[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29578-29580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13570]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army
Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement,
Improvements for Juvenile Salmon Migration, Lower Snake River
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft EIS.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) intends to prepare a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EIS will investigate proposals for
use of reservoir drawdown and surface-oriented bypass sytems to improve
juvenile salmon migration by decreasing water travel time through
reservoirs and reducing stress associated with dam passage at the four
lower Snake River dams and reservoirs. Alternatives will consider
various designs for structural modifications and combination of the
proposed modifications to these four dams.
Drawdown of the four lower Snake River reservoirs below minimum
[[Page 29579]] operating pool elevation is being evaluated as a means
to increase flow velocities through the lower Snake River. Increased
flow velocities are thought to decrease juvenile salmon travel time
through the reservoir system and thereby presumably increase survival.
Surface oriented bypass is being evaluated to improve guidance, and
thereby reduce stress and associated mortality from passage of juvenile
salmon through the dams.
Proposed alternatives focus on major structural modifications to
existing Corps dams. These include Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower
Monumental, and Ice Harbor dams, located between Lewiston, Idaho and
Pasco, Washington. A ``no action'' alternative will also be considered.
This action is being considered in response to a need to protect
stocks of Snake River salmon that have been listed as threatened and
endangered under the Endangered Species Act. National Marine Fisheries
Service, on March 2, 1995, issued a biological opinion (BiOp) on
operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The subject
alternatives are being evaluated in response to recommendations
contained in that document and the Federal agencies decision to
implement the BiOp. The ``Reasonable and Prudent Alternative''
identified in the BiOp calls for an interim operation and examination
of long-term configuration changes including drawdowns and surface
bypass.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is the lead
agency in preparing this EIS. Cooperating agencies may be identified
during the scoping process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Peter F. Poolman, Walla Walla
District, Corps of Engineers, CENPW-PL-ER, 201 North Third Avenue,
Walla Walla, Washington 99362-1876, (509) 527-7261.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed actions are being considered
under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act, and the authorizing legislation for the respective
projects potentially involved in the proposed actions. This EIS is
being developed as part of the Corps' System Configuration Study (SCS)
Phase II. The SCS was initiated in response to the Northwest Power
Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program Amendments, issued in
December 1991, and is the Corps of Engineers' program for evaluating
structural modifications at the Lower Snake and Columbia River dams to
improve survival of salmon. Phase II is being proposed in response to
evaluation requested by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in its
Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation, Biological Opinion for
Reinitiation of Consultation on 1994-1998 Operation of the Federal
Columbia River Power System and the Juvenile Transportation Program in
1995 and Future Years, (BiOp), issued March 2, 1995.
In the BiOp, NMFS included a Reasonable and Prudent Alternative
which includes immediate, intermediate and long-term actions concerning
the operation and configuration of certain dams and reservoirs in the
Columbia and Snake River basins. The strategy is an adaptive approach
which requires aggressively pursuing studies and decisions on possible
intermediate and long-term structural configuration changes, and
obtaining scientific information to make those decisions. In the near-
term, the operation is designed to provide conditions NMFS considers
will improve mainstream survival while providing conditions to maximize
the ability to gather scientific information to make intermediate and
long-term decisions. For each of these decisions, NEPA documentation
will be prepared as needed. For instance, the System Operation Review
EIS is addressing power system operational strategy recommended in the
BiOp.
This EIS is addressing one of the potential long-term alternatives
for implementation of drawdown and/or surface bypass at the four lower
Snake River dams. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternative included a
schedule for completing the major modifications required under drawdown
and bypass alternatives to these four dams. By mid-1996, an interim
evaluation report on the drawdown and surface bypass alternative is
scheduled to be completed to assist in identifying a preferred drawdown
and surface bypass alternative for detailed engineering and design
evaluations. The Reasonable and Prudent Alternative also specifies
completion of necessary studies and engineering/design work no later
than 1999 in preparation for potential drawdown and/or surface bypass
implementation at the four lower Snake River Reservoirs by the year
2000.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Pacific Division, published
a Record of Decision (ROD) on Reservoir Regulation and Project
Operation for 1995 and Future Years on March 10, 1995, in response to
the NMFS BiOp. The ROD identified actions to be taken by the Corps,
including the drawdowns and bypass being considered in the proposed
EIS.
1. Proposed Actions
The proposed actions are being considered in response to the
listing of certain salmon species and designation of critical habitat
for these species. The Snake River sockeye salmon was listed as
endangered on November 20, 1991 with an effective date of December 20,
1991 (56 FR 58,619). The spring/summer chinook and fall chinook were
originally listed as threatened on April 22, 1992 with an effective
date of May 22, 1992 (57 FR 14,653). Subsequently, the spring/summer
chinook and fall chinook were proposed for listing as endangered
(Interim Emergency Rule, August 18, 1994, 59 FR 42,529 with correction
published on April 17, 1995 at 60 FR 19,342 and proposed rule, December
28, 1994, 59 FR 66,784). Critical habitat was designated for the Snake
River sockeye, spring/summer chinook, and fall chinook salmon on
December 28, 1993 (FR 68,543).
The proposed actions include potential use of reservoir drawdown
and surface oriented bypass systems to improve juvenile salmon
migration through the four lower Snake River dams and reservoirs as
recommended by NMFS as a ``Reasonable and Prudent Alternative to the
Proposed Action'' in the BiOp. The actions ultimately proposed for
implementation in future years may involve some combination of measures
for the lower Snake River Basin.
2. Alternatives
Alternatives being considered for the proposed action include a
range of measures to improve downstream passage for juvenile anadromous
salmon at the four lower Snake River projects. Alternatives address: 1)
reducing reservoir-associated mortality; and/or 2) reducing dam-passage
mortality.
a. No action--The no action alternative identifies the ``without
project condition'', or those activities which will occur or continue
to occur whether or not the proposed actions identified in the EIS are
implemented. Development of technology for juvenile bypass, operation
of juvenile salmon transportation programs, flow augmentation releases
from storage reservoirs, spill for fish passage, and monitoring and
evaluation are planned to continue with the no action alternative.
b. Lower Snake River Drawdown--Drawing down the lower Snake River
reservoirs below designed operations levels during the juvenile salmon
out migration season is intended to decrease [[Page 29580]] the water
travel time by reducing the cross-sectional area of the reservoir and
presumably reduce the juvenile downstream migration time. There are a
number of drawdown options of the four lower Snake River reservoirs
which will be examined in the EIS. These include: (1) Drawing the
reservoirs down to the near-natural river elevation during the entire
year; (2) drawing down to natural river for a portion of the year; and
(3) drawing the reservoirs down to a mid-elevation level, such as
spillway crest (lowest structural elevation that water will pass over
the dam), for a portion of the year.
c. Surface Bypass Systems--This element defines and evaluates
potential improvements to juvenile fish facilities at the four
projects. This includes: (1 a new surface bypass structure for passage
of salmon around the powerhouse, utilizing spill or a bypass flume; (2)
a new surface bypass structure to collect fish by transport by barge
and truck; (3) utilizing a combination of transport and bypass around
the dams at one or a combination for the four lower Snake River
projects; and (4) use of surface bypass systems in drawdown
alternatives.
3. Scoping Process
The Corps invites affected Federal, state, and local agencies,
Native American tribes, and other interested organizations, parties and
the public to participate in the scoping process for the EIS. Input
from other agencies and organizations that have a special interest and
expertise in key resource areas such as fisheries, wildlife, water
quality, navigation, hydropower production, recreation, cultural
resources, and irrigation is welcome. The Corps seeks input on specific
drawdown concepts and operational scenarios, and potential surface
bypass alternatives. Resources impacts and other effects of the
alternatives are solicited. The EIS process includes environmental
review and consultation in accordance with other environmental
statutes, rules, and regulations which apply to the proposed action.
Further compliance with the Endangered Species Act may include
preparation of one or more Biological Assessments and formal
consultation with NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
4. Scoping Meetings
Four public scoping meeting and workshops for the EIS will be held
in the region in mid-July, 1995. They will be held in Boise and
Lewiston, Idaho, Spokane and Pasco, Washington. Confirmation dates,
location and times will be advertised and provided in a scoping letter
that will be widely distributed throughout the region.
5. Availability
An Interim Status Report is tentatively scheduled for release to
the public and agencies for review during October, 1996 in order to
facilitate decisions necessary to the BiOp. The Draft EIS should be
available in 1998.
Dated: May 19, 1995.
James S. Weller,
LTC, En Commanding.
[FR Doc. 95-13570 Filed 6-2-95; 8:45 am]
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