[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26709-26710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11227]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Clarke County Water Supply Project, Clarke County, IA
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a revised Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Guidelines (40
CFR part 1500); and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Guidelines (7 CFR part 650); the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture gives notice that a revised
environmental impact statement is being prepared for the Clarke County
Water Supply Project, Clarke County, Iowa.
[[Page 26710]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Sims, State Conservationist,
or Marty Adkins, Assistant State Conservationist for Planning, 210
Walnut Street, Room 693, Des Moines, IA 50309-2180, telephone: 515-284-
4769.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the
first Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in the Federal
Register on April 19, 2006. A combined draft Watershed Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was completed in February 2009 and
reviewed with local citizens on February 26, 2009, at the Clarke County
Fairgrounds. The draft Plan and EIS was posted in the Federal Register
on March 6, 2009, for public and interagency review. Comments were
received until April 20, 2009.
During the consideration of public and interagency comments by NRCS
information related to water supply demand requirements for permitting
by the State was discovered. This information effectively lowered the
water supply project target from 3.2 mgd to 2.2 mgd. This lowered
target made the consideration of site 3.5 (in addition to site 4B)
possible and required to meet Federal water resource planning
requirements. An additional potential site (Site 5) was also identified
for evaluation.
As a result of these findings, Richard Sims, NRCS State
Conservationist, has determined that the preparation and review of a
revised combined watershed plan and environmental impact statement
(EIS) is needed for this project. The Army Corp of Engineers, United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency and
Iowa Department of Natural Resources have been formally requested to be
cooperating agencies. Formal responses to these requests are pending.
This project involves the development of a plan for agricultural
water management (rural water supply), public recreation, public fish
and wildlife, and watershed protection near Osceola in southern Iowa.
The Clarke County Water Supply project area is 18,360 acres. It is
located northwest of Osceola from the headwaters of the Squaw Creek
Watershed to the confluence of the South Squaw Creek Watershed.
An open house informational meeting was held in Osceola on December
1, 2004, to initiate the planning process and obtain public input.
State and federal agencies, private organizations, and local
individuals were invited to a scoping meeting on March 15, 2006. The
public input received from these meetings and at meetings of the Clarke
County Reservoir Commission was considered as the first draft
Environmental Impact Statement was developed. The same scoping meeting
information will be used for the revised combined watershed plan and
environmental impact statement (EIS). The periodic meetings of the
Commission as well as individual member sponsor meetings are open to
the public and have provided opportunity for citizen input.
The revised draft EIS will evaluate three potential multiple-
purpose structures that provide for rural water supply and water based
recreational opportunities. Additionally, sediment basins that reduce
agricultural pollutants to the lake will be evaluated.
The Clarke County Water Supply Watershed Project Revised Draft EIS
will be developed and published in the Federal Register with a target
date of June 1, 2010. A 45-day comment period will be available for the
public to provide comments. A 30-day comment period will be available
following publication of the final EIS. A meeting will be held in the
Osceola area near the date of the revised draft EIS publication to
inform the public about the revised draft watershed plan-EIS and to
obtain comments. A notice will be published in the Federal Register
with a specific date, time, and location of this meeting.
The revised draft watershed plan-EIS will be prepared and
circulated for review by agencies and the public and a notice of the
availability of the Draft EIS published in the Federal Register. The
Natural Resources Conservation Service invites participation and
consultation of public agencies, any affected Indian tribe, and
individuals who have special expertise, legal jurisdiction, or interest
in providing data for consideration in preparing the revised draft EIS.
Comments and other input received will be considered in plan
development. Further information on the proposed action may be obtained
from Marty Adkins, Assistant State Conservationist for Planning, at the
above address or telephone number.
This Federal Register Notice will also be available at the Iowa
NRCS Web site at http://www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov. A map of the Clarke
County Water Supply proposed study sites will also be posted.
Dated: May 4, 2010.
Richard Sims,
State Conservationist.
[FR Doc. 2010-11227 Filed 5-11-10; 8:45 am]
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