Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Book 1 of 2 NEVADA UTAH Tooele County Nevada State Office
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BLM Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project Final Environmental Impact Statement Book 1 of 2 NEVADA UTAH Tooele County Nevada State Office State Nevada N To Las Vegas Bureau of Land Management August 2012 FES 12-33 Cooperating Agencies Army Corps of Engineers Juab County, UT Nevada Department of Wildlife Bureau of Indian Affairs Lincoln County, NV State of Utah Bureau of Reclamation Millard County, UT Tooele County, UT Central Nevada Regional National Park Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Water Authority Nellis Air Force Base U.S. Forest Service Clark County, NV White Pine County Mission Statement The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. BLM/NV/NV/ES/11-17+1793 United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Nevada State Office 1340 Financial Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89502-7147 http://www.blm.gov/nv In Reply Refer To: 2800 (NV910) N-78803 August 2012 Dear Reader: Enclosed is the Executive Summary for the Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). The full text of the Final EIS including responses to comments on the Draft EIS is contained within the disk found inside the back cover. You may also download the Final EIS from www.blm.gov/5w5c. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared this Final EIS in response to a right-of-way (ROW) application submitted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for construction and operation of a pipeline system and associated infrastructure to support the proposed future conveyance of groundwater to Las Vegas Valley from five hydrologic basins in east-central Nevada. Sixteen Cooperating Agencies have assisted the BLM in developing this Final EIS: U.S. Forest Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Clark County, NV Nellis Air Force Base National Park Service Lincoln County, NV Army Corps of Engineers State Of Utah White Pine County, NV Bureau of Indian Affairs Nevada Department of Wildlife Juab County, UT Bureau of Reclamation Central Nevada Regional Millard County, UT Water Authority Tooele County, UT Some of the above Cooperating Agencies will be using the Final EIS in their decision-making process for other permits and licenses associated with the proposed project. The BLM completed a Draft EIS that analyzed a conceptual plan of development submitted to BLM by SNWA, which included information about the proposed project. The Draft EIS was released to the public on June 10, 2011, with publication of a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The NOA initiated a 90-day public comment period (extended for an additional 30 days) ending on October 11, 2011. Public meetings were held August 2, 2011 through August 18, 2011. The BLM received comments on the Draft EIS through more than 460 letters and emails (plus over 20,000 email action alert submissions). The BLM reviewed the comments and provided written responses in this Final EIS (included within Appendix H). Some comments resulted in modifications to text in the EIS. The Final EIS is a “full text” document that contains the entire EIS and supersedes the Draft EIS. This Final EIS considers the expected environmental effects associated with granting the ROW across public land and subsequent construction and operation of SNWA’s proposal. In addition to SNWA’s proposal, seven alternatives including the No Action alternative also are presented and analyzed in the Final EIS. One additional alternative was prepared and analyzed specifically for this Final EIS. Specifics of associated future water development currently are unknown and, therefore, are treated programmatically and conceptually in the EIS. As part of the EIS process for this project, a comprehensive groundwater model was prepared. The model report was updated for the additional alternative and is included on a separate disk included with the Final EIS. Although water rights, pumping rates, volume of water proposed for transport to the Las Vegas Valley, and the point of use of water proposed for transport across public land is outside the jurisdiction of the BLM, these issues have been included in the analysis in this document. Water rights and pumping rates are under the purview of the Nevada State Engineer. Water distribution and use associated with the importation of water in the Las Vegas Valley have been addressed by local and regional planning agencies in accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes. The purpose of this Final EIS is to document and disclose the expected environmental effects associated with the proposed project and seven alternatives. The BLM will use the Final EIS to render a decision on whether to grant a ROW or under what conditions the ROW should be granted. This Final EIS is not a decision document; however, BLM has selected a preferred alternative, which, at this time, would best accomplish the purpose and need of the proposed action while fulfilling BLM’s statutory mission and responsibilities. The Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project Final Environmental Impact Statement will be available for 30 days. A hard copy of the document will be provided on request while supplies last. A description of new or missed information within this Final EIS may be submitted within the thirty day availability period to: Penny Woods, Project Manager Bureau of Land Management Nevada Groundwater Projects Office Nevada State Office (NV-910.2) 1340 Financial Blvd Reno, NV 89502 FAX: 775.861.6689 Email: [email protected] The BLM will issue one or more records of decision (ROD) based on this Final EIS. The ROD(s) will not be issued until other agency permits and approvals have been finalized and their conditions of approval will be incorporated into the ROD(s). For more information, Please contact Penny Woods at 775.861.6466. BLM 2012 Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... ES-1 1. What does the Executive Summary contain? ................................................................................................... ES-2 2. Why was this EIS prepared? .............................................................................................................................. ES-4 2.1 Why is the Southern Nevada Water Authority seeking to develop this groundwater? ............................... ES-4 2.2 Why doesn’t the SNWA withdraw more water from the Colorado River system? .................................... ES-5 2.3 Who is responsible for preparing this EIS? .................................................................................................. ES-6 2.4 Under what laws is the BLM acting? ........................................................................................................... ES-6 2.5 When was the Draft EIS available and what alternatives were considered? ............................................... ES-7 2.6 Alternative F was added for the Final EIS. Does CEQ allow the addition of an alternative at this point in the process? ..................................................................................................................................... ES-9 2.7 What comments were received on the Draft? .............................................................................................. ES-9 2.8 What other changes were made between the Draft and this Final EIS? .................................................... ES-10 2.9 What is the Agency’s Preferred Alternative? ............................................................................................ ES-11 2.10 What decisions will the BLM make based on this EIS? ............................................................................ ES-13 2.11 What mitigation and monitoring requirements would the BLM impose as conditions of any ROW grants for the GWD Project? ...................................................................................................................... ES-15 2.12 How are Native Americans engaging in the NEPA process? .................................................................... ES-15 2.13 Are other agency approvals and consultation required before the Project would move forward? ........... ES-16 2.14 What does “tiering” mean in the National Environmental Policy Act process and how does it relate to the GWD Project? ................................................................................................................................... ES-16 2.15 Who is responsible for granting water rights? ........................................................................................... ES-18 2.16 What are the Nevada State Engineer’s responsibilities? ............................................................................ ES-18 2.17 What is the Nevada water rights process? .................................................................................................. ES-18 2.18 What is the relationship between the BLM environmental process and Nevada’s water rights process? ....................................................................................................................................................... ES-19 2.19 What were the Nevada State Engineer’s rulings on the SNWA’s water rights applications in Spring, Delamar, Dry Lake, and Cave valleys? .....................................................................................................