[Federal Register: January 14, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 9)]
[Notices]               
[Page 2061]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja09-46]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Army Corps of Engineers

 
Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the River Mile 208, Sacramento River 
Bank Protection Project, CA

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, intends 
to prepare a joint environmental impact statement/environmental impact 
report (EIS/EIR) for the construction of bank protection at River Mile 
208 on the Sacramento River to prevent continued bank erosion and 
potential outflanking of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District Hamilton 
City Pumping Plant (HCPP), near Hamilton City, CA. The proposed action 
is being conducted under the HCPP Fish Screen Improvement Project.

DATES: A public scoping meeting is being held on Thursday, January 29, 
2009, 7 to 9 pm at the Hamilton City High School (620 Canal Street, 
Hamilton City). Send written comments by February 16, 2009 to (see 
ADDRESSES).

ADDRESSES: Written comments and suggestions concerning this project may 
be submitted to Mr. Matt Davis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Sacramento District, Attn: CESPK-PD-R, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, CA 
95814-2922. Requests to be placed on the mailing list should also be 
sent to this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
and EIS/EIR should be addressed to the Corps: Matt Davis at (916) 557-
6708, by e-mail Matthew.G.Davis@usace.army.mil, by fax (916) 557-7856; 
or to GCID: William Menke at (530) 934-8881, by e-mail bmenke@gcid.net.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento 
District (Corps) is the federal lead agency for compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Proposed Action. The 
Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) is the state lead agency for 
compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the 
Proposed Action.
    1. Proposed Action. The Corps and GCID are preparing an EIS/EIR to 
analyze the impacts of constructing bank protection on the east bank of 
the Sacramento River at River Mile 208. The purpose of the proposed 
bank protection work is to prevent continued bank erosion and potential 
outflanking of GCID's Hamilton City Pumping Plant (HCPP). Maintaining 
the river's alignment upstream of the HCPP is important for the 
continued functioning of the pumping plant. The HCPP Fish Screen 
Improvement Project was constructed in 2000 to minimize losses of all 
fish from operation of the HCPP and to restore GCID's capability to 
divert the full quantity of water it is entitled to divert to meet its 
water supply delivery obligations. GCID supplies water to 140,000 acres 
of farmland, over 20,000 acres of federal wildlife refuge, and 40,000 
acres of other lands and wetlands from diversions at the HCPP.
    2. Alternatives. The EIS/EIR will address the No Action alternative 
and four action alternatives including three different types of bank 
protection alternatives and a levee setback alternative. The three 
types of bank protection alternatives differ from one another in the 
amount and extent of rock protection placed and the environmental 
features (e.g., vegetation and instream woody material) incorporated in 
the design.
    3. Scoping Process.
    a. A public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, January 29, 
2009 to present information to the public and to receive comments from 
the public. The meeting is intended to initiate the process to involve 
concerned individuals, and local, State, and Federal agencies.
    b. Significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS/EIR 
include effects on hydraulics, wetlands and other waters of the U.S., 
river meander, vegetation and wildlife resources, special-status 
species, aesthetics, cultural resources, recreation, land use, 
fisheries, water quality, air quality, noise, transportation, visual 
resources, and socioeconomics; and cumulative effects of related 
projects in the study area.
    c. The Corps will consult with the State Historic Preservation 
Officer to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act and the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to 
comply with the Endangered Species Act. The Corps is also coordinating 
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to comply with the Fish and 
Wildlife Coordination Act.
    d. A 45-day public review period will be provided for individuals 
and agencies to review and comment on the draft EIS/EIR. All interested 
parties are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide a current 
address if they wish to be notified of the draft EIS/EIR circulation.
    4. Availability. The draft EIS/EIR is scheduled to be available for 
public review and comment in November 2009.

    Dated: December 23, 2008.
Thomas C. Chapman,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. E9-584 Filed 1-13-09; 8:45 am]

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