Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Coos Bay-North Bend Water Supply Project, Coos County, Oregon

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Proposed Coos Bay-North Bend Water Supply Project,

Coos County, Oregon

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action is the issuance of a Department of the

Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1977, as

amended, and Section 9 of the River and Harbor Act of 1899 for the

construction of a dam and reservoir on Joe Ney Creek, and raising of an

existing dam on Upper Pony Creek. Both projects would be located in

Coos County, Oregon, The Coos Bay-North Bend Water Board is the permit

applicant, and is proposing this action for the purpose of increasing

the municipal and industrial water supply for its service area.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, P.O. Box

2496, Portland, Oregon 97208-2946.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Kurkoski, (503) 326-6094.

Internet address: david- kurkoski @smtplink.npp.usace. army.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coos Bay-North Bend Water Board, Coos

County, Oregon has applied to the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers for a Department of the Army Permit under section 404 of the

Clean Water Act of 1977, as amended, and Section 9 of the River and

Harbor Act of 1899. The proposed action is to construct a new dam and

reservoir on Joe Ney Creek, and raise an existing dam on Upper Pony

Creek to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir. The purpose of

the proposed action is to increase municipal and industrial water

supply storage for the area serviced by the Water Board.

Pony Creek

The existing Upper Pony Creek Reservoir was created by a dam across

Pony Creek near the headwaters at approximately River Mile (RM) 4.5).

The dam was constructed in 1951 to provide water storage for the Water

Board's service area. The proposed expansion would involve raising the

existing 45-foot earthfill dam by 21.5 feet, to increase reservoir

storage capacity from the existing 2,150 acre-feet to 6,250 acre-feet.

Joe Ney Creek

The existing reservoir on Joe Ney Creek was created by a 9-

foot=high earthen dam constructed in 1947 at RM 1.5. The Water board

proposes to build a larger dam approximately 800 feet upstream of the

existing dam. the new dam, which would be built to an evaluation of 39

feet, would provide storage for 2,500 acre-feet.

Operations

Both reservoirs would be operated by the Water board for municipal

and industrial water supply. Water would be pumped from Joe Ney

Reservoir through [[Page 16458]] a pipeline across the ridge to the

Pony Creek basin, discharging into a natural channel flowing into Upper

Pony Creek Reservoir. As needed, water stored in Upper Pony Creek

Reservoir would be released into lower Pony Creek where it is withdrawn

and treated at the water treatment plant.

The alternatives to be considered in the DEIS area:

--the proposed project

--development of other water supplies to meet the project objectives

--no action.

The scoping process will commence in March 1995 with the issuance

of a scoping letter. Federal, state and local agencies, Indian tribes,

and interested organizations and individuals will be asked to comment

on the significant issues relating to the potential effects of the

alternatives. Potentially significant issues to be addressed in the

DEIS include: effects of the project on wetlands, wildlife habitat and

populations, and fisheries.

A formal scoping meeting has not been scheduled. The applicant has

scheduled a public meeting to be held at 7:00 pm, on April 5, 1995, at

the North Bend Public Library, North Bend, Oregon. the purpose of the

public meeting is to provide more information on the project and the

scope of studies to be accomplished for this DEIS, to assist interested

parties in developing their scoping comments.

The DEIS is scheduled to be made available to the public in late

1995.

Kenneth L. Denton,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-7751 Filed 3-29-95; 8:45 am]

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