Notice2022-17312
Notice of Availability of the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project Final 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
August 12, 2022
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 final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project (Project), and by this notice is announcing the availability of the final EIS for a 30-day review period.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 155 (Friday, August 12, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 49883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17312]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD06000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWB20B6340.20X5017AP.CACA56753;
MO#450059376]
Notice of Availability of the Whitewater River Groundwater
Replenishment Facility Project Final 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 final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the
Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility Project (Project),
and by this notice is announcing the availability of the final EIS for
a 30-day review period.
DATES: The BLM will issue a final decision on the proposal a minimum of
30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes its notice of availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The
EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: You may review the final EIS at <a href="https://go.usa.gov/x6KsM">https://go.usa.gov/x6KsM</a>.
Copies of the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility final
EIS are available at the Palm Springs South Coast Field Office at 1201
Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandon G. Anderson, BLM Project
Manager, telephone: (760) 422-9120; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3b1b4b2bdb7b6a1a0bcbd93b1bfbefdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e18386808f858493928e8fa1838d8ccf868e97">[email protected]</span></a>; address
Bureau of Land Management, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA
92262.
Persons who use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the BLM 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 Proposed Action (Alternative 1) is the BLM Preferred
Alternative and would authorize the facility in its existing
configuration, which has the ability to infiltrate up to 511,000 acre-
feet per year, representing the maximum physical capacity of the
facility. In addition to the Proposed Action, the final 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 would limit annual
infiltration volume to 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.
The BLM is the lead agency under NEPA and will make Federal
decisions regarding 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 U.S. 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.
On June 11, 2021, the BLM published a draft EIS for a 45-day review
period. The BLM received nine comments during the public comment
process. Issues raised included: concerns for ground water quality and
quantity, impacts to listed species, and feasibility of mitigation
measures. These issues are addressed in the response to comments and
final EIS analysis.
The BLM utilized and coordinated the NEPA process to help fulfill
the public involvement process under the National Historic Preservation
Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 40 CFR 1506.10)
Erica E. St. Michel,
BLM California Deputy State Director, Communications.
[FR Doc. 2022-17312 Filed 8-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 12, 2022.
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