[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27327-27328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12559]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, Washington
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a programmatic environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, the Bureau of [[Page 27328]] Reclamation
(Reclamation) intends to prepare a programmatic environmental impact
statement (PEIS) for implementing provisions of the legislation
authorizing the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project
(Enhancement Project). The purpose of the Enhancement Project is to
meet the competing needs of the Yakima River basin through improved
water conservation and management, and other appropriate means. This
may include reducing water diversions by improving conveyance,
distribution, and onfarm irrigation facilities; and changing
operations, management, and administration of Yakima River basin water.
Conserved water will be used to increase instream flows and provide a
more stable irrigation supply. The Enhancement Project legislation also
authorizes actions on the Yakima Indian Reservation to benefit the
members of the Yakima Indian Nation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Cline Sweet, Environmental Program Manager, Upper Columbia Area
Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 1749, Yakima, WA 98907-1749;
telephone (509) 575-5848.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Federal involvement in the Yakima River basin began in 1905 with
authorization of the first facilities of the Yakima Project. The Yakima
Project now consists of seven divisions: A storage division consisting
of seven reservoirs and six water service divisions with separate
diversion, conveyance, and distribution facilities.
The Yakima River basin is highly dependent upon water from the
Yakima River and its tributaries to meet a multitude of economic,
environmental, and societal needs. The Yakima Project provides the
primary facilities for the regulation and use of basin waters.
Congress first authorized a study of the Enhancement Project in
1979. Phase one of the Enhancement Project was implemented in 1984 when
Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior, through Reclamation,
to construct fish passage and protective facilities in the Yakima River
basin. The work was performed in partnership with the Bonneville Power
Administration, the State of Washington, and others under the auspices
of the Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning
Council.
The Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program adopted by the
Northwest Power Planning Council in 1982 identified the Yakima River
basin as one of the areas with the greatest potential for the
production of salmon and steelhead. With the existing project
facilities and operational requirements, maintaining a stable
irrigation water supply and instream flows for the maintenance and
enhancement of salmon and steelhead in the Yakima River basin is
difficult to achieve.
In dry years, the water supply available is allocated among the
water users pursuant to entitlements set forth in a Federal District
Court Judgment of January 31, 1945 (1945 Consent Decree). The 1945
Consent Decree requires reductions in the water supply available to
junior water right holders before any reductions to senior right
holders. Additionally, a Federal Court directive on November 28, 1980,
requiring Reclamation to make releases from Yakima Project reservoirs
to assure adequate instream flows for anadromous fish spawning and
rearing further reduces the reliability of irrigation water supplies.
Current Activities
The Enhancement Project legislation established the Yakima River
Basin Water Conservation Program which is central to balancing the
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.
The reliability of the irrigation water supply.
The actual measures that will be adopted depend on the preparation
of water conservation plans detailing what can be done. Cost
effectiveness will be considered and separate NEPA compliance will be
completed when recommending water conservation actions for
implementation. The water conservation measures will occur in steps
over a period of years providing the opportunity to monitor, evaluate,
and adjust subsequent measures.
The legislation also directs the Secretary of the Interior to
establish a conservation advisory group, in consultation with the State
of Washington, the Yakama Indian Nation, the Yakima River basin
irrigators, and other interested parties. A charter for the group has
been drafted and nominees are being sought.
The legislation was developed by a consortium of local, tribal,
State, and Federal entities involved with water resource activities in
the basin and is the result of a consensus building effort to structure
an acceptable, comprehensive approach to the basin's water problems. An
extensive scoping effort will be conducted by mail along with public
scoping sessions which will be scheduled at a later date.
Alternative Measures
The PEIS will serve as an umbrella document to ensure that the
interaction and cumulative effects of all activities proposed for
implementation under Title XII of the Act of October 31, 1994 (Pub. L.
103-434), which authorized the Enhancement Project, are addressed. The
provisions and measures for the legislation will set the limits on
activities to be evaluated in the PEIS.
Two major alternatives are being considered: action, i.e.,
implementing the legislation, and no action. The action alternative
will be an incremental analysis showing impacts at different levels of
implementation of project components. Separate NEPA analyses addressing
various alternatives will be conducted for site specific actions not
covered in sufficient detail in the PEIS.
Potential Federal Action
Reclamation is seeking funding to implement Public Law 103-434. The
draft PEIS is expected to be completed in June of 1996.
Anyone interested in more information concerning the study, or who
has information concerning the study or suggestions as to significant
environmental issues, should contact Mr. Sweet as provided above.
Dated: April 27, 1995.
John W. Keys, III,
Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.
[FR Doc. 95-12559 Filed 5-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M
