[Federal Register: April 9, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 67)]
[Notices]
[Page 17524]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09ap07-46]
[[Page 17524]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for the Coyote Dam Study
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 204 of the 1950 Flood Control Act
(Pub. L. 516, 81st Congress, 2nd Session), as recommended by the Chief
of Engineers in House Document Number 585, 81st Congress, 2nd Session,
the Coyote Dam (also known as the ``Lake Mendocino Project''), Ukiah,
CA, is authorized to be raised 36 feet to a total storage capacity of
199,000 acre-feet (ac-ft) when the need for additional water supply
arises. Since construction of Coyote Dam, increased development of
Mendocino County and the accelerated rate of sedimentation in Lake
Mendocino have resulted in the need for additional water supply. The
additional storage capacity achieved by raising the dam would address
future demands on water supply and also increase flood damage reduction
functions. This is a notice of intent to prepare a joint environmental
Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), and to consider
all reasonable alternatives, evaluate potential impacts of the proposed
action, and identify appropriate mitigation measures. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) is the lead agency for this project under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Mendocino County
Inland Water and Power Commission (IWPC) is the lead agency and local
sponsor under the California environmental quality Act (CEQA).
DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held on April 26, 2007 from 7
p.m. to 9 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the Ukiah Valley
Conference Center, Cabernet Room 1, 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA
95482.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
can be answered by Karen Mason at (415) 503-6851,
Karen.P.Mason@usace.army.mil; Susan Ma at (415) 503-6838,
Susan.Ma@usace.army.mil; or by Chris Eng at (415) 503-6868, Christopher.K.Eng@usace.army.mil, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San
Francisco District, 1455 Market Street, 15th Floor, San Francisco, CA
94103. Questions and comments can also be faxed to (415) 503-6692.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coyote Dam is located on the East Fork of
the Russian River, Ukiah, CA, and is part of a system that provides
water to Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. The Congressional
authorization for construction of Coyote Dam included provisions for
increase in water storage capacity by raising the dam an additional 36
feet, thereby increasing the total storage capacity from 122,500 ac-ft
to 199,000 ac-ft. The dam was designed to be built in two stages: the
initial stage was completed in 1959, and the second stage would be
built when water storage capacity became inadequate. The growth of
Mendocino County has contributed to an expanded need for water in order
to meet future demands. In addition, the accelerated rate of
sedimentation in Lake Mendocino further impacts the storage capacity of
the dam by encroaching on the water supply pool. The goal of the
project is to provide increased water storage capacity and increased
flood damage reduction benefits to the area. the local sponsor for the
project is the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission
(IWPC), a Joint Powers Authority representing the County of Mendocino,
the City of Ukiah, Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and
Water Conservation Improvement District, Redwood Valley County Water
District, and the Potter Valley Irrigation District.
1. Proposed Action. Based on the need for additional water supply
and flood damage reduction benefits, it is determined that increased
water storage capacity at Coyote Dam should be evaluated.
2. Project Alternatives. The following are some of the alternatives
that will be evaluated in the EIS/EIR:
a. Raise the dam. Following the original plans of the authorized
project, the dam would be raised 36 feet to an elevation of 820 feet,
increasing the storage capacity from 122,400 ac-ft to 199,000 ac-ft.
Some provisions were made on various features of the existing dam to
accommodate the future height increase.
b. Increase seasonal water supply storage elevation. Utilizing the
existing dam and reservoir area, the water surface elevation of the
flood control pool would be raised from 748.0 to 761.8 for seasonal use
between April 1 and October 15. This would provide an additional 25,700
ac-ft of storage. Although the Corps has authority over the flood
control pool, the Mendocino County IWPC must demonstrate that the extra
storage capacity is needed for current demands and would not result in
an excess storage of water, which would unnecessarily flood
recreational areas and access roads situated at elevation 750.
c. Dredging. Of the original 122,400 ac-ft storage capacity, 4,400
ac-ft was allocated for sedimentation, but the capacity of Lake
Mendocino has since decreased to 116,470 ac-ft. The rate of
sedimentation is higher than the estimate provided by the original
sediment study. This alternative would increase storage capacity by
dredging sediment from the reservoir. Dredging is not expected to
affect current reservoir operations.
3. Scoping Process. The Corps is seeking participation of all
interested federal, state, and local agencies, Native American groups,
and other concerned private organizations or individuals through this
public notice. The public scoping meeting will be held in Ukiah, CA
(see DATES). Any changes to the date, time, or location will be
published in the newspaper or provided by mail to those requesting
information. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit comments and
questions regarding the potential impacts, environmental issues, and
alternatives associated with the proposed action. Public participation
will help to define the scope of the environmental analysis in the EIS/
EIR; identify other significant issues; provide other relevant
information; and recommend mitigation measures. The public comment
period closes on May 10, 2007.
4. Availability of EIS. The public will have an additional
opportunity to comment on project alternatives once the draft EIS/EIR
is released.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-1742 Filed 4-6-07; 8:45 am]
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