[Federal Register: March 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 40)]
[Notices]
[Page 10078-10079]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02mr05-27]
[[Page 10078]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a
Permit Application for the Proposed Hemet/San Jacinto Integrated
Recharge and Recovery Program in San Jacinto, Riverside County, CA
AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Los Angeles
District, Regulatory Branch is considering an application from the
Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) for a Department of the Army
permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to construct a
groundwater recharge and storage facility in and adjacent to the San
Jacinto River. The proposed project would consist of up to fifteen
recharge basins (six in proposed Phase 1 and nine in proposed Phase 2)
on approximately 100- acres in the San Jacinto River Channel, upgrades
to two existing pump stations, a new approximately 7.7-mile-long water
supply pipeline, up to ten extraction wells located west of the San
Jacinto River, and up to six monitoring wells located near the western
edge of the proposed recharge basins.
The Federal action involved in the project is the discharge of
dredge and/or fill materials within waters of the United States. The
Corps has determined that the potential impacts on the human
environment from such activities may be adverse and significant.
Therefore, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the Corps will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
prior to rendering a final decision on EMWD's permit application. The
Corps may ultimately make a determination to grant or deny the permit
or conditionally grant the permit. The Draft EIS is intended to be
sufficient in scope to address the Federal and environmental issues
concerning the proposed Federal permit action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments about the
proposed action or Draft EIS should be addressed to Ms. Deanna L.
Cummings, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: 200401197, Los Angeles
District, Regulatory Branch, 915 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
90017.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Project Site and Background Information.
The proposed project would entail the recharge of up to 43,750 acre-
feet per year of water in the Hemet/San Jacinto area of western
Riverside County, California. (An acre-foot is equivalent to 325,850
gallons, roughly the amount of water that two southern California
families of four uses in and around the house in one year.) The goals
of the groundwater recharge project are to: Help meet water rights
claims under a draft Settlement Agreement with the Soboba Band of
Luiseno Indians; offset existing overdraft of the Hemet/San Jacinto
area groundwater supply; provide an additional 15,000 acre-feet of
annual water storage to help meet projected demand increases within
EMWD's eastern service area; and provide up to 45,000 acre-feet of
conjunctive use/drought management water storage, contributing to water
storage goals identified by the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.
2. Proposed Action. The permit applicant's preferred alternative is
to construct up to fifteen recharge ponds on an approximately 100-acre
site in the San Jacinto River channel. This proposed recharge site is
within unincorporated Riverside County near the cities of Hemet and San
Jacinto, and near the San Jacinto River's confluences with Poppet and
Bautista Creeks. The proposed project would entail the conveyance of
State Water Project water to recharge basins located in the San Jacinto
River. The potentially affected segment of the San Jacinto River
normally is dry and only carries flows following storms or during
winters with above-average rainfall. Water supplied to the recharge
basins would infiltrate into the San Jacinto Basin, where it would be
stored until it (or an equivalent amount of other groundwater in the
basin) would be extracted by wells for consumptive use. In order to
accomplish this recharge, the proposed project would require the
following:
A new, approximately 7.7-mile-long water supply pipeline
extending from the EM-14 turnout on the Lakeview Pipeline (near Warren
Road) to the proposed recharge basins at the San Jacinto River (this
new pipeline would parallel an existing EMWD pipeline);
Upgrades to the existing Warren Road and Commonwealth
Avenue pump stations (located along the proposed water supply pipeline
route);
Up to fifteen new recharge basins on approximately 100-
acres in the San Jacinto River channel;
Up to eight extraction wells located west of the San
Jacinto River; and
Up to six monitoring wells located near the western edge
of the proposed recharge basins.
In brief, water would be delivered to the proposed project area from
California's State Water Project via the Lakeview Pipeline. Because the
Lakeview Pipeline is located several miles west of the San Jacinto
River, water would need to be conveyed to the recharge basins through
an existing EMWD pipeline (Phase 1) and/or through a proposed new
pipeline (Phase 2). Water conveyed to the San Jacinto River would be
discharged into the proposed recharge basins, where the water would be
allowed to infiltrate the groundwater supply under the river. EMWD
would operate two types of wells in association with the proposed
project: monitoring and extraction. As their name implies, the
monitoring wells would allow EMWD to monitor groundwater levels and
quality. Extraction wells would be used to extract water from the
groundwater supply, where it would be piped into EMWD's existing
network of water conveyance, storage and treatment facilities.
3. Issues. There are several potential environmental issues that
will be addressed in the Draft EIS. Additional issues may be identified
during the scoping process. Issues initially identified as potentially
significant include:
1. Hydrology, including effects to the San Jacinto River and its
floodplain and effects to groundwater, surface water and groundwater
quality.
2. Biological resources, including impacts to wetlands, waters of
the United States and Federal-listed threatened or endangered species
and their habitat.
3. Land use and recreation.
4. Visual quality (aesthetics).
5. Geology and soils.
6. Transportation.
7. Cultural (historic and prehistoric) resources.
8. Noise.
9. Air quality.
10. Hazards and public safety.
The proposed project would require a number of Federal permits and
approvals prior to implementation, including a Clean Water Act section
404 Permit, Clean Water Act section 401 Water Quality Certification and
a Federal Endangered Species Act Incidental Take Permit.
4. Alternatives. In addition to EMWD's proposed project (the
preferred alternative), the Draft EIS will evaluate reduced project
and/or locational alternatives and a No Action Alternative.
5. Scoping Process. A public meeting will be held to receive public
comments and assess public concerns regarding
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the appropriate scope and preparation of the Draft EIS. Participation
in the public meeting by Federal, State and local agencies and other
interested organizations and persons is encouraged. The Corps will also
be consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the
Endangered Species Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. The
scoping meeting for the Draft EIS will be held at the James Simpson
Neighborhood/Senior Center, 305 E. Devonshire Avenue, Hemet, CA at 6:30
p.m. on March 8, 2005. Parties interested in being added to the Corps'
electronic mail notification list can register at: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/regulatory/register.html.
This list will be used
in the future to notify the public about scheduled hearings and
availability of future public notices.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS. The Corps expects the Draft EIS
to be made available to the public in June 2005. A public hearing will
be held during the public comment period for the Draft EIS.
Alex C. Dornstauder,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 05-3975 Filed 3-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P