[Federal Register: May 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 101)]
[Notices]
[Page 25499-25500]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28my09-43]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a
Feasibility Study of the Trilby Wash Study Area
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Analyses of foreseeable environmental impacts from potential
actions in the vicinity of Trilby Wash and the McMicken Dam project
area located near the Cities of Surprise, Sun City, El Mirage
Litchfield Park and Goodyear, Maricopa County, Arizona will commence.
No explicit plans have been advanced as yet, so contents of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) remain to be determined during
the public scoping process. The Trilby Wash Study area encompasses the
Trilby Wash watershed upstream and downstream from the McMicken Dam
Project which includes: McMicken Dam, McMicken Dam Outlet Channel and
McMicken Dam Outlet Wash, approximately 9 miles, 6 miles, and 4 miles
respectively in length. The McMiken Dam Outlet Wash discharges to the
Agua Fria River in Maricopa County, Central Arizona.
The purposes of this Feasibility Study are to develop and evaluate
potential non-structural and engineered solutions to address flooding
issues within the study area, to investigate opportunities for
ecosystem restoration, and to provide recreational opportunities
concurrent with flood risk management and ecosystem restoration. If
there are measures and alternatives or plans that could be implemented
within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) missions, the Flood
Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC) has indicated their
interest to support and provide necessary cost-sharing and other
requirements for the project. The USACE and FCDMC will cooperate in
conducting this Feasibility Study.
ADDRESSES: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles
District, ATTN: CESPL-PD-RP, P.O. Box 532711, Los Angeles, CA 90053-
2325.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael J. Fink, Environmental
Manager, telephone (602) 640-2001, ext. 232, or Ms. Gwen Meyer, Project
Manager, telephone (602) 640-2004, ext. 281. The cooperating entity,
Flood Control District of Maricopa County, requests inquiries be
directed to Mr. Sam Sherman, P.E., telephone (602) 506-3639 for any
additional information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. Authorization. This study has been
conducted under the authority provided by the Flood Control Act of
1938. This authority directs the Secretary of the Army, through the
Chief of Engineers, to conduct preliminary examinations and surveys for
flood control on the Gila River and tributaries in Arizona. Further
authority is provided under House Committee on Public Works Resolution
(Docket 2425) May 17, 1994 which states:
``* * * The Secretary of Army is hereby requested to review reports
of the Chief of Engineers on the State of Arizona * * * in the interest
of flood damage reduction, environmental protection and restoration,
and related purposes.''
2. Background. The study area encompasses Trilby Wash watershed
upstream from McMiken Dam, McMiken Dam itself, (approximately 10 miles
in length) the Outlet Channel and Outlet Wash to the Agua Fria River,
(an additional 10 miles). Originally termed the Trilby Wash Detention
Basin Dam, McMicken Dam was constructed by the United States Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) in 1954 and 1955 to protect Luke Air Force Base,
the Litchfield Park Naval Air Facility and agriculture activities in
the area from flooding. Since its initial construction, new
communities, such as Sun City Grand and Arizona Traditions and the
Cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise have developed downstream from
the dam. These communities have been afforded significant flood
protection by McMicken Dam as a flood control structure. The dam is
operated and maintained by the FCDMC. The dam also provides flood
protection for critical public facilities and infrastructure such as;
hospitals, schools, police and fire stations, freeways and other public
roadways, railroads and canals. The ability of the dam and associated
channels to maintain the current level of flood protection for the
benefit of the public in an increasingly urbanized environment is in
question due to concerns regarding aging infrastructure, land
subsidence, earth fissuring, urbanization encroachment, changed
hydrologic conditions, and current dam safety standards.
The FCDMC has completed numerous studies and has ongoing projects
associated with flood risk management within the study area. This
includes but is not limited to Area Drainage Master Plans, alternatives
analysis of measures to rehabilitate McMicken Dam, and remediation of
fissure risks. The Corps of Engineers and FCDMC entered into a cost
share agreement to complete a feasibility study in September 2004. This
feasibility study will utilize and expand existing information and work
products completed by FCDMC and evaluate Federal participation in
addressing issues identified within the study area.
The potential environmental impacts to be evaluated by this DEIS
will include: (1) Non-structural solutions to address flooding issues;
(2) engineered solutions to address flooding issues; (3) opportunities
for ecosystem restoration, and; (4) designs for recreational features
which would be most compatible with the natural resources of the
region.
3. Proposed Action. No plan of action has yet been identified.
[[Page 25500]]
4. Alternatives. (a) No Action: No plans would be implemented to
reduce flood risk. (b) Proposed Alternative Plans: None have been
formulated to date.
5. Public Involvement. Public involvement, an essential part of the
EIS process, is integral to assessing the environmental consequences of
the proposed action and improving the quality of the environmental
decision making. The public includes affected and interested Federal,
State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, concerned citizens,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Public participation in the
EIS process will be strongly encouraged, both formally and informally,
to enhance the probability of a more technically accurate, economically
feasible, and socially and politically acceptable EIS. Public
involvement will include but is not limited to: Information
dissemination; identification of problems, needs and opportunities;
idea generation; public education; problem solving; providing feedback
on proposals; evaluation of alternatives; conflict resolution by
consensus; public and scoping notices and meetings; public, stakeholder
and advisory groups consultation and meetings; and making the EIS and
supporting information readily available in conveniently located
places, such as libraries and on the Internet.
Participation of all interested Federal, State, and County resource
agencies, as well as Native American peoples, groups with environmental
interests, and all interested individuals is encouraged. Public
involvement will be most beneficial and worthwhile in identifying
pertinent environmental issues, offering useful information such as
published or unpublished data, direct personal experience or knowledge
which inform decision making, assistance in defining the scope of plans
which ought to be considered, and recommending suitable mitigation
measures warranted by such plans. Those wishing to contribute
information, ideas, alternatives for actions, and so forth can furnish
these contributions in writing to the points of contacts indicated
above, or by attending public scoping meetings. Notice of public
scoping meetings will be published in the local and regional
newspapers.
When plans have been devised and alternatives formulated to embody
those plans, potential environmental and social impacts will be
evaluated in the DEIS. These analyses will emphasize at least fifteen
categories of resources: Land use, hazardous wastes, physical
environment, hydrology, groundwater, biological, archaeological,
historical, geological, air quality, noise, transportation,
socioeconomics, and safety.
6. Scoping Process. Scoping, an early and open process for
identifying the scope of significant issues related to the proposed
action to be addressed in the EIS, will be used to: (a) Identify the
affected public and agency concerns; (b) facilitate an efficient EIS
preparation process; (c) define the issues and alternatives that will
be examined in detail in the EIS; and (d) save time in the overall
process by helping to ensure that the Draft EIS adequately addresses
relevant issues. An initial public scoping meeting will be held on
Thursday, June 25, 2009, in Surprise, AZ. Announcements through local
and regional media, as well as a scoping meeting public notice
announcing the location, date and time of the scoping meeting will be
mailed to all interested parties during June 2009. Interested parties
are encouraged to express their views throughout the entire study
process. Comments will be welcomed at the public scoping meeting. In
addition, written comments will also be accepted during the scoping
comment period which will extend 30 days from the date of the scoping
meeting public notice.
7. Interagency Coordination and Cooperation. The USACE and the
USFWS have formally committed to work together to conserve, protect,
and restore fish and wildlife resources while ensuring environmental
sustainability of our Nation's water resources under the January 22,
2003, Partnership Agreement for Water Resources and Fish and Wildlife.
The USFWS will provide a Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report.
Coordination will be maintained with the USFWS regarding threatened and
endangered species under their jurisdictional responsibilities. The
Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will be consulted concerning
potential impacts to sensitive species and habitats. Coordination will
be maintained with the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation and
the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Coordination will be
maintained with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
concerning compliance with Executive Order 12898, ``Federal Action to
Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations.''
8. Availability of the EIS. It is anticipated that the DEIS will be
available for public review during the spring of 2011. The DEIS or a
Notice of Availability (NOA) will be provided during the 45-day review
period to affected Federal, State and local agencies, Indian Tribes,
and other interested parties.
Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-12388 Filed 5-27-09; 8:45 am]
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