Notice2023-11468
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the Middle Rio Grande Lower San Acacia Reach
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Published
May 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentReclamation Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Lower San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio Grande. The project's goals are to increase water delivered to Elephant Butte Reservoir (EBR), maintain and enhance ecosystem health (such as protecting and promoting recovery of endangered species, minimizing river drying, and increasing available habitat), and increase the benefits of system maintenance actions by working with geomorphic trends of the river. Reclamation is seeking suggestions and information on the alternatives and topics to be addressed.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 104 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34891-34893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11468]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR04311000; 23XR0680A3; RX.01633F04.0020000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on
the Middle Rio Grande Lower San Acacia Reach
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) intends to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Lower San Acacia Reach of
the Middle Rio Grande. The project's goals are to increase water
delivered to Elephant Butte Reservoir (EBR), maintain and enhance
ecosystem health (such as protecting and promoting recovery of
endangered species, minimizing river drying, and increasing available
habitat), and increase the benefits of system maintenance actions by
working with geomorphic trends of the river. Reclamation is seeking
suggestions and information on the alternatives and topics to be
addressed.
DATES: Submit written comments on the scope of the EIS on or before
June 30, 2023.
Reclamation will hold three in-person public scoping meetings on
the following dates:
1. June 20, 2023, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (MDT), Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[[Page 34892]]
2. June 21, 2023, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (MDT), Socorro, New Mexico.
3. June 22, 2023, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., (MDT), Truth or Consequences,
New Mexico.
ADDRESSES: Send written scoping comments, requests to be added to the
project mailing list, or requests for other special assistance needs
via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcded3ce91cfd4dd91ddddd391d0cfddced5fcc9cfdece92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5b3934297628333a763a3a347637283a29321b2e283929753c342d">[email protected]</span></a>.
The meetings will be held at the following locations:
1. Albuquerque--International District Library, 7601 Central Ave.,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108.
2. Socorro--New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Macey
Center, Upper Lobby, 909 Olive Lane, Socorro, New Mexico 87801.
3. Truth or Consequences--Sierra County Fairgrounds, Albert J. Lyon
Event Center, 2953 S Broadway Street, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
87901.
To view more information regarding this project, go to <a href="https://www.virtualpublicmeeting.com/mrg-lsari-eis">https://www.virtualpublicmeeting.com/mrg-lsari-eis</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashlee Rudolph, Bureau of Reclamation,
Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway Blvd. NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque,
New Mexico 87102-2352; telephone (505) 462-3631; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#50323f227d2338317d31313f7d3c2331223910252332227e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6d0f021f401e050c400c0c0240011e0c1f042d181e0f1f430a021b">[email protected]</span></a>.
Individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services to contact the above individual
during normal business hours or to leave a message or question after
hours. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Federal Register notice provides the
public with information regarding Reclamation's intent to prepare an
EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969,
as amended. Reclamation will hold public scoping meetings to solicit
comments on the scope of the EIS and the issues and alternatives that
should be analyzed.
Purpose and Need
Reclamation is authorized to conduct work within the channel and
floodplain of the Rio Grande under the Federal Flood Control Acts of
1948 and 1950 (Pub. L. 858 and 516, respectively). Reclamation is also
authorized to engage in planning for major rehabilitation and
replacement of existing assets under the Reclamation Project Act of
1902 (32 Stat. 388) and supplementary acts; the Water Resources
Development Act of 2007, Section 2031 (Pub. L. 110-114); the Omnibus
Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11), Title IX, Subtitle
G; the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C.
1962a-2); and Department of the Interior Manual Part 707 DM 1.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Middle Rio Grande
Conservancy District, and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission will
be invited to participate as cooperating agencies for the EIS. Other
entities will be considered, as necessary, during the EIS process.
Reclamation is considering realigning a portion of the Rio Grande from
approximately river mile (RM) 74 to RM 54.5 (project, proposed action);
this area is part of the Lower San Acacia Reach. Reclamation is the
project proponent.
Reclamation and fellow agencies manage the flow of water, transport
and deposition of sediment, and environmental resources within the
highly dynamic Rio Grande watershed. Reclamation's responsibilities
include maintaining the river channel for downstream sediment and water
conveyance, maintaining and enhancing ecosystem health, and increasing
the benefits of system maintenance actions. At times, these needs
conflict with each other. The need to convey water can be at odds with
overbank flooding for species' needs and riparian health. The
deposition of heavy sediment loads carried by the river, a natural
geomorphic process, impedes delivering flows to the EBR and increases
maintenance costs. Therefore, maintenance of this system requires
understanding and accepting the trade-offs associated with these
diverse and often competing needs. Trade-offs associated with the
proposed action or alternative actions are to be documented for
Reclamation's consideration.
Reclamation and stakeholders identified the need for this project
during focused workshops and a value planning study. Most issues during
the workshops and value planning study identified sediment imbalance as
their root cause which can be linked to agency needs and management
practices being at odds with geomorphic trends. Key issues to be
addressed by this project are conveyance losses, cost of maintenance on
a system with limited benefit, declining of ecosystem health, channel
perching, and aging Low Flow Conveyance Channel (LFCC) infrastructure.
The purpose of the proposed action is to deliver water to EBR;
maintain and enhance ecosystem health (i.e., protecting and promoting
recovery of endangered species, minimizing river drying, increasing
available habitat, conserving ecosystem functions), which will help
meet requirements under the 2016 Middle Rio Grande Biological Opinion;
and increase the benefit-to-cost ratio of system maintenance actions.
Proposed Action and Possible Alternatives
Reclamation intends to realign a portion of the Rio Grande to the
west of the existing channel between RM 74 and RM 54.5. Channel
realignment will likely consist of multiple segments; it may not
include the full distance between RM 74 and RM 54.5. Reclamation is
currently considering two preliminary engineering alternatives and the
no-action alternative. Reclamation will identify a preferred
alternative before a final EIS. The following alternatives are
preliminary and may be revised based on public input and internal
considerations. The no-action alternative is currently considered
Alternative A, where the existing channel between RM 74 and RM 54.5
would remain as-is.
Preliminary Alternative B would involve the construction of a
single channel downstream of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife
Refuge. A single channel is defined as merging the LFCC with the active
river channel. Additional features may include a channel conveying
inflow from Elmendorf Drain above RM 69 and secondary high-flow
channels, where they are needed. The expected benefits of preliminary
Alternative B are improved water delivery and sediment transport by
eliminating channel perching, reduced channel incision to allow for
improved low-velocity habitat for the Rio Grande silvery minnow
(Hybognathus amarus), maintaining or promoting riparian habitat
suitable for the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii
extimus), and creating more effective operation and maintenance
activities by focusing maintenance on a single primary channel with no
levees or structures that would need to be protected from the river.
Preliminary Alternative B is anticipated to reduce evaporative losses
associated with the current LFCC and ponded water between RM 61 and RM
60.
Preliminary Alternative C would involve constructing a two-channel
system above RM 64 and rerouting the LFCC between RM 68 and RM 64. Like
preliminary Alternative B, the active river channel would be realigned
to the
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west; however, the realignment would start farther downstream and would
not intersect the LFCC. The expected benefits of preliminary
Alternative C are improved water delivery and sediment transport by
eliminating channel perching, increased conveyance within the LFCC,
reduced channel incision to allow for improved low-velocity habitat for
the Rio Grande silvery minnow, improved management of available
southwestern willow flycatcher habitat, and a potential to reduce
maintenance activities associated with sediment deposition within the
river channel. It is anticipated that preliminary Alternative C would
also reduce evaporative losses associated with the current LFCC and
ponded water between RM 61 and RM 60.
Project Area (Area of Analysis)
The project area is the Lower San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio
Grande in Socorro County, New Mexico. This EIS focus is between the
southern boundary of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge at
RM 74 (upstream end) to the Silver Canyon and LFCC confluence with the
Rio Grande at RM 54.5 (downstream end).
Statutory Authority and Anticipated Permits
NEPA [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] requires Federal agencies to conduct
an environmental analysis of their proposed actions to determine
whether the actions may significantly affect the human environment. The
EIS will analyze the environmental effects of implementing the proposed
action and alternatives. In addition to NEPA, various other Federal,
state, and local authorizations may be required for the proposed
action. Applicable Federal laws include, but are not limited to, the
Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Clean
Water Act.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Reclamation will review and consider comments received during
scoping and will prepare a scoping report. After the draft EIS is
completed, Reclamation will publish a notice of availability and
request public comments on the draft EIS. After the public comment
period ends, Reclamation will then develop the final EIS; Reclamation
anticipates making the final EIS available to the public in late 2024.
In accordance with 40 CFR 1506.11, Reclamation will not decide or issue
a Record of Decision sooner than 30 days after the final EIS is
released. Reclamation anticipates the issuance of a Record of Decision
by March 2025.
Public Disclosure
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal, identifying information in your comment submission,
please be advised that the entire submission, including your personal
identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time.
While a commenter may request that Reclamation withhold personal
identifying information from public review, Reclamation cannot
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
How To Request Reasonable Accommodation
For special assistance at one of the scoping meetings, please
contact Ashlee Rudoph (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this notice) or TDD information in the same section, at least 5 working
days before the meetings. Information regarding this project is
available in alternate formats upon request.
Wayne Pullan,
Regional Director, Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2023-11468 Filed 5-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 31, 2023.
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