[Federal Register: November 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 219)]
[Notices]
[Page 64323-64324]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13no03-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Grayson and Murderer's
Creeks Project, Contra Costa County, CA
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Sacramento District, is preparing a
Draft Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental
Impact Report (Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR) to evaluate the
opportunities to reduce flood damages, restore wetland and riparian
habitat, and support recreation adjacent to Grayson and Murderer's
Creeks watershed, Contra Costa County, California. A reconnaissance
study was funded under the Energy and Water Development Appropriations
Bill of 2002. The Corps completed the resulting study in October 2002.
The report found a Federal interest in reducing flood damages,
restoring the ecosystem, and improving recreational opportunities in
Contra Costa County. The basic study authority for the Walnut Creek
watershed was provided under a House Resolution adopted on June 19,
1963.
The feasibility study will consist of two phases. Phase I will
start with a public workshop designed to solicit input from the public
and interested agencies on the nature and extent of issues to be
addressed in the Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR. It will conclude
with a conference to present and discuss the detailed evaluation of
existing and future conditions, including the comprehensive mapping of
the flood plains, flood damages, and the identification of problems and
opportunities associated with each watershed. Preliminary alternatives
will be developed, evaluated, and screened. Important cultural and
environmental resources in the study area along with the associated
effects and mitigation requirements for each preliminary alternative
will be considered during the evaluation. Federal interest in at least
one preliminary alternative will be established.
Phase II will consist of further development of the preliminary
alternatives including detailed designs, costs, and benefits. The
project benefits associated with each final alternative plan will be
evaluated. The Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR will be completed in
conjunction with additional public meetings. Upon the review and
incorporation of the public feedback, the Final Feasibility Report/EIS/
EIR will be published. The final report will be forwarded through the
Corps' Headquarters to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil
Works) for transmission to the Office of Management and Budget.
DATES: A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 7 p.m.
at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Drive, Pleasant Hill,
California.
Comments: Submit comments regarding the study by January 10, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning this study
to Ms. Melisa Helton, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento
District, Attn: Planning Division (CESPK-PD-R), 1325 J Street,
Sacramento, California 95814. Requests to be placed on the mailing list
should also be sent to this address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melisa Helton, E-mail at melisa.n.helton@usace.army.mil, telephone (916) 557-7948, or fax (916)
557-5138.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
1. Public Involvement: The study will be coordinated between
Federal, State, and local governments; local stakeholders; special
interest groups; and any other interested individuals and
organizations. The Corps will hold a public workshop/environmental
scoping meeting to discuss the scope of the Draft Feasibility Report/
EIS/EIR (see DATES). The meeting will be advertised in advance in local
newspapers, and meeting announcement letters will be sent to interested
parties. The purpose of this meeting is to involve local stakeholders
and the public early in the study process. The meeting will focus on
collecting public input regarding the study scope, historic and current
problems, and potential opportunities. All public comments will be
documented for future consideration and reference. Written comments
regarding the meeting may also be submitted via mail and should be
directed to Ms. Melisa Helton at the address listed above. The Corps
intends to issue the Draft Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR in the summer of
2006. The Corps will announce availability of the draft document in the
Federal Register and other media, and will provide the public,
organizations, and agencies with an opportunity to submit comments,
which will be addressed in the Final Feasibility Report/EIS/EIR.
2. Project Information: Grayson and Murderer's Creeks are located 4
miles northwest of Walnut Creek in Pleasant Hill, Contra Costa County.
The study area is located 15 miles northeast of Berkeley, 20 miles east
of San Francisco. It is located in the upper Walnut Creek Basin and is
composed of approximately 180 square miles, including the cities of
Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, and Concord in Contra Costa County.
Flooding in the 1950's and 1960's spurred Contra Costa County to
initiate additional flood control studies with the Corps of Engineers
on Grayson and Murderer's Creeks. In both a 1973 and a 1992 Feasibility
Report, no Federal interest was found due to insufficient economic
benefits. As a result of flooding during the 1990's, local
municipalities renewed efforts to resolve these flooding problems. The
1997 flood, an estimated 18-year event, caused damage to about 100
homes in the City of Pleasant Hill. In addition, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) is currently revising the floodplain maps to
include 700 homes within the 100-year floodplain.
3. Proposed Action: The proposed project would reduce flood
damages,
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restore the ecosystem along the channels, and improve recreational
opportunities adjacent to the creeks. Numerous plans have already been
studied by Contra Costa County and the City of Pleasant Hill. The
primary focus of these studies has been to reduce damages from
significant flood events. These reductions would minimize the number of
homes required to participate in the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Program.
4. Alternatives. Potential alternatives to reduce flood damages
include: (1) No action; (2) a single flood detention basin at Grayson
branch with inlet and outlet control and no channel improvements; (3)
multiple flood detention basins at Grayson and Murderer's branch with
inlet and outlet control and no channel improvements; (4) multiple
flood detention basins at Grayson branch and Murderer's branch except
that the flood detention basin at Grayson branch is in a different
location that occupies a larger area and no channel improvements; and
(4) a smaller flood detention basin with inlet and outlet control with
channel improvements.
Luz D. Ortiz,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-28321 Filed 11-12-03; 8:45 am]