Colfax Watershed, Richland County, North Dakota; Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Colfax Watershed, Richland County, North Dakota; Notice of

Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of finding of significant no impact.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations

(40 CFR Part 1500); and the National Resources Conservation Service

Regulations (7 CFR Part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, gives notice than an

environmental impact statement is not being prepared for the Colfax

Watershed, Richland County, North Dakota.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Scott Hoag, Jr., State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation

Service, 220 East Rosser Avenue, P.O. 1458, Bismarck, North Dakota

58502-1458, (701) 250-4421.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental assessment of this

federally assisted action indicates that the project will not cause

significant local, regional, or national impacts on the environment. As

a result of these findings, Scott Hoag, Jr., State Conservationist, has

determined that the preparation and review of an environmental impact

statement are not needed for this project.

The project purposes are for flood control, agricultural water

management, and watershed protection. The planned works of improvement

include a 300 linear foot dike with overflow, 8,800 linear feet of

floodway with pipe drop inlet and grade stabilization structure, 3,000

linear feet of floodway and dike, 12,000 linear feet of floodwater

diversion, and 22,500 linear feet of floodway renovation. Associated

Land Treatment Measures will be planned and installed on a minimum of

50 percent of the watershed above the structural measures. Seven

thousand acres of cropland and 500 acres of grassland are expected to

be benefited through the proposed project.

The Notice of a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been

forwarded to the Environmental Protection Agency and to various

Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties. A limited

number of copies of the FONSI are available to fill single copy

requests at the above address. Basic data developed during the

environmental assessment are on file and may be reviewed by contacting

Scott Hoag, Jr., State Conservationist, 220 East Rosser Avenue, P.O.

box 1458, Bismarck, North Dakota 58502-1458.

No administrative action on implementation of the proposal will be

taken until 30 days after the date of this publication in the Federal

Register.

Scott Hoag, Jr.,

State Conservationist.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance under No. 10.904, Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention, and is subject to the provisions of Executive Order

12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and

local officials)

Introduction

The Colfax Watershed is a federally assisted action authorized for

planning under Public Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention Act. An environmental assessment was undertaken in

conjunction with the development of the watershed plan. This assessment

was conducted in consultation with local, State, and Federal agencies

as well as with interested organizations and individuals. Data

developed during the assessment are available for public review at the

following location: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources

Conservation Service, 220 East Rosser Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501.

Recommended Action

Proposed is the implementation of both structural and associated

land treatment measures (ALTM) to reduce flood damages and protect the

watershed. The structural components include a 300 linear foot dike

with overflow, 8,800 linear feet of floodway with pipe drop inlet and

grade stabilization structure, 3,000 linear feet of floodway and dike,

12,000 linear feet of floodwater diversion, and 22,500 linear feet of

floodway renovation. The ALTM will be planned and installed on a

minimum of 50 percent of the watershed above the structural measures.

Seven thousands acres of cropland and 500 acres of grassland are

expected to be benefited through the proposed project.

Effect of Recommended Action

The recommended action will protect the watershed hydrologically by

improving the soil cover condition, water quality, and reduce overland

flow quantities and velocities. Existing floodways will be restored, or

built to the extent the peak flood flow rates for a 10 year, 24 hour

flood event can be handled.

The proposed action will have little or not effect on wetlands.

Only 2.2 acres are expected to be impacted to the point of requiring

mitigation. The land treatment applied on 7,500 acres, will improve

rainfall infiltration on both cropland and grassland. Sedimentation

rates will be reduced from high value low residue crop fields.

Integrated crop management will reduce the availability of nutrients

and pesticides from entering the Wild Rice River.

The proposed project still encourage and promote farm units in the

watershed to manage their natural resources in a safe and productive

manner. This action will tend to sustain agricultural diversity and

productivity for land users in the watershed. The reduced threat of

flooding will provide social and economic benefits to watershed

residents.

An initial site leads inventory of cultural resources as they

relate to the planned components has been completed. This inventory

concludes that no significant adverse impacts will occur to cultural

resources in the

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watershed should the plan be implemented. The NRCS has consulted with

the State Historic Preservation Office on the effects of the planned

measures. There is no effect foreseen on significant cultural

resources. However, construction of floodways, dikes, grade

stabilization structures and diversions have the potential for

seriously disrupting individual sites. Therefore, caution shall be

exercised in planning and installing any such measures to avoid serious

disruption of cultural resource sites.

Signficant cultural resources identified during implementation will

be avoided or otherwise preserved in place to the fullest extent

practical. If significant cultural resources cannot be avoided or

preserved, pertinent information will be recovered before construction.

If there is a significant cultural resource discovery during

construction, appropriate notice will be made by NRCS to the State

Historic Preservation Officer and the National Park Service.

Consultation and coordination have been made, and will continue to be

used, to ensure the provisions of Section 106 of Public Law 89-665 have

been met and to include provisions of Public Law 89-523, as amended by

Public Law 93-291. NRCS will take action as prescribed in the NRCS GM

420, Part 401, to protect or recover any significant cultural resources

discovered during construction.

No threatened or endangered species are known to exist in the

watershed.

One of the primary objectives of the project is to reduce

agricultural flooding. Approximately 7,000 acres of prime farmland will

be protected from frequent flood events. An estimated 20 miles of farm

to market roads, and 40 bridges and culverts will be protected by

reduced quantities and velocities of flood waters. Flood damages to

farmstead buildings for machinery and crop storage will be reduced.

Water quality will be improved in the Wild Rice River by reducing

sediment delivery rates, implementing nutrient and pest management

systems, and improved soil health and cover. Sediment control basins,

along with buffer and filter strips adjacent to the proposed floodways

and diversions will significantly reduce non-point source pollutants

runoff. Associated land treatment measures (ALTM) will promote total

resource management systems on 7,500 acres of land in the watershed.

These systems, in addition to addressing management of the soil, water,

air, plant, and animal resources will also address the social and

economic resources of the watersheds land users.

Fish and wildlife habitats may be temporarily disturbed in some

areas of the watershed during the construction phase. These resources

will be restored or enhanced when the project is completed.

Improvements in soil health, water quality, and plant diversity should

result from the implementation of this project. The value of woodland

habitat will not decline. An estimated 2.2 acres of seasonal partially

drained wetlands will be lost due to project impacts. These wetland

values will be properly mitigated for using the Hydro Geologic Model

(HGM).

No wilderness areas are in the watershed.

Scenic values will be complimented with the diversity added by

associated land treatment measures. During installation of structural

features the scenic values will be temporarily decreased at specific

construction locations in the watershed.

No significant adverse environmental impacts will result from

installations except for minor inconveniences to local residents during

construction.

Alternatives

A total of 7 alternatives were evaluated to address the problems

and opportunities the local sponsoring organizations and watershed

residents identified in the planning stages. The first 6 alternatives

were formulated using varied combinations of floodwater diversions,

dikes, and floodways with grade stabilizations structures. Each of

these alternatives provided similar flood protection and land treatment

benefits with varying economic, social and environmental impacts. The

seventh alternative was the ``no action'' alternative.

It was determined by the sponsoring local organizations and

watershed residents that alternative 6 is the recommended plan.

Consultation--Public Participation

Formal agency consultation began with the initiation of the

notification of the State Single Point of Contact for Federal

Assistance (Office of Intergovernmental Assistance) in March 1992. The

Governor and the State Soil Conservation Committee were also notified

of the application for Federal Assistance. Agencies were again notified

when planning was authorized in October 1993.

Scoping meetings were held in September 1992 and June 1993, and

interdisciplinary efforts were used in all cases. An Interagency

Watershed Committee (IAWC) was utilized throughout the planning

process. The process involved five Federal agencies (FSA, FS, F&WS,

COE, and EPA), five State agencies (Department of Health, State Soil

Conservation Committee, Game and Fish Department, State Water

Commission, and State Historical Society), two county agencies

(Richland County Soil Conservation District and Richland County Water

Resource District), and the City of Colfax and the Red River & Western

Railroad in part or all of the scoping and planning processes.

Specific consultation was conducted with the State Historic

Preservation Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Office,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and North Dakota Department of Health.

All of these agencies comments were used in the development of this

plan.

The environmental assessment was transmitted to all participating

and interested agencies, groups, and individuals for review and comment

in March 1998. Three public meetings were held during the planning

process to keep all interested parties informed of the study progress

and to obtain public input into the plan and environmental evaluation.

The last public meeting was held March 1998, in the City of Colfax,

during the interagency review process

Agency consultation and public participation to date have shown no

unresolved conflicts with the implementation of the selected plan.

Conculsions

The Environmental Assessment summarized above indicates that this

Federal action will not cause significant local, regional, or national,

impacts. Therefore, based on the above findings, I have determined that

an environmental impact statement for the Colfax Watershed is not

required.

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Scott Hoag Jr.,

State Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 98-13031 Filed 5-14-98; 8:45 am]

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