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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES 96-48]

Southern Nevada Water Authority Treatment and Transmission

Facility, Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability on the final environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

1969 (as amended), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the

Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) have prepared a final

environmental impact statement (FEIS) on a new water treatment and

transmission facility proposed by SNWA. The SNWA proposes to construct

and operate a system of regional water supply facilities known as the

Treatment and Transmission Facility (TTF). The new TTF would be used in

conjunction with the existing Southern Nevada Water System to treat

Colorado River water and transmit it to the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are available for public review at the

following locations:

Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Liaison,

1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240, telephone: (202) 208-6269.

Bureau of Reclamation, Regional Director, Lower Colorado

Regional Office, Attn: EIS Lead, LC-2206 Mead Building, P.O. Box 61470,

Boulder City, NV 89006-1470, telephone: (702) 293-8519.

Southern Nevada Water Authority, Attn: EIS Manager, 1850

East Flamingo Road, Suite 234, Las Vegas, NV 89119, telephone: (702)

862-3446.

Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas District, Attn:

Environmental Coordinator, 4765 Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89108,

telephone: (702) 647-5097.

National Park Service, Lake Mead Recreation Area, Attn:

EIS Coordinator, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005, telephone:

(702) 239-8935.

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Attn: EIS

Coordinator, 300 Booth St., Reno, NV 89509, telephone: (702) 784-5304.

Libraries: Copies will also be available for review at

public libraries located in Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, and

North Las Vegas, NV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Green, LC-2206, Bureau of

Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, Environmental Compliance

Group, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470, telephone: (702)

293-8519.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS addresses the impacts of a new TTF

to withdraw existing State of Nevada allocation of Colorado River water

from Lake Mead, treat it, and convey it to the Las Vegas Valley,

Nevada. Three critical issues are related to water-facility

infrastructure in the Las Vegas Valley: (1) The Valley is dependent on

a single water treatment and delivery facility, the existing Southern

Nevada Water System (SNWS), for 85 percent of its water supply; (2) the

capacity of the existing facilities which deliver Colorado River water,

including those of the expanded SNWS, will be insufficient to meet

projected peak daily water demands by the year 1999; and (3) the

existing water facility infrastructure cannot provide full access to

SNWA's Colorado River water entitlement and the entitlements of its

purveyor members under the current typical pattern of seasonal water

demand. With these considerations in mind, the SNWA conceived the TTF

as a supplemental facility to treat and transmit Colorado River water

to the Valley.

The proposed TTF would be comprised of three main components: a new

untreated water intake; new transmission facilities including

belowground pipelines, tunnels, and aboveground booster pumping

stations; and a water treatment facility. Six alternatives, including

no action, are analyzed in the FEIS. Five action alternatives analyze

varying combinations of these main components. The preferred

alternative comprises an intake at Saddle Island, use of the existing

River Mountains tunnel, and a treatment facility on the western slope

of the River Mountains. Additional water transmission and storage

facilities would be constructed in Las Vegas Valley. The TTF has been

developed as a reliable and demand-responsive system that will

supplement and function integrally with the existing SNWS. The TTF

would be locally financed, and does not involve any Federal funding for

construction, operation or maintenance. The TTF would follow a

community endorsed phasing plan under which facilities are constructed

only as needed.

Federal actions required for the proposed action would be the

issuance of permits, rights-of-way, and modification of existing water

delivery/service contracts. These actions would allow the SNWA to

construct new facilities on Federal lands adjacent to Lake Mead,

withdraw existing State of Nevada Allocation of Colorado River water

from Lake Mead and convey it to the Las Vegas Valley.

The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) was issued on

November 8, 1995. Responses to comments received from interested

organizations and individuals on the DEIS during the 90-day comment

period are addressed in the FEIS. No decision will be made on the

proposed action until 30 days after release of the FEIS. After the 30-

day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision

(ROD). The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will

discuss all factors leading to the decision.

Dated: September 20, 1996.

William E. Rinne,

Director, Resource Management and Technical Services.

[FR Doc. 96-24993 Filed 9-27-96; 8:45 am]

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