Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 21 / Friday, January 31, 2003 / Notices 5001

[FR Doc. 03–2316 Filed 1–30–03; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of BILLING CODE 3710–08–C Engineers (Corps) and Department of the Army; U.S. Army Department of Water Resources (DWR) Corps of Engineers are proposing the North Delta Improvements Project (NDIP). The Intent To Prepare a Joint project would implement flood control Environmental Impact Statement and improvements in the northern Environmental Impact Report for North Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Delta Improvements Project principally on and around Staten Island, Dead Horse Island, and McCormack AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Williamson Tract, in a manner that Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. would benefit aquatic and terrestrial ACTION: Notice of intent. habitats and alleviate flood-related problems in the North Delta area.

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Pursuant to the National Dutch Slough, and similar areas subject Additionally, the degradation and loss Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and to tidal inundation, so that the tidal of aquatic and terrestrial habitat are a the California Environmental Quality prism of the Sacramento-San Joaquin primary concern in the North Delta. Act (CEQA), the Corps and DWR, Delta (Delta) may be reduced to a The joint state-federal CALFED Bay- respectively, are initiating the NDIP minimum. Delta Program (CALFED) was formed to Feasibility Study for a portion of the A resolution adopted by both the develop and implement a long-term Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and plan Senate and House Committee on Public comprehensive plan to restore to prepare an Environmental Impact Works on January 31, 1961, and June 7, ecological health and improve water Statement/Environmental Impact Report 1961, respectively, requests a review of management for beneficial uses of the (EIS/EIR) for the proposed NDIP. Delta reports to determine the Bay-Delta system. The CALFED Development of the Feasibility Report advisability of measures to preserve Programmatic EIS/EIR (PEIS/EIR) and will be closely coordinated with scenic values and to preserve and Programmatic Record of Decision (ROD) development of the draft EIS/EIR, which enhance recreational and related were issued in July and August 2000, will document existing conditions, opportunities in project areas in the respectively. The CALFED ROD project actions, and project effects. Delta region, consistent with the identifies, as a component of Responsible and trustee agencies under primary flood protection purposes of conveyance actions, the NDIP, which is CEQA may include: California existing and proposed levees and to design and construct floodway Department of Fish and Game; The channel improvements. Study authority improvements in the North Delta (such Reclamation Board of the State of is also contained in Section 205 of the as on the lower and California; State Lands Commission; Flood Control Act of 1950, which ) to provide California Regional Water Quality authorized the Secretary of the Army to conveyance, flood control, and Control Boards; State Water Resources make preliminary examinations and ecosystem benefits. Control Board; California Department of surveys for flood protection and allied The CALFED ROD also identifies Transportation; California Department purposes in the Delta. other improvements to the North Delta, including changes to the Delta Cross of Conservation; and California 2. Proposed Action Department of Boating and Waterways. Channel (DCC) and an evaluation of a The Corps and DWR are conducting a through-Delta facility on the Sacramento DATES: Scoping meetings will be held on study on flood control system River. The NDIP will not be addressing February 19, 2003, 6–8 PM, Jean Harvie improvements that would benefit these improvements. Community Center, Walnut Grove, CA, aquatic and terrestrial habitats and and February 20, 2003, 1:30–4 PM, alleviate flood-related problems in the 4. Need for the Project Bonderson Building, Sacramento, CA. If North Delta. This study will result in a Flood control improvements are special assistance is required, please feasibility report. needed to reduce flood damage to land contact Gwen Knittweis (see uses, infrastructure, and the Bay-Delta information below) as far in advance of 3. Project Background ecosystem resulting from overflows the workshops as possible to enable The Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary caused by insufficient channel DWR to secure the needed services. If a provides water for a wide range of capacities and catastrophic levee request cannot be honored, the beneficial uses, including drinking failures within the NDIP study area, requestor will be notified. water for millions of Californians, including the Point Pleasant area. The FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: irrigation water for millions of acres of existing and historical conditions that Questions about the proposed action agricultural land, an spawning and warrant flood control and ecosystem and EIS/EIR should be addressed to: Ms. rearing habitat for aquatic organisms. quality improvements are described Becky Wren, Environmental Manager, The estuary also provides a permanent below. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CESPK– or seasonal home for a large variety of Flood Control—The Mokelumne and PD–R, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, CA native plants and wildlife. Over the past Cosumnes rivers and the Morrison 95814–2922, telephone: (916) 557–5162, several decades increase in the demand Creek Stream group do not have e-mail address: for the estuary’s resources have sufficient channel capacity to safely [email protected], or Ms. increased conflict between the needs of convey 100-year peak flows from Sierra Gwen Knittweis, North Delta Project water users and efforts to sustain the Nevada watersheds through the North Manager/Engineer, California estuary’s aquatic ecosystem and support Delta to the . Channel Department of Water Resources, PO Box recovery of listed fish. capacities for the north and south forks 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236–0001, The North Delta area of the estuary of the Mokelumne River are telephone: (916) 653–2118, e-mail faces the need to balance the same approximately 40,000 cubic feet per address: [email protected]. Also, issues as the larger estuary, particularly second (cfs). The combined channel http://ndelta.water.ca.gov contains with regard to flood control and capacity required to safely convey flows further project information. ecosystem restoration. The Sacramento- from a 100-year flood event would be SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: San Joaquin Delta is the focus of 90,000 cfs. The lack of channel capacity, complex issues involving water supply, combined with constrictions in 1. Background water quality, flood control vulnerable areas (e.g., bridge abutments) A resolution adopted by the Senate requirements, and the environment. Of and an increase in sedimentation levels Committee on Public Works on June 1, particular concern to this project, runoff over time (which reduces channel 1948, requests a review of reports from the Sacramento, San Joaquin, capacity), makes a number of areas in submitted on the , Mokelumne, and Cosumnes rivers, as the North Delta vulnerable to flooding. California, to determine if it is advisable well as from the South Sacramento Since 1955, several areas have been to modify existing projects in any way, Stream Group (Morrison Creek, Florin flooded after levees were either particularly to (1) provide for the Creek, Union House Creek, Elder Creek, breeched or overtopped, including the closing of Georgiana Slough and (2) and North Beach-Stone Lakes area) Point Pleasant area, McCormack- eliminate tidal flow into lower Sherman during large storm events has caused Williamson Tract, Dead Horse Island, Island, Frank’s Tract, the area south of flooding in the North Delta. New Hope Tract, Brack and Canal

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Ranch Tracts, and the Franklin Pond 5. Purpose of the Project from swollen rivers during peak flood area. The potential for flooding also The purpose of the NDIP is to flows. threatens important public facilities and implement flood control improvements (b) Parallel Levee Bypasses—The institutions in the North Delta area, in a manner that benefits aquatic and parallel levee concept would create a including Interstate 5, the Union Pacific terrestrial habitats. controlled flood bypass by constructing Railroad line, and the Rio Cosumnes To be consistent with the overall goals a second levee inland from an existing Correctional Center. of CALFED, the NDIP would also be levee and installing weirs at either end The North Delta is also susceptible to compatible with and supportive of the of the new bypass area, allowing flood levee failure during peak flows. Levees other programmatic elements outlined control operators to divert water into the on McCormack-Williamson Tract and in the PEIS/EIR. Therefore, to the extent bypass to alleviate peak flood flows. Dead Horse Island frequently have been that meeting other goals is consistent This concept could include the overtopped or have failed during large with the primary purpose of the NDIP, placement of pumps at the downstream storm events, and many other levees the Corps and DWR will incorporate end of the bypass in order to return have been subject to structural failure project elements that support the floodflows to the main channel. during past storm events. Failure of Bay- following CALFED objectives: (c) Steback Levees—Under this Delta levees could: (a) Improve conveyance to improve concept, a second levee, or setback levee, would be built inland from the (1) Result in flooding of Delta water supply reliability at the South Delta export pumps. existing levee, and the existing levee communities, farmland, habitat, key would be removed or breached in order roads and highways; (b) Improve conveyance to facilitate reductions in salinity levels in the San to permanently widen the existing (2) Expose adjacent islands to Joaquin River and improve the quality floodplain and create more capacity in increased wave action, increased of the water at the South Delta export the river corridor. seepage, and risk of levee erosion; pumps. (d) Bridge Replacement—Historically, (3) Affect water supply distribution (c) Recommend ecosystem restoration many bridges in the Delta have systems; or and science actions in the project area constricted channels as a result of their consistent with the CALFED Ecosystem large concrete abutments and pilings. In (4) Affect flow patterns, potentially addition, floating debris often gets resulting in adverse impacts on water Restoration Program’s strategic goals and objectives. entangled on the low bridges during quality if the levee breach is not flood events and continues to collect, repaired. (d) Improve levee stability and integrity in the NDIP project area. forming a dam, which restricts flow and Ecosystem Quality—Degradation and (e) Minimize the conversion of prime, can cause upstream flooding. Bridge the loss of habitats that support various statewide-important, and unique replacement in the North Delta area life stages of aquatic and terrestrial biota farmlands to NDIP uses. would include redesigning bridges with are a primary concern in the North (f) Minimize impacts to recreational smaller abutments and pilings. Such Delta. These habitat changes have many use in the NDIP project area. bridge redesign would place less causes, including sedimentation from concrete in the channel, increasing hydraulic mining, habitat conversion, 6. Project Area channel capacity. Redesigned bridges dredging and water diversions. Thirty The NDIP project area is would span rivers at a higher elevation, years of hydraulic mining (in the 19th approximately 197 square miles. The facilitating debris passage, and avoiding century) in the river drainages along the project area defines the area within or minimizing debris buildup during eastern edge of the Central Valley have which DWR is considering alternatives flood events. increased sedimentation levels in for flood control and restoration actions. (e) Maintenance Dredging— downstream watercourses, degrading Direct (on-the-ground) impacts of Maintenance dredging has been valuable aquatic habitat. In addition, constructing the alternatives will be proposed on the north and south forks many of the seasonally-inundated lands evaluated within the project area. of the Mokelumne River to increase in the Bay-Delta system that historically However, this area does not represent channel capacity. provided habitat to a variety of bird and the limits of the area considered during 8. Scoping Process animal species have been converted to impact analysis. agricultural, industrial, and urban uses. (a) The Corps and DWR invites Levees constructed to protect lands in 7. Alternatives comments from State and Federal the Delta from inundation eliminated The NDIP is currently in the agencies with respect to the scope and fish access to shallow overflow areas. preliminary design phase, meaning that content of the environmental Dredging to construct levees eliminated alternatives for project actions have not information in the proposed EIS/EIR the tule bed habitat along the river yet been fully defined. However, the that are within each agency’s statutory channels. Upstream water development team has a list of project design responsibilities in connection with the and use, depletion of natural flows by concepts that will be run through a proposed NDIP. In addition, written local diverters, and the export of water hydraulic model to test their feasibility. comments from interested parties from the Bay-Delta system have altered The draft concepts include: regarding the scope and content of the hydrodynamic processes. This alteration (a) Whole/Partial Island Flood environmental documents are invited to has resulted in changed seasonal Detention Areas—Whole and partial ensure that the full range of alternatives patterns of inflow, reduced Delta island flood detention areas have been and issues related to the proposed outflow, and diminished natural proposed for Staten Island, Dead Horse project are identified. All comments variability of flows into and through the Island, and McCormack-Williamson received, including names and Bay-Delta system. Facilities constructed Tract. This concept would entail addresses, will become part of the to support water diversions may strengthening the landward sides of an official administrative record and may contribute to straying or direct losses of island’s levees and installing weirs and be made available to the public. fish and can increase exposure of pumps to allow flood control operators Comments should be submitted to the juvenile fish to predation. to divert water on and off the island previously mentioned Corps or DWR

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contact at the earliest possible date, but DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Dated: January 27, 2003. no later than February 28, 2003. John D. Tressler, (b) The draft EIS/EIR will contain an Notice of Proposed Information Leader, Regulatory Management Group, analysis of the physical and biological Collection Requests Office of the Chief Information Officer. impacts to the environment rising from Office of Elementary and Secondary AGENCY: Department of Education. the proposed project and alternatives to Education the project. In addition, it will address SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Type of Review: Reinstatement, with the cumulative impacts of Management Group, Office of the Chief change, of a previously approved implementation of alternatives in Information Officer, invites comments collection for which approval has conjunction with other past, present, on the proposed information collection expired. and reasonably foreseeable future requests as required by the Paperwork Title: Indian Education Formula actions. Reduction Act of 1995. Grants to Local Educational Agencies Potential environmental effects could DATES: Interested persons are invited to (LEAs) (KA). include, but are not limited to, the Frequency: Annually. submit comments on or before April 1, following: permanent and temporary Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal 2003. effects on bodies of water and wetlands Gov’t, SEAs or LEAs (primary). associated with the construction of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour flood control structures and flood 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of Burden: control and ecosystem improvements; 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires Responses: 11240. effects are rare and sensitive biological that the Office of Management and Burden Hours: 17340. Abstract: Application for funding plant and animal species from Budget (OMB) provide interested under the Indian Education Formula construction of flood control structures Federal agencies and the public an early Grant Program to Local Educational and flood control and ecosystem opportunity to comment on information improvements; short term effects on Agencies. The application is used to collection requests. OMB may amend or determine applicant eligibility, amount water quality associated with excavation waive the requirement for public and dredging in bodies of water; short of award, and appropriateness of project consultation to the extent that public services for Indian students to be term effects on air quality during participation in the approval process construction from the operation of served. The application also includes would defeat the purpose of the the Indian Student Eligibility heavy equipment; and effects on information collection, violate State or cultural resources during earth moving Certification Form that LEAs have Federal law, or substantially interfere parents complete to certify Indian operations associated with the with any agency’s ability to perform its construction of flood control structures student eligibility for the program. statutory obligations. The Leader, Written requests for information and flood control and ecosystem Regulatory Management Group, Office should be addressed to Vivian Reese, improvements. of the Chief Information Officer, Department of Education, 400 Maryland (c) DWR will consult with the State publishes that notice containing Avenue, SW., Room 4050, Regional Historic Preservation Officer to comply proposed information collection Office Building 3, Washington, DC with the National Historic Preservation requests prior to submission of these 20202–4651 or to the e-mail address Act, and the Corps will consult with the requests to OMB. Each proposed [email protected]. Requests may also U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to information collection, grouped by be faxed to 202–708–9346. Please provide a Fish and Wildlife office, contains the following: (1) Type specify the complete title of the Coordination Act Report as an appendix of review requested, e.g., new, revision, information collection when making to the EIS/EIR. extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) your request. Comments regarding burden and/or (d) A 30-day public review period Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) the collection activity requirements will be provided for individuals and Description of the need for, and should be directed to Kathy Axt at her agencies to review and comment on the proposed use of, the information; (5) draft EIS/EIR. All interested parties are e-mail address [email protected]. Respondents and frequency of Individuals who use a encouraged to respond to this notice collection; and (6) Reporting and/or and provide a current address if they telecommunications device for the deaf Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites wish to be notified of the EIS/EIR (TDD) may call the Federal Information public comment. circulation. Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– The Department of Education is 8339. (e) Scoping is an early and open especially interested in public comment process designed to determine the [FR Doc. 03–2260 Filed 1–30–03; 8:45 am] addressing the following issues: (1) Is issues and alternatives to be addressed BILLING CODE 4000–01–P in a draft EIS/EIR. Two public scoping this collection necessary to the proper meetings are scheduled (see DATES). functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 9. Availability in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Submission for OMB Review; The draft EIS/EIR is scheduled to be Department enhance the quality, utility, Comment Request available for review and comment in the summer of 2004. and clarity of the information to be AGENCY: Department of Education. collected; and (5) how might the Dated: January 24, 2003. SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Department minimize the burden of this Management Group, Office of the Chief Mark W. Connelly, collection on the respondents, including Information Officer invites comments LTC, EN, Acting Commander. through the use of information on the submission for OMB review as [FR Doc. 03–2318 Filed 1–30–03; 8:45 am] technology. required by the Paperwork Reduction BILLING CODE 3710–EZ–M Act of 1995.

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