94-9390. All-American Canal Lining Project, Imperial County, CA

[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9390]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 19, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation

 

All-American Canal Lining Project, Imperial County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact 
statement/final environmental impact report: INT FES-94-9.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and section 21002 of the California 
Environmental Quality Act, Reclamation and the Imperial Irrigation 
District have issued a joint final environmental impact statement/final 
environmental impact report (FEIS/FEIR) on a proposed canal lining 
project. Reclamation proposes to conserve about 67,700 acre-feet of 
water, annually lost through seepage from the federally owned, unlined 
All-American Canal, for beneficial use in southern California. The 
canal delivers 3.3 million acre-feet of water annually from the 
Colorado River for the Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley.

ADDRESSES: Single copies of the FEIS/FEIR may be obtained on request to 
the regional director at the address below:
     Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado 
Region, P.O. Box 61470, Attention: LC-150, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470; 
telephone: [phone].

Copies of the FEIS/FEIR are also available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Liaison Division, 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., room 7615, Washington, 
DC 20240; telephone: [phone].
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, 
room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225; 
telephone: [phone].
     Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma Projects Office, 7301 Calle 
Agua Salada, Yuma, AZ 85366; telephone: [phone].
     Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 
Resources Division, 350 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071; 
telephone: [phone].
     Imperial Irrigation District, Public Information Office, 
333 East Barioni Boulevard, Imperial, CA 92251; telephone: (619) 339-
9426.

Libraries

California

    Coachella Public Library.
    El Centro Public Library.
    Imperial Public Library.
    Indio Public Library.
    San Diego Public Library.
    Brawley Public Library.
    Los Angeles Public Library (Main Library).

Arizona

    Yuma Public Library.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Regional Environmental Officer, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado 
Region, P.O. Box 61470, Attention: LC-150, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470; 
telephone: [phone]; or Michael Remington, Imperial Irrigation 
District, P.O. Box 937, Imperial, CA 92251; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The preferred alternative presented in the 
FEIS/FEIR is to construct a new concrete-lined canal parallel to the 
23-mile reach of the existing unlined canal from 1 mile west of Pilot 
Knob to Drop 3.
    The project is authorized by Public Law 100-675. The Imperial 
Irrigation District proposes to construct the project with funds 
provided by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 
(MWD) in accordance with Public Law 100-675. The conserved water would 
be utilized by MWD and other California water agencies holding Colorado 
River water delivery contracts with the Secretary of the Interior.
    The environmental aspects of primary concern are the potential loss 
of wetlands habitat along the All-American Canal that have been induced 
by canal seepage, the loss of terrestrial habitat, and the reduction in 
the canal fishery.
    These potential losses would be mitigated by enhancing unaffected 
wetlands along the canal, acquiring and protecting terrestrial habitat, 
and replacing canal fishery habitat.
    The FEIS/FEIR presents the preferred alternative and four other 
alternatives, including the no Federal action alternative, describes 
the existing environment and the environmental consequences of project 
construction, and presents the proposed mitigation plan. It also 
documents the comments received during the 90-day public review of the 
draft environmental impact statement/draft environmental impact report 
and presents Reclamation's responses to comments.

    Dated: April 5, 1994.
J. William McDonald,
Assistant Commissioner--Resources Management.
[FR Doc. 94-9390 Filed 4-18-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M