Notice2021-12075
Notice of Availability of the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Riverside County, CA
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 11, 2021
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project (Project), and by this notice is announcing the opening of a 45-day public comment period.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 111 (Friday, June 11, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 111 (Friday, June 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 31338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12075]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD06000.51010000.ER0000. LVRWB19B6340.19X5017AP.CACA56753]
Notice of Availability of the Whitewater River Groundwater
Replenishment Facility Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement,
Riverside County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project (Project),
and by this notice is announcing the opening of a 45-day public comment
period.
DATES: To ensure that all comments will be considered, the BLM must
receive written comments on the Draft EIS within 45 days following the
date that the EPA publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the
Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs every Friday. The
BLM will announce future meetings and any other public involvement
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, news
releases, the project website, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: The public may submit comments related to the project during
the public comment period by using any of the following methods:
<bullet> Project Website: <a href="https://go.usa.gov/x6xUc">https://go.usa.gov/x6xUc</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#67252b2a38242638300f0e130210061302153502040f0615000227050b0a49000811"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e8aaa4a5b7aba9b7bf80819c8d9f899c8d9aba8d8b80899a8f8da88a8485c68f879e">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility
Project, Bureau of Land Management Palm Springs--South Coast Field
Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available for viewing electronically on
the project website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Liberatore, BLM project
manager, telephone: (541) 618-2412; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#274a4b4e454255465367454b4a09404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a3cecfcac1c6d1c2d7e3c1cfce8dc4ccd5">[email protected]</span></a>; address
Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.
Persons who use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. Liberatore
during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD)
seeks a right-of-way (ROW) grant from the BLM for its existing
groundwater replenishment facility in North Palm Springs that is
partially located on public lands managed by the BLM. The existing
facility consists of water control berms, intake structures, conveyance
structures, and 19 infiltration ponds over approximately 690 acres of
BLM-managed public lands. The facility also includes 1,480 acres of
lands held by CVWD. No new construction and no change in operations are
proposed. The change in volume represents CVWD's request that the BLM
analyze environmental impacts for the full annual capacity of the
facility, instead of the anticipated water allotments, as was done for
the previous grant. The change in acreage represents CVWD's request to
authorize the use of public lands for water control berms upstream of
its intake structure.
The BLM is the lead agency under NEPA and will make Federal
decisions regarding the proposed plan amendment and the ROW for the
Project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a Cooperating Agency and
will issue a Biological Opinion for the project. The United States
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians,
Desert Water Agency, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California are Cooperating Agencies in this environmental review, but
do not have direct permitting roles in the project.
The Proposed Action (Alternative 1) would authorize the facility in
its existing configuration and would review the environmental impacts
of infiltrating up to 511,000 acre-feet per year, representing the
maximum physical capacity of the facility. In addition to the Proposed
Action, the Draft EIS considers a no action alternative and three
action alternatives. Alternative 2 (Partial Implementation) would
authorize only the area of public lands on which the water control
structures upstream of the intake are located. Alternative 3 (Reduced
Volume) would authorize the same facility as described under
Alternative 1 but the environmental review would be based on an annual
infiltration volume of 220,000 acre-feet per year. Alternative 4 (Land
Disposal) would authorize the sale or exchange of the public lands
within the project footprint and would authorize the facility operation
on public lands for a period of 10 years, sufficient to implement the
disposal. Alternative 5 (No Action) would not authorize those portions
of the facility that are located on public lands. Those portions would
be removed, and the public lands rehabilitated. Alternative 1 is the
BLM preferred alternative.
Public input on these alternatives or other issues is important and
will be considered in the development of the Final EIS.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2)
Karen E. Mouritsen,
California State Director.
[FR Doc. 2021-12075 Filed 6-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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