[Federal Register: July 20, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 138)]
[Notices]
[Page 41692-41693]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jy05-48]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Potential
Multipurpose Projects for Flood Damage Reduction and Recreation
Development Within and Along the Highland Lakes, Colorado River, TX
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Four Authorities authorize the study of the Colorado River and
its Tributaries: (1) Flood Control Act, approval June 22, 1936:
``Section 6. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to
cause preliminary examinations and surveys for flood control at the
following named localities * * * Colorado River, Texas, above the
county line between Coke and Runnels counties * * * Lower Colorado
River, Texas.'' (2) Resolution by the Committee on Commerce, United
States Senate, adopted August 4, 1936; ``Resolved by the Committee of
the United States Senate, that the Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors created under Section 3 of the River and Harbor Act, approved
June 13, 1902, be and is hereby, requested to review the reports on
Colorado River, Texas, submitted in House Document Number 361, Seventy-
first Congress, second session, and previous reports, with a view to
determining if improvement in the interest of commerce and flood
control is advisable at the present time.'' (3) Rivers and Harbors Act,
approved August 26, 1937: ``Section 4. The Secretary of War is hereby
authorized and directed to cause preliminary examinations and surveys
to be made at the following named localities * * * Colorado River, and
its tributaries, Texas, with a view to its improvement in the interest
of navigation and flood control.'' (4) Rivers and Harbors Act, approved
March 2, 1945: ``Section 6. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized
and directed to cause preliminary examinations and surveys to be made
at the following named localities * * * Colorado River, Texas.'' An
initial assessment based on the resolution guidance indicates a Federal
interest in continuing with more detailed studies for these purposes.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to evaluate and
compare flood control damage reduction and recreation alternatives
within and along the Colorado River and its tributaries concentrated
along the Highland Lakes. The EIS will also assess the impacts to the
quality of the human environment associated with each alternative. The
study area for project implementation primarily includes the lower
Colorado River and its adjoining tributaries below Lake O.H. Ivie to
Tom Miller Dam or Lake Austin. The construction of residential and
commercial structures within the Highland Lakes and along the Colorado
River, have lead to extensive amounts of flood damages. Consequently,
flood damage reduction measures will be developed to address the flood
damages. In addition, recreation measures will be developed and
evaluated as complements to proposed flood damage reduction measures.
The non-Federal cost sharing sponsors for the feasibility study are the
Lower Colorado River Authority and Travis County.
DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held during the fall of 2005.
Notices will be sent to interested parties, posted on the project Web
site at http://www.fdep.org and a notice will be published in local
newspapers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions pertaining to the proposed
action and EIS can be answered by: Mr. Tom Vogt, CESWF-PM-C, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, PO Box 17300, Fort Worth, TX
76102-0300, (817) 886-1378.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Highland Lakes are comprised of six
lakes: Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake
Travis, and Lake Austin. The Lower Colorado River Authority operates
all of the Highland Lakes. Only Lake Travis is operated as a flood
reservoir.
Alternatives for flood damage reduction and recreation will be
developed and evaluated based on ongoing fieldwork and data collection
and past studies conducted by the Corps of Engineers and the Lower
Colorado River Authority. Alternatives for flood damage reduction
measures will be evaluated from both a non-structural and structural
aspect. Non-structural measures that will be evaluated include
acquisition and removal of structures and flood proofing of structures
for protection from potential future flood damage, and changes of gate
operating procedures for Lake Travis. Structural measures that will be
evaluated could include dry detention basins or multipurpose reservoirs
and of various widths and depths and/or a combination of these measures
along with non-structural alternatives. Recreation measures that will
be evaluated for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike include
multipurpose trails and passive recreation features, such as
interpretive guidance and media and picnic areas. Recreation measures
will be developed to a scope and scale compatible with proposed flood
damage reduction measures without significantly diminishing flood
damage benefits.
The Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for
Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration, Lower Colorado River
Basin, Colorado River, Texas addressing the potential cumulative
effects of reasonably foreseeable projects, including the Highland
Lakes Interim Feasibility Study was completed in March 2005. The Final
PEIS should be completed around October 2005. This EIS for the Highland
Lakes will be tiered to the PEIS for the Lower Colorado River.
The public will be invited to participate in the scoping process,
invited to attend public meetings, and given the opportunity to review
the EIS. Release of the EIS for public comment is scheduled for summer
2006. The exact release date, once established, will be announced in
the local news media.
Future coordination with other agencies and public scoping will be
conducted to ensure full and open participation and aid in the
development of the EIS. All affected Federal, state, and local
agencies, affected Indian tribes, and other interested private
organizations and parties are hereby invited to participate. Future
coordination will also be
[[Page 41693]]
conducted with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The USFWS and NMFS will
furnish information on threatened and endangered species in accordance
with the Endangered Species Act. In addition, the USFWS will also be
requested to provide support with planning aid and to provide a Fish
and Wildlife Coordination Act Report. Also the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NFMS) will be consulted with regard to Essential
Fish Habitat as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act. The State Historic Preservation Office will be
consulted as required by Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
Dated: July 7, 2005.
John R. Minahan,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, Deputy District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-14210 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
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