Proposed Sacramento County Water Agency and San Juan Water District Central Valley Project Water Service Contracts Under Public Law 101-514, Sacramento County, California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[FES 98-41]

Bureau of Reclamation

Proposed Sacramento County Water Agency and San Juan Water

District Central Valley Project Water Service Contracts Under Public

Law 101-514, Sacramento County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental impact statement/

final environmental impact report (FEIS/FEIR).

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

the California Environmental Policy Act (CEQA), the Bureau of

Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Sacramento County Water Agency

(Agency) as lead agencies have prepared a joint FEIS/FEIR for the

proposed Agency and San Juan Water District (District) Central Valley

Project water service contracts for use in Sacramento County,

California, and construction and operation of a temperature control

device (TCD) on the water supply intake at Folsom Dam. Reclamation and

the Agency prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Draft

Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/DEIR) for the proposed contracts in

July 1997. The Agency sent out a recirculated DEIR in August 1998 for a

45-day review.

The purpose of the FEIS/FEIR is to address the potential

environmental and socioeconomic impacts resulting from the execution of

water service contracts with the Agency and the District, and from the

TCD. The FEIS/FEIR includes all comments received on the DEIS/DEIR

(including the recirculated DEIR) and responses to those comments.

DATES: No Federal decision will be made on the proposed action until

January 22, 1999. After this 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will

[[Page 71154]]

complete a Record of Decision. It is expected that the Board of

Directors of the Agency will adopt a Notice of Determination pursuant

to CEQA in December 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS/FEIR may be requested from Mr. Tad

Berkebile, Sacramento County Water Agency, 827 Seventh Street, Room

301, Sacramento CA 95814; telephone: (916) 874-6851. See Supplementary

Information section for locations where the FEIS/FEIR is available for

public inspection and review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tad Berkebile at (916) 874-6851 or

Mr. Cecil Lesley, Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom

CA 95630, telephone: (916) 989-7221 or TDD (916) 989-7285.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 101-514, Section 206, authorizes

and directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into long-term

municipal and industrial water supply contracts to meet the immediate

water needs of Sacramento County. Contracts under Public Law 101-514,

Section 206, are not subject to the prohibition on new Reclamation

contracts of Public Law 102-575, Title XXXIV. However, any contracts

under Public Law 101-514 are required to have terms and conditions that

allow the Secretary to amend the contracts as necessary to meet the

obligations of applicable State and Federal laws. The law specifically

directs the Secretary to enter into contracts up to 22,000 acre-feet

per year with Sacramento County and up to 13,000 acre-feet per year

with the San Juan Water District (serving a part of northeastern

Sacramento County). Water delivered annually under these contracts is

at the discretion of the Secretary, who will make a determination of

the amount to be made available ``based upon the quantity of water

actually needed after considering reasonable efforts to (i) promote

full utilization of existing water entitlement within Sacramento

County, (ii) implement water conservation and metering programs within

areas served by the contract, and (iii) implement programs to maximize

to the extent feasible conjunctive use of surface water and

groundwater'' (Public Law 101-514, Section 206 [b][(1)]. Of its annual

allocation of 22,000 acre-feet per year, the Agency intends to provide

up to 7,000 acre-feet per year to the City of Folsom through a

subcontract.

No potentially affected Indian Trust Assets (ITA's) have been

identified by Reclamation for the proposed project or alternatives.

Copies of the FEIS/FEIR are available for public inspection and

review at the following locations:

Bureau of Reclamation, Central California Area Office at

7794 Folsom Dam Road in Folsom, CA.

Bureau of Reclamation at 2800 Cottage Way, Room E-1704 in

Sacramento, CA.

Sacramento County Water Agency at 827 Seventh Street, Room

301 in Sacramento, CA.

Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder's Office at 600 Eighth

Street in Sacramento, CA.

San Juan Water District at 9935 Auburn-Folsom Road in

Granite Bay, CA.

Sacramento Central Library at 828 I Street in Sacramento,

CA.

Folsom Library at 300 Purcifer Street in Folsom, CA.

City of Folsom, Public Works Department at 50 Natoma

Street in Folsom, CA.

Dated: December 14, 1998.

Kirk C. Rodgers,

Deputy Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 98-34025 Filed 12-22-98; 8:45 am]

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