Willow Beach Development Concept Plan Amendment; Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Arizona and Nevada; Notice of Actions Proposed to be Located in or Impact a Floodplain and Notice of Availability of Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Willow Beach Development Concept Plan Amendment; Lake Mead

National Recreation Area, Arizona and Nevada; Notice of Actions

Proposed to be Located in or Impact a Floodplain and Notice of

Availability of Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190 as amended), the National Park

Service has prepared a supplemental environmental impact statement

(SEIS), to the General Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact

Statement (GMP/FEIS) for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in

conjunction with an amended Development Concept Plan (DCP) for Willow

Beach on the Arizona side of Lake Mohave. Pursuant to Executive Order

11988, Floodplain Management, the National Park Service has prepared a

Statement of Findings for the proposed plan.

The DCP Amendment/SEIS describes and analyzes four alternative

development concept plans for Willow Beach. The final proposal,

Alternative C in the SEIS, differs in some minor respects from the

draft proposal because of revisions in response to public comment. The

proposal focuses on enhancement of visitor experience along the

riverfront at Willow Beach with the addition of picnic areas, fishing

piers, walkways, small docks, and additional parking. Parking spaces

would be increased to 510 spaces from the existing 330. The existing

trailer village, motel, a dry boat storage and restaurant/store,

currently located within high hazard floodplain areas, would be

eliminated. A new building consolidating retail, restaurant, visitor

contact, restrooms, and fuel service functions would be constructed on

the northern side of Willow Beach Wash, which would allow the launch

ramp to be shifted to the north, moving these facilities farther from

the main flood flows along the south side of the drainage. A 125-slip

marina would be retained and consolidated in one area on the north end

of Willow Beach Wash. A new campground would be constructed above

Willow Beach Wash approximately one-half mile from the riverfront. Park

and concession support facilities would be relocated. Flood mitigation

would consist of a combination of flood warning system and evacuation

plan, structural protection, and relocation or elimination of some

existing facilities. All overnight facilities would be located outside

of the main flood flows and structurally protected to the probable

maximum flood level. Day use facilities would be located outside of the

floodplains or structurally protected to the 100-year flood level.

Alternative A, the no action alternative, would continue present

conditions and uses within the floodplain, and flood protection would

consist of non-structural measures limited to an early warning system

and evacuation plan. Alternative B would retain existing uses in the

floodplain but would add structural flood protection and relocate some

facilities. Parking would be reduced to 224 spaces. Alternative D would

allow for continued provision of a variety of visitor services at

Willow Beach except that the motel and trailer village would be

eliminated. A campground would be added, as in the proposal, and flood

protection measures would be similar to the proposal and Alternative B.

The proposal and alternatives were analyzed for impacts on public

safety and property in floodplains, desert plant communities, water and

air quality, species of special concern, visitor experience, trailer

village occupants, concession operations, and cultural resources.

The Statement of Findings addresses floodplain aspects of the

proposed plan, including mitigation and measures to minimize exposure

of life and property.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The no-action period on the development

concept plan will extend for 30 days after the notice of its

availability is published by EPA in the Federal Register. Inquiries on

the document should be addressed to: Superintendent, Lake Mead National

Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005, or by

calling the Park at (702) 293-8986.

Review of the Statement of Findings will also conclude 30 days

after the Notice is published by the EPA. Comments on this document

should be sent to the Superintendent at the above address.

For copies of the DCP Amendment/SEIS or the Statement of Findings,

or further information on the documents, please contact:

Superintendent, Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the above address

or telephone number. Copies of the documents are available at park

headquarters, libraries in the area and at the Western Regional Office,

National Park Service, Division of Planning, Grants and Environmental

Quality, 600 Harrison Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA.

Dated: October 5, 1994.

Stanley T. Albright,

Regional Director, Western Region.

[FR Doc. 94-26827 Filed 10-28-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-70-P