Placer County Water Agency American River Pump Station Project, Placer County, California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Placer County Water Agency American River Pump Station Project,

Placer County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement/

environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) and notice of scoping meeting.

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

1969, as amended, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

of 1970, as amended, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Placer

County Water Agency (PCWA) intend to prepare a joint EIS/EIR for

development of a year-round water supply diversion of up to 35,000

acre-feet annually (AFA) from PCWA's Middle Fork Project on the

American River (MFP) with water entitlements from the North Fork of the

American River. The proposed project, which is subject to review during

the EIS/EIR process, consists of constructing a diversion and intake

structure, pump station and associated facilities including: pipelines,

access roads, power lines, and safety features. The proposed location

of the diversion structure is approximately 150 feet upstream of the

Auburn Dam bypass tunnel.

Reclamation and PCWA are negotiating a contract that will define

the terms and conditions upon which ownership of the facilities would

be transferred to PCWA, including responsibilities for operation,

maintenance, and related activities for the project.

DATES: A public scoping meeting to help identify environmental concerns

to be addressed in the EIS/EIR will be held on July 8, 1999, at 7:00pm

at the Placer County Water Agency (see address below). Written comments

on the scope of the EIS/EIR should be sent to Reclamation at the

address below by July 30, 1999. Requests for special services at the

meeting must be received no later than July 2, 1999 (see special

services section for more details).

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at Placer County Water

Agency, American River Room, 144 Ferguson Road, Auburn, California.

Please send written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR to Mr. Rod

Hall, Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, 7794 Folsom Dam

Road, Folsom, California 95630-1799, by July 30, 1999. Please include

your name and address so that Reclamation can contact you directly if

clarification is needed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rod Hall, telephone: (916) 989-

7279.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

PCWA provides municipal and agricultural water to cities and

landowners in western Placer County. PCWA holds appropriative rights to

divert 120,000 AFA from the MFP under water right permit numbers 13856

and 13858, as authorized by the State Water Resources Control Board. In

the late 1960's, PCWA built a 50 cubic feet per second (cfs) pump

station on the North Fork of the American River to convey its MFP water

supplies to the Auburn Ravine Tunnel for delivery to PCWA's service

area. However, before pump station operations began, PCWA's pump

station was removed by Reclamation, under a Land Purchase Contract as

supplemented (Contract). Under certain terms and conditions, the

Contract requires Reclamation to make water deliveries to PCWA.

Reclamation has met these water delivery obligations through

installation and removal of a seasonal pump station on an as-needed

basis since 1977. Also, during initial construction of Auburn Dam, the

river was diverted through a bypass tunnel away from the previous pump

station site.

PCWA also has a contractual entitlement of Yuba/Bear River water

supplies, under an agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company

(PG&E). PCWA uses MFP supplies from the American River to supplement

Yuba/Bear supplies and to provide backup supplies when PG&E's Yuba/Bear

system is not operating.

Beginning in 1990, PCWA has required access to its American River

supply every year to meet its system demands, and Reclamation has

responded with the seasonal re-installation and removal of the pump

station. In addition, PCWA's service area needs for water have exceeded

the 100,000 AFA supply of the PG&E Yuba/Bear system, and the demand is

projected to increase. By the early 2000's, PCWA will require access to

its American River supply beyond the seasonal (July through October)

operating period of the pumps. The seasonal pumps, however, have become

increasingly expensive to install and maintain, and are limited in use

to the summer and fall. High winter and spring riverflows sometimes

inundate the site of the seasonal pump station and pipeline, rendering

them unreliable for water diversions. Further, because of pumping

capacity limitations (50 cfs), timing of seasonal diversions, demand

patterns, and applicable permits and other requirements, the maximum

diversion capacity for the seasonal pumps is approximately 20,000 AFA.

As a result, Reclamation can no longer provide PCWA with a reliable

water supply to meet PCWA's system demands in accordance with the

Contract.

Alternatives Being Considered

In addition to the upstream diversion alternative described above,

the EIS/EIR will include evaluation of a ``no project'' alternative of

continuing the present seasonal pump station operation. Also evaluated

will be a flood-proofing alternative, which involves raising the

existing pump station to a higher elevation to reduce flooding risks

and

[[Page 32890]]

allow Reclamation to meet its obligations under the Contract. In

addition, an evaluation will be made of a mid-channel alternative of

setting a permanent diversion intake structure within the currently de-

watered portion of the river channel. The mid-channel alternative

includes restoration of the de-watered river channel and closure of the

bypass tunnel. The other alternatives do not include closure of the

bypass tunnel, but would not preclude its possible closure in the

future.

Environmental Issues

The EIS/EIR will address potential impacts to the environment that

may result from construction, operation and maintenance of the project.

PCWA and Reclamation have identified standard best management practices

as part of the project, thereby minimizing potential construction-

related impacts. These will also be discussed in the EIS/EIR.

In addition, the EIS/EIR will address potential impacts to the area

watercourses associated with PCWA's exercise of its American River

water entitlement. Historically, only a portion of PCWA's current

entitlements have been diverted from the American River. Hydrologic

impact analyses will consider the effects of PCWA's increasing its

entitlement diversion under varying hydrologic conditions and the

impacts of the diversions on the potentially affected hydrologic

system, including the North Fork of the American River, Folsom

Reservoir, lower American River, and other Central Valley Project (CVP)

system components.

Potential impacts to water supplies, fisheries and other aquatic

resources, wetland and riparian communities, special-status species,

recreational activities, and flood control will be assessed. Also

addressed will be growth inducement as a potential secondary impact

associated with PCWA's exercise of its existing entitlements within the

service area. The cumulative impacts of the proposed project and other

ongoing and anticipated future projects on the environment,

specifically upstream and downstream American River resources, will be

examined in the EIS/EIR.

No adverse impacts to Indian Trust Assets are anticipated with this

project. No disproportionately high or adverse human health or

environmental impacts to minority or low-income communities are

anticipated with this project.

Environmental Process

The lead agencies began evaluation of the environmental effects of

the proposed project with an Environmental Assessment/Initial Study

(EA/IS). They also held several public meetings for the EA/IS.

Evaluation of this and other proposals within the CVP raised concerns

of significant cumulative impacts on resources of the lower American

River and other portions of the hydrologic system. In response to these

concerns and potential significant impacts, the lead agencies decided

to prepare an EIS/EIR. A draft version of the EIS/EIR is expected to be

available for review and comment in the fall of 1999.

Special Services

If special services are required at the meeting, please contact Ms.

Gay Howe at (530) 823-4889. Please notify Ms. Howe as far in advance of

the meeting as possible, but no later than July 2, 1999, so that she

will have time to secure the needed services. If a request cannot be

honored, the requestor will be notified.

Dated: June 11, 1999.

Kirk C. Rodgers,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 99-15378 Filed 6-17-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-P