Southern Nevada Water Authority Treatment and Transmission Facility, Clark County, Nevada

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Southern Nevada Water Authority Treatment and Transmission

Facility, Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft environmental impact statement

and notice of public hearings.

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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, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) have

prepared a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on a new water

treatment and transmission facility (TTF) proposed by SNWA. The SNWA

proposes to construct an intake structure, water treatment facility and

associated transmission pipelines to treat and convey Colorado River

water from Lake Mead to the Las Vegas Valley. The DEIS describes and

presents the environmental effects of six alternatives, including no

action, associated with the construction and operation of the proposed

TTF. The Federal Actions would be the issuance of permits, rights-of-

way, and modification of existing water delivery contracts.

DATES AND LOCATIONS: There will be five public hearings at the

following locations:

Boulder City Hall, City Council Chambers, 401 California

Avenue, Boulder City, NV.

Cashman Field Center, Meeting Rooms 101-102, 850 Las Vegas

Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV.

Cashman Field Center, Meeting Rooms 101-102, 850 Las Vegas

Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV.

North Las Vegas City Library, Community Room, 2300 Civic

Center Drive, North Las Vegas, NV.

Henderson Convention Center, 200 South Water Street,

Henderson, NV.

Dates and times of the hearings will be announced in the local

media. A 90-day public review period commences with the publication of

this notice. Written comments will be accepted by Reclamation at the

address noted below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas H. Shrader, Manager,

Environmental Compliance Group, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: Mr.

James P. Green LC-2206, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-

1470, Telephone: (702) 293-8519; or Mr. David Connally, EIS Manager,

Southern Nevada Water Authority, 1850 East Flamingo Road, Suite 234,

Las Vegas, Nevada 89119, Telephone: (702) 732-1982. Copies of the DEIS

are available for inspection at the above addresses and at libraries in

the project vicinity.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS evaluates the effects of the

construction and operation of a new water TTF to divert existing State

of Nevada allocation of Colorado River water from Lake Mead, treat it,

and convey it to the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. Three issues are related

to water facility infrastructure in the Las Vegas Valley. First, the

Valley is dependent on a single water treatment and delivery facility

for 85 percent of its water. Second, the capacity of the existing

facility to deliver Colorado River water will be insufficient to meet

projected water demands by the year 1997, and third, the existing water

facility infrastructure cannot provide full access to Nevada's Colorado

River water allocation under the current pattern of seasonal water use.

With these considerations in mind, the SNWA conceived of the TTF as an

independent facility for the treatment and transmission of Colorado

River water to the Valley. The goal of the proposed SNWA-TTF project

is:

To develop a reliable and demand-responsive municipal water

system that will supplement the existing Southern Nevada Water

System during periods of curtailed production or system failure, and

provide the State of Nevada full access to its Colorado River water

allocation.

Results of supply and demand projections for the SNWA service area

suggest that summer shortages due to insufficient facility capacity

could occur as soon as the summer of 1997 unless system improvements

are made. Current

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improvements to the existing Southern Nevada Water System may prolong

the ability of the SNWA purveyors to provide adequate water supplies to

the year 2000.

Six alternatives, including no action, are considered in the DEIS.

Three alternatives propose a new intake structure at Saddle Island,

with pumping stations, buried pipelines, construction of a new tunnel

or use of an existing tunnel, a new water treatment facility (WTF), and

a distribution system in Las Vegas Valley. Two other alternatives

propose tapping into existing piping in underground chambers in the

west wall of Black Canyon below Hoover Dam, an underground pumping

station, tunnels, buried pipelines, a new WTF, and a distribution

system in the Valley. The two alternative families share common

elements. The preferred alternative proposes a new intake structure at

Saddle Island, pumping stations, buried pipelines, use of an existing

tunnel, a new WTF, and a distribution system in the Las Vegas Valley.

Environmental consequences that would result from the alternatives,

but could be mitigated to a level of insignificance by implementation

of mitigation measures, include: biological resources, cultural

resources, noise and vibration, recreation, traffic, and water

resources. Environmental consequences that would remain significant

after implementation of mitigation measures include: aesthetics, air

quality, and land use and socio-economics. There would be beneficial

impacts to land use and socio-economics, associated with provision of

water to lightly-developed areas, obviating the need for water wells,

and provision of water supplies for potential economic diversification

in the project area.

Those wishing to schedule time, in advance, to make oral comments

at a particular hearing should contact the Bureau of Reclamation and

indicate at which session the speaker wishes to appear. Speakers will

be called in order of their requests. Requests to speak may be made at

each session and will be called after advance requests. Oral comments

will be limited to 10 minutes per individual.

Dated: October 24, 1995.

William E. Rinne,

Director Resource Management and Technical Services.

[FR Doc. 95-27699 Filed 11-7-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-P