Environmental statements; availability, etc.: Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, WA,

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Federal Register: January 25, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 15)NoticesPage 3714From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr25ja99-79

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Yakima, WA, INT-FES 99-3

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final programmatic environmental impact statement.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for implementing provisions of Phase 2 of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (Enhancement Project). The purpose of the Enhancement Project is to meet the competing water needs of the Yakima River basin, including the protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources and improvement of the reliability of the water supply for irrigation, through improved water conservation and management and other appropriate means.

DATES: A decision will not be made on the proposed action shall at least 30 days after this notice of availability of the final PEIS is published in the Federal Register. Soon after the 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision, identifying the action that will be taken and discussing all factors leading to the decision.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the final PEIS may be obtained without charge from the following location:

<bullet> Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Area Office, 1917 Marsh Road, Yakima, Washington 98907

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Tiedeman, Environmental Specialist, at the above address or at 509-575-5848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final PEIS evaluates the effects of Title XII of the Enhancement Project legislation. The provisions and measures of the Enhancement Project legislation form the parameters and the methods for achieving the protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife through improved water management, instream flows, water quality, the creation and enhancement of wetlands, and improved reliability of irrigation water supplies. Central to this legislation is the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program which attempts to balance 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, and the reliability of the irrigation water supply.

Specific measures that will be implemented depend upon proposals contained in the water conservation plans, feasibility investigations of measures selected for consideration, and program criteria. Consequently, the final PEIS is a broad scope document to provide ``umbrella'' coverage for implementing the Enhancement Project with subsequent tiering for NEPA compliance of specific follow-on actions as appropriate.

Six alternatives, including no action, were evaluated in the final PEIS. The no action alternative is presented as the most likely future condition that could be expected without the implementation of additional Title XII provisions beyond the currently established riverflows, which includes the new operational criteria required by the legislation. This alternative provided the basis for impact comparisons. Five action alternatives presented the implementation of all elements of the Enhancement Project at different levels of implementation of project components. The preferred and environmentally preferred alternative is Alternative 2A, which includes all provisions of Title XII, and which would provide for the implementation of water conservation measures throughout the basin, rather than concentrating in specific areas.

Beneficial impacts of the project are considered to be enhanced water quality, increased streamflow, and overall reinforcement of fish and wildlife habitat, as well as an increase in the reliability of irrigation water supplies.

Dated: January 7, 1999. Steven R. Clark, Acting Regional Director, Pacific Northwest Region.

FR Doc. 99-1602Filed1-22-99; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 4310-94-M

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