Notice2024-26266
Environmental Impact Statement; Coon Creek Watershed
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
November 13, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNatural Resources Conservation Service
Abstract
This notice of availability presents the Record of Decision (ROD) on a Watershed Project Plan--Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Plan-PEIS) for the Coon Creek Watershed prepared in partnership with La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon Counties, Wisconsin (Sponsors). This notice announces the plan to proceed with the implementation of Alternative 2--Proposed Action--Decommission Dams, identified in the Plan-PEIS. Alternative 2 proposes to decommission all 14 dams by excavating a notch to pass the 100-year flood without impounding water. This action will avoid environmental impacts to the extent possible and mitigate impacts that are unavoidable.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89585-89587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26266]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Environmental Impact Statement; Coon Creek Watershed
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.
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SUMMARY: This notice of availability presents the Record of Decision
(ROD) on a Watershed Project Plan--Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (Plan-PEIS) for the Coon Creek Watershed prepared in
partnership with La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon Counties, Wisconsin
(Sponsors). This notice announces the plan to proceed with the
implementation of Alternative 2--Proposed Action--Decommission Dams,
identified in the Plan-PEIS. Alternative 2 proposes to decommission all
14 dams by excavating a notch to pass the 100-year flood without
impounding water. This action will avoid environmental impacts to the
extent possible and mitigate impacts that are unavoidable.
ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of the ROD from: Steve Becker, NRCS
State Conservation Engineer, 8030 Excelsior Drive, Suite 200, Madison,
WI 53717.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Becker; telephone: (608) 400-
6176; or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e09394859685ce8285838b8592a095938481ce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5427203122317a3631373f312614212730357a333b22">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals who require
alternative means for communication should contact the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text
telephone (TTY)) or dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay service (both
voice and text telephone users can initiate this call from any
telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Decision
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has prepared a ROD
following completion of the Plan-PEIS. The Plan-PEIS provides a
retrospective analysis of the existing flood control project and then
evaluates alternatives for the final disposition of 14 flood control
dams. The purpose of the Plan-PEIS is to ensure agencies consider the
environmental impacts of their action in decision making. NRCS
involvement is through Public Law 83-566, Watershed Protection and
Flood Prevention Act, as amended. The ROD is available for viewing at
the following link: <a href="https://www.wfkandccwatersheds.com/2023">https://www.wfkandccwatersheds.com/2023</a>.
NRCS has decided to assist the Sponsors with implementing
Alternative 2 which proposes to decommission all 14 dams in the
watershed.
Background
The Coon Creek Watershed has an area of 90,601 acres (141.6 square
miles) to the confluence with the Mississippi River. The focused
planning area for the Plan-PEIS is 68,762 acres (107.4 square miles).
The Plan-PEIS is follows an original Watershed Work Plan developed in
1958 to reduce flood damages in the Coon Creek valley under the
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954, as amended.
The major problems in the watershed in 1958 were floodwater damages
to: crops and pasture, fences, farmsteads, machinery, buildings,
livestock, county and township roads and bridges, and urban areas of
Coon Valley and Chaseburg. Project measures implemented under the
original Watershed Work Plan included 14 flood control dams installed
between 1961 and 1964 with a total capacity of 1,160 acre-feet to
regulate flood flows from 21 square miles, or 27 percent of the
watershed above the village of Coon Valley. Project measures also
included a multitude of land treatment practices to reduce erosion and
sedimentation behind the dams. The dams have now completed their
Federal interest or original economic evaluation period of 50 years.
On the night of August 27, 2018, seven watershed dams over-topped
and three dams failed including the Luckasson Dam (CC 21); Blihovde Dam
(CC23); Korn Dam (CC 29). Rainfall amounts up to 11 inches were
reported on the night of August 27 and early morning of August 28.
Additional rainfall amounts up to 7 inches were reported in the
afternoon of August 28 after the dam failures.
The dams failed (breached) along the interface between the
earthfill and highly jointed sandstone abutments. Each breach extended
full depth to the valley floor. No one was injured or killed. Large
debris fields were observed downstream of the dams for about 2 miles.
Barns and outbuildings were destroyed. An unoccupied house was moved
off its foundation. Agricultural lands and road crossings were damaged.
Engineering investigations concluded that flow through the jointed
sandstone during high pool stage caused internal erosion and piping of
the earthfill dam and contributed to the failures. The Sponsors and
NRCS are concerned that a similar vulnerability exists in the remaining
11 dams.
Environmental Review
The ROD summarizes the findings of the Plan-PEIS and provides the
basis for a decision to decommission 14 flood control dams in the Coon
Creek watershed. The watershed project plan and the environmental
document were combined in the single Plan-PEIS document. NRCS is the
lead Federal agency responsible for the content and quality of the
Plan-EIS for the purposes
[[Page 89586]]
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Principles,
Requirements, and Guidelines (PR&G) for Federal Investments in Water
Resources and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance.
The ROD is issued for the NEPA process (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347) which
follows the NRCS NEPA regulations in 7 CFR part 650, subpart A, and 7
CFR part 622. The NRCS NEPA regulations adopt the Council of
Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508)
in total.
Alternatives
Considered alternatives included: no action, repair,
rehabilitation, relocation, replacement, removal, and construction of
additional dams. Considered alternatives also included the substitution
of large watershed dams with a multitude of smaller farm ponds. Further
effort was made to evaluate the effects of various land management
strategies to reduce watershed runoff and flood damages were compared
for present land use against a full watershed conversion from cropland
to grassland.
Two of nine alternatives were provided for detailed study and
comparative analysis: No action and Decommission dams. The No Action
alternative does not address dam safety. Two failed dams, plus three
failures in the adjacent Coon Creek Watershed, present a high
probability for future failures. The State Dam Safety Program has
issued an administrative order to Monroe County, as the owner, to
repair or remove the two failed dams; similarly, they would likely
order the repair or removal of the seven remaining dams if they fail in
the future. The Decommission Dams alternative proposes to decommission
all nine dams to prevent future dam failures and potential loss of life
and property damage.
Factors Considered in Making the Decision
Geologic and geotechnical engineering investigations were conducted
following the failures of CC 21, CC 23, and CC 29. The investigation
report concluded that flow through the fractured sandstone abutments
during high pool stages contributed to the failures. A similar
vulnerability is believed to exist in the remaining structures.
Failure of the remaining dams could result in loss of life and
would likely cause downstream flood, erosion, and sedimentation damages
to cropland, farm structures, road crossings, and utilities. Dam
failures would also result in erosion and sedimentation of streams
resulting in adverse impacts to fish and wildlife habitat.
All programmatic alternatives have submarginal economic
performance. They have negative discounted net economic efficiency and
very low benefit to cost ratios. However, the preferred alternative of
dam decommissioning decreases People at Risk (PAR) from a dam failure
and increases length of natural stream connectivity for habitat and
recreation. The preferred alternative is justified by the social (PAR
and recreation) and environmental (stream restoration) accounting of
the PR&G for Federal Investments in Water Resources.
Public Notice
As specified in 7 CFR 650.12(c) and 40 CFR 1505.2, the Draft PEIS
public notice was initiated by publication of the Draft PEIS on
December 22, 2023, and published in the Federal Register (88 FR 88610),
as identified by EIS number 20230180 in the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Central Data Exchange (CDX) system. Concluding the
initial public notice, essential comments were addressed and
incorporated in the Final PEIS. The Final PEIS was made available for
review through EPA's CDX system on May 17, 2024, and published in the
Federal Register (89 FR 43401).
Conclusion
The Plan-PEIS for the Coon Creek Watershed uses all practical
means, consistent with considerations of national policy, to meet the
goals established in NEPA. The Plan-PEIS will serve the overall public
interest and meet the needs of the project sponsors. The Plan-PEIS has
been prepared, reviewed, and accepted in accordance with the provisions
of NEPA as implemented by Departmental regulations for the preparation
of a PEIS. After considering a broad range of alternatives, the PEIS
has found Alternative 2--Proposed Action--Decommission Dams, to be the
environmentally preferable alternative to serve the Sponsor's purpose
and need.
NRCS has decided to assist Sponsors with the implementation of
Alternative 2 to decommission all 14 dams by excavating a notch to pass
the 100-year flood without impounding water while avoiding
environmental impacts to the extent possible and mitigating for impacts
that are unavoidable.
NRCS has prepared a concise ROD for this action. The ROD was
prepared and will be signed by the State Conservationist (STC)
following the 30-day administrative action period initiated by the
EPA's publication of the notice of availability of the Final PEIS in
the Federal Register. The ROD will be distributed to all who provided
essential comments on the Draft PEIS and will be available for review
upon request.
Federal Assistance Programs
The title and number of the Federal Assistance Program as found in
the Assistance Listing \1\ to which this document applies is 10.904,
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention.
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\1\ See <a href="https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings">https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings</a>.
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Executive Order 12372
Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,'' requires consultation with State and local officials that
would be directly affected by proposed Federal financial assistance.
The objectives of the Executive order are to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism, by relying
on State and local processes for State and local government
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and
direct Federal development. This project is subject to the provisions
of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation
with State and local officials.
USDA Non-Discrimination Policy
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights
regulations and policies, USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees,
and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are
prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin,
religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family or parental
status, income derived from a public assistance program, political
beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in
any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases
apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by
program or incident.
Individuals who require alternative means of communication for
program information (for example, braille, large print, audiotape,
American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or
USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and telephone) or dial 711
for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and text telephone
users can initiate this call from any phone). Additionally, program
information may
[[Page 89587]]
be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at:
<a href="https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint">https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint</a> and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA
and provide in the letter all the information requested in the form. To
request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your
completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail to: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; (2) Fax: (202 690-
7442; or (3) email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#addddfc2cadfccc083c4c3d9ccc6c8edd8dec9cc83cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="176765787065767a397e7963767c72576264737639707861">[email protected]</span></a>.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Joseph Schmelz,
Acting Wisconsin State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-26266 Filed 11-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P
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