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Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the American River Project, Long Term Evaluation, California

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: August 4, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 151)]
[Notices]
[Page 47973]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04au00-54]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS) for the American River Project, Long Term Evaluation,
California

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), lead agency under
the National Environmental Policy Act, and the California State
Reclamation Board (The Board), lead agency under the California
Environmental Quality Act, intend to prepare a joint document to
evaluate the environmental effects of proposed flood control and
ecosystem restoration components for the Sacramento, California, area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed
action and draft SEIS should be addressed to Ms. Patricia Roberson,
Environmental Resources Branch, Planning Division, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814-2922, telephone
(916) 557-6705.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Project Location

    Sacramento is located where the American River joins the Sacramento
River. The American River watershed, or drainage basin, covers
approximately 2,100 square miles northeast of Sacramento and includes
portions of Placer, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. Runoff from
this basin flows through Folsom Reservoir and passes through Sacramento
in a channel controlled by a system of levees. In addition to providing
flood control to Sacramento, Folsom Dam and Reservoir are part of the
Federal Central Valley Project, California's largest water delivery
system. The primary study areas include Folsom Dam and Reservoir, lower
American River, Sacramento Bypass, and the Yolo Bypass. These features
are located within Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, and El Dorado Counties.

2. Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The Corps and the Board are conducting a supplemental feasibility
evaluation of alternative measures to provide additional flood
protection to the City of Sacramento. This documentation and the
accompanying SEIS/EIR are supplements to the 1996 American River
Watershed Project Supplemental Information Report and SEIS/EIR, which
in turn supplement the 1991 American River Watershed Investigation
feasibility study and EIS. Alternatives to address resource problems
and needs identified to date will include in whole or in part: (1)
Enlarging Folsom Reservoir; (2) a downstream levee plan, which would
involve raising and strengthening levees, raising bridges, and widening
the Sacramento Bypass, and (3) a combination of downstream levee work
and Folsom enlargement. Potential for ecosystem restoration will also
be evaluated.

3. Scoping Process

    a. Scoping is a process to identify the actions, alternatives, and
effects to be evaluated in an environmental document. The public is
invited to assist the Corps and non-Federal sponsor in scoping this
SEIS. The Process provides an opportunity for the public to identify
Significant resources in the study area that may be affected by the
project. To facilitate this involvement, a series of public scoping
meetings will be held in Folsom and Sacramento in August/September
2000. Individuals, organizations, and agencies are also encouraged to
submit written scoping comments by September 30, 2000.
    b. After the draft SEIS is prepared, it will be circulated to all
interested parties for review and comment. Public meetings will be held
to receive verbal and written comments. All comments will be considered
and responded to in the final SEIS/EIR.

4. Availability

    The draft SEIS/EIR is scheduled to be distributed for public review
and comment in June 2001.

Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-19800 Filed 8-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-EZ-P

 
 

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