area CAP water users.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are available for public inspection and
review at the following locations:
Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Liaison Office, Room 7624,
1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240; telephone (202) 208-6269
Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67,
Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225;
telephone (303) 236-6963
Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Director's
Office, Nevada Highway and Park Street, Boulder City, NV 89005;
telephone (702) 293-8000
Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, Attn: PXAO-1500,
2222 W. Dunlap Avenue, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85021-2801; telephone
(602) 216-3864
[[Page 18442]]
Bureau of Reclamation, Tucson Field Office, 4257 W. Ina Road,
Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85742; telephone (520) 744-5180
Libraries: Copies of the FEIS are also available for inspection at
the following libraries: County Courthouse Law Library, University of
Arizona Main Library, City Hall Annex Library, and the City Hall
Government Reference Library (9th Floor), in Tucson, AZ; Arizona State
University Hayden Library, (Arizona Collection), in Tempe, AZ; and the
Phoenix (Burton Barr) Public Library in Phoenix, AZ.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Pryor, TASRI Project Manager,
PXAO-2500, or Ms. Sandra Eto, NEPA Compliance Specialist, PXAO-1500,
Reclamation, PO Box 81169, Phoenix AZ 85069-1169; telephone (602) 216-
3931, or 216-3857, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CAP, authorized as part of the Colorado
River Basin Project Act of 1968, is a multipurpose water project which
develops water for municipal and industrial use, as well as for Indian
uses and non-Indian agricultural uses in central and southern Arizona.
Because of Tucson's greater exposure to water service interruptions,
the TASRI was initiated in 1986 to study alternatives that would
provide as ``reasonably reliable'' a supply of CAP water to the Tucson
area as is available to Phoenix area cities. The FEIS analyzes the
environmental consequences of the construction and operation of a
15,000 acre-foot surface storage reservoir (the Agency proposed
action), two additional alternatives, and a no Federal action
alternative. The FEIS describes environmental consequences to the
following resources: Biological, cultural, geologic, air, water, land,
recreational, socio-economic, and Indian trust assets. Construction and
operation of a surface storage reservoir would provide opportunities
for incorporating recreational facilities. A local sponsor(s) would
need to agree to be responsible for at least 50 percent of the capital
costs to construct the recreational developments, as well as accept
responsibility for recreation-related operating and maintenance costs.
Reclamation estimates 214 Pima pineapple cacti would be impacted from
the proposed action. The Pima pineapple cactus is a federally
endangered plant that occurs on the proposed surface storage reservoir
site. Fish and Wildlife Service's Biological Opinion for this project
indicates implementation of a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA)
will avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of the Pima pineapple
cactus. One of the RPA actions directs Reclamation to establish a
refugium for the Pima pineapple cactus that is of similar acreage,
cactus population, and of similar or better habitat of the project
area, if this proposed action is implemented. Recreational development
within the project area is not precluded by the Opinion.
The draft EIS was issued April 18, 1995. Responses to comments
received from interested organizations and individuals, both in writing
and during two public hearings held in June 1995, are addressed in the
FEIS.
Reclamation's development and evaluation of the alternatives
described in the FEIS, and selection of the proposed action, were based
upon the assumption that the great majority of CAP water allocated to
the Tucson metropolitan area would be treated at Tucson Water's Hayden-
Udall Water Treatment Plant and delivered for direct use through Tucson
Water's delivery system. Many changes have occurred, since the draft
EIS was issued for public review and comment in April 1995, related to
water management in the Tucson area. Consequently, assumptions that
were used in developing and sizing the systems considered under the
action alternatives discussed in the FEIS may no longer be valid. In
light of the uncertainty regarding future use of CAP water in the
region, Reclamation does not intend to issue a Record of Decision in
the immediate future regarding implementation of the project. However,
the fiscal year 1997 Appropriations Act specifically directed
Reclamation to finalize the EIS; therefore, this FEIS is being filed
with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Dated: April 10, 1998.
Robert W. Johnson,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 98-9943 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P
