Endangered and Threatened Species; Screening of Water Diversions To Protect Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

50 CFR Parts 222 and 227

[Docket No. 930779-3179; I.D. 062993A]

Endangered and Threatened Species; Screening of Water Diversions

To Protect Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment

period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending for 90 days the public comment period on an

advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning screening requirements

for water diversions from the Sacramento River and Delta to protect

winter-run chinook salmon. The first comment period ended December 27,

1993.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until March 28, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Gary Matlock, Acting Regional

Director, NMFS, Southwest Region, 501 West Ocean Blvd., suite 4200,

Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James H. Lecky, Protected Species Division, Southwest Region, NMFS,

(310) 980-4015 or Margaret C. Lorenz, Office of Protected Resources,

NMFS, (301) 713-2322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 18, 1993, NMFS announced in an

advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (58 FR 53703) that it was

considering proposing regulations under the Endangered Species Act that

would establish screening requirements for water diversions from the

Sacramento River and Delta to protect the Federally listed winter-run

chinook salmon. In the announcement, NMFS requested the following

specific information from Federal and state agencies and private

individuals and organizations: (1) The numbers, types, and sizes of

existing unscreened and screened diversions; (2) the magnitude of

entrainment losses of winter-run chinook salmon and other species

caused by unscreened or poorly screened diversions; (3) the feasibility

of installing positive-barrier screens or other fish-deterrent devices

to reduce these losses; (4) the estimated costs of screen design,

installation, maintenance and evaluation; (5) the available funding

mechanisms for these activities; and (6) the availability and

feasibility of alternative management options for reducing entrainment

losses.

Dated: January 5, 1994.

William W. Fox, Jr.,

Director, Office of Protected Resources.

[FR Doc. 94-1113 Filed 1-19-94; 8:45 am]

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