Imperial Irrigation District/San Diego County Water Authority Water Conservation and Transfer Project

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Imperial Irrigation District/San Diego County Water Authority

Water Conservation and Transfer Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Report

(EIR)/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and notice of public

scoping meetings on the Imperial Irrigation District/San Diego County

Water Authority Water Conservation and Transfer Project.

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

Policy Act (NEPA) and the State of California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA), the

[[Page 52103]]

Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Imperial Irrigation District

(IID or District) will prepare a joint EIR/EIS to assess the impacts of

the proposed IID/San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Water

Conservation and Transfer Project. The proposed project consists of the

conservation by IID of up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water

per year (af/yr), and the subsequent transfer of all or a portion of

the diverted water to the SDCWA and, under certain circumstances, other

designees. IID and Reclamation are holding public scoping meetings

soliciting input from the public on the types of issues and extent of

analysis that should be contained in the EIR/EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the NOI will be accepted until October 25,

1999. Public scoping meetings will be held at the following locations

(both written and oral comments will be accepted at the public scoping

meetings):

1. Northern Imperial Valley--Elks Lodge #1420, 161 South Plaza,

Brawley, CA 92227, Tuesday, October 12, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.

2. Salton Sea Area--Salton Sea Community Service District, 2098

Frontage Road, Salton City, CA 92275, Wednesday, October 13, 1999, 7 PM

to 9 PM..

3. Southern Imperial Valley--IID Board Room, 1285 Broadway, El

Centro, CA 92243, Thursday, October 14, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.

4. Lower Colorado River Region--Clark County Library, 1401 East

Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119, Monday, October 18, 1999, 7 PM to 9

PM.

5. Northern San Diego County--Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine

Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008, Tuesday, October 19, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.

6. Southern San Diego County--SDCWA Building, 3211 Fifth Avenue,

San Diego, CA 92103, Wednesday, October 20, 1999, 7 PM to 9 PM.

Hearing impaired, visually impaired, and/or mobility impaired

persons planning to attend the meeting(s) may arrange for necessary

accommodations by calling Ms. Molly Sweat at (702) 293-8415 no later

than October 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Bureau of Reclamation,

Lower Colorado River Region, Boulder Canyon Operations Office, P.O. Box

61470, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470, Attn: William Rinne, BC-00-1000; or

to: Imperial Irrigation District, 333 East Barioni Boulevard, P.O. Box

937, Imperial CA, 92251, Attn: Steven R. Knell.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William Rinne, at the Bureau of

Reclamation (702) 293-8414; or Mr. Steven Knell, Special Projects

Coordinator, Imperial Irrigation District, at (760) 339-9266. Further

information can also be obtained on the website at http://

www.is.ch2m.com/iidweb.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: IID was organized in 1911 to deliver

Colorado River water to lands within the Imperial Valley, California

for agricultural, domestic, industrial, and other beneficial uses.

Water is diverted via the All American Canal and flows through the

Colorado River at Imperial Dam based upon water rights obtained prior

to the beginning of this century under state law, pursuant to a 1932

water delivery contract for permanent service, for potable and

irrigation purposes within the boundaries of the District, with the

Secretary of the Interior under the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928

[45 Stat. 1057, as amended, 43 U.S.C. 617 et seq.], and pursuant to

appropriations applications filed with the state between 1933 and 1936.

Water flows through the Imperial Valley in a complex system of delivery

canals, laterals, and drains serving over 450,000 acres of some of the

most intensively farmed land in the nation. Agricultural drainage water

flows into the New and Alamo Rivers and into the Salton Sea, a

designated reservoir for irrigation drainage.

IID seeks to develop a long-term program for the conservation of up

to 300,000 af/yr. IID proposes to transfer all or a portion of the

conserved water to SDCWA and, under certain circumstances, other

designees for beneficial use and to meet current and projected water

supply needs. The proposed conservation program would include the

participation of Imperial Valley landowners and tenants in order to

implement on-farm conservation methods, such as improved or alternative

water management techniques and revised irrigation methods. The program

may also include system-based conservation methods implemented by IID,

which improve distribution and drainage facilities.

IID intends that the transferred water will retain IID's priority

among Colorado River water users and that the transfer will not affect

IID's historic water rights. IID, the Department of Interior, and other

potentially affected water rights holders are engaged in quantification

discussions regarding Colorado River water.

On April 29, 1998, IID and SDCWA executed an Agreement for Transfer

of Conserved Water (Agreement). The Agreement provides parameters for

the water conservation and transfer transaction. The Agreement calls

for IID to conserve and transfer an annual amount of water (the

``primary'' transfer) not to exceed 20,000 af in the first year. The

primary transfer would increase in quantity in subsequent years until a

stabilized annual primary quantity is established by IID, which shall

be not less than 130,000 af/yr or more than 200,000 af/yr. After at

least 10 years of primary transfers, an additional discretionary

component not to exceed 100,000 af/yr may be transferred to SDCWA or,

at IID's option, to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern

California or Coachella Valley Water District in connection with the

settlement of water rights disputes between IID and these agencies. The

initial term of the project is 45 years after transfers first commence.

Each party has the option to extend the term for an additional 30

years.

The Water Conservation and Transfer Project is the result of a

collaboration between IID and SDCWA. The purpose and need for the

proposed project is to advance objectives of both agencies, consistent

with the Law of the River for the Colorado River, relating to water

availability and management. IID has identified specific objectives for

the proposed project. The District proposes to sell the conserved water

in a market-based transaction in order to provide IID with sufficient

funds to implement a water conservation program, including the cost of

on-farm and system improvements, environmental mitigation costs, and

other implementation costs. IID intends to implement a conservation

program which includes participation of Imperial Valley landowners and

tenants so that on-farm, in addition to system-based conservation

methods, can be implemented efficiently. IID seeks to maintain its

historic senior priority water rights in a manner consistent with state

and federal law during project implementation and operation. Additional

IID objectives include providing an economic stimulus to Imperial

Valley's agricultural economy and the surrounding community and lessen

increased demand for water for southern California from the State Water

Project.

SDCWA has also identified specific project objectives. SDCWA seeks

to acquire an independent, reliable alternate long-term water supply to

provide drought protection and to accommodate current and projected

demand for municipal, domestic, and agricultural water uses. In order

to enhance the reliability of its water supply, SDCWA intends to

diversify its

[[Page 52104]]

sources of water supply and decrease its current dependence on a single

source. Through the establishment of a stabilized source, SDCWA seeks

to pay a fair, competitive price for its water supply and in the

process lessen increased demand for water for southern California from

the State Water Project.

A water transfer from IID to SDCWA is a key element of the

``California 4.4 Plan'' which is being developed by the Colorado River

Board of California and the California State Department of Water

Resources, at the request of the Secretary of the Interior and the

other Colorado River basin states. This Plan is intended to address the

need for California to reduce its reliance on Colorado River water to

its legal entitlement of 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water.

California currently is diverting approximately 5.2 million acre-feet

of Colorado River water per year.

Implementation of the proposed project will require certain state

approvals, including approval by the State Water Resources Control

Board and compliance with CEQA and the California Endangered Species

Act. Implementation will also require certain federal approvals,

including approval of the proposed transfer between IID and SDCWA,

compliance with NEPA, the federal Endangered Species Act and other

related federal environmental laws, statutes, Executive Orders, and

regulations. Reclamation will act as the federal lead agency pursuant

to NEPA because certain actions taken to facilitate the transfer will

require approval by the Secretary of the Interior. Such actions could

potentially include amendments to IID's contract with the Secretary,

change in the point of diversion of Colorado River water, change in

type of use, change in place of use, verification or concurrence in the

amount of water conserved by this Project, and verification of

beneficial use of Colorado River water. Reclamation is therefore

seeking comments from the public on the scope of the issues and extent

of analysis that should be evaluated in the EIR/EIS.

Additional information can be obtained from the project website at

http://www.is.ch2m.com/iidweb.

Alternatives

The EIR/EIS will evaluate other feasible project alternatives,

including a range of alternative conservation measures, water supply

and transfer alternatives, and various alternative measures in addition

to the No Project/No Action Alternative.

Potential water supply alternatives that will be considered in the

EIR/EIS include the following:

Additional water conservation in the San Diego service area

Additional water repurification and recycling

Desalination

Additional water transfers from Northern California

Transfer of water conserved in another agricultural region

with conveyance through the State Water Project and Metropolitan Water

District system

Potential Environmental Effects

The full range of environmental impacts has not been quantified

temporally and spatially. Until specific conservation alternatives have

been developed, potential environmental effects could include the

following:

Lower Colorado River Area

Reduction in Colorado River water flows between Parker and

Imperial Dams

Impacts to Colorado River water quality

Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats

Cumulative impacts to water quality

San Diego County

Growth-inducing impacts

Salton Sea

Effects on water levels, salinity, and water quality

Effects on fisheries habitat

Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats

Impacts to recreational uses

Imperial Valley

Impacts to water flow and quality

Effects on selenium, boron, and pesticide concentrations

Impacts to wildlife, protected species and their habitats

Socio-economic impacts

Air quality impacts

The draft EIR/EIS is expected to be completed by a target date of

April 3, 2000. Availability of the draft EIR/EIS for public review and

comment will be announced and noticed in the local media and by a

Federal Register Notice.

Dated: September 23, 1999.

Steven Richardson,

Chief of Staff, Bureau of Reclamation.

[FR Doc. 99-25187 Filed 9-24-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-P