Federal Register/Vol. 81, No. 247/Friday, December 23, 2016
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 247 / Friday, December 23, 2016 / Notices 94351 http://www.georgecountylakesEIS.com is the lead agency for this project under many places throughout the watershed. at least 15 days prior to the meeting. NEPA. The SFCJPA is the lead agency Flooding on San Francisquito Creek Comments are encouraged from the for this project under the California affects the cities of Menlo Park and East public as well as Federal, state, and Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Palo Alto in San Mateo County, and the local agencies and officials, Indian will be preparing a separate city of Palo Alto in Santa Clara County. tribes, and other interested parties so Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Flooding from San Francisquito Creek that the scope of the EIS may be DATES: Written comments from all has been a common occurrence. The properly identified. interested parties are encouraged and most recent flood event occurred in 7. Coordination: The proposed action must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. December 2012, and the flood of record is being coordinated with a number of on February 17, 2017. occurred in February 1998, when the Federal and State agencies, including ADDRESSES: Written comments and Creek overtopped its banks in several the U.S. Environmental Protection requests for information should be sent areas, affecting approximately 1,700 Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to Eric Jolliffe, U.S. Army Corps of residential and commercial structures Mississippi Department of Engineers, San Francisco District, 1455 and causing more than $26.6 million in Environmental Quality, and Mississippi Market St., 17th floor, San Francisco, property damages. After these floods, Department of Marine Resources. These CA 94103, [email protected]. the SFCJPA was formed to pursue flood control and restoration opportunities in agencies were requested by the USACE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. the area. to be cooperating agencies for the EIS Eric Jolliffe, (415) 503–6869. per Council on Environmental Quality The current USACE Feasibility Study SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The San regulations at 40 CFR 1501.6. is a continuation of the authority passed Francisquito Creek watershed Collaboration with other agencies, on May 22, 2002 by the Committee on encompasses an area of approximately including state resource protection Transportation and Infrastructure of the 45 square miles, extending from the agencies, is anticipated during the EIS United States House of Representatives, ridge of the Santa Cruz Mountains to process. which is in accordance with Section 4 8. Availability of the Draft EIS: The San Francisco Bay in California. The of the Flood Control Act of 1941. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will majority of the watershed lies in the resolution reads as follows: advertise the availability of a Draft Santa Cruz Mountains and Bay Foothills ‘‘Resolved by the Committee on Environmental Impact Statement when northwest of Palo Alto; the remaining Transportation and Infrastructure of the it becomes available for the public 7.5 square miles lie on the San United States House of Representatives, review. Francisquito alluvial fan near San That, the Secretary of the Army, in Francisco Bay. accordance with Section 4 of the Flood Brenda S. Bowen, The San Francisquito Creek Control Act of 1941, is hereby requested Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. watershed contains mainstem San to conduct a study of the Guadalupe [FR Doc. 2016–30988 Filed 12–22–16; 8:45 am] Francisquito Creek and the main River and Tributaries, California, to BILLING CODE 3720–58–P tributary streams of West Union Creek, determine whether flood damage Corte Madera Creek, Bear Creek and Los reduction, environmental restoration Trancos Creek. Los Trancos Creek and and protection, storm water retention, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE lower San Francisquito Creek form the water conservation and supply, boundary between San Mateo and Santa recreation and other allied purposes are Department of the Army, Corps of Clara counties. The reaches are divided advisable in the interest of the San Engineers up as follows: Reach 1 extends from San Francisquito Creek Watershed, Francisco Bay to the upstream face of Intent To Prepare an Integrated including San Francisquito Creek, Santa Highway 101; Reach 2 extends from Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Clara and San Mateo Counties, Highway 101 to El Camino Real; Reach Statement for the San Francisquito California.’’ 3 continues from El Camino Real to 2. Proposed Action. The integrated Creek Flood Risk Management Study, Sand Hill Road; and Reach 4 continues FS/EIS will consider the environmental San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, from Sand Hill Road to the ridge of the impact of potential flood risk CA Santa Cruz Mountains. This FS/EIS will management projects with the end goal AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. investigate flood risk management of reducing flood damage in the San Army Corps of Engineers, DOD. solutions related to breakout flow in Francisquito Creek Watershed. ACTION: Notice of intent. Reach 2 only. The entire watershed will 3. Project Alternatives. The integrated be considered when developing FS/EIS will include four alternatives. SUMMARY: The Department of the Army solutions to address flooding in Reach 2. a. No Action: Alternative 1 is the No and the San Francisquito Creek Joint The non-Federal sponsor for the Action Plan. With the No Action Plan Powers Authority (SFCJPA) hereby give Feasibility phase of the study is the (which is the ‘‘Future Without-Project notice of intent to prepare an integrated SFCJPA. The SFCJPA is comprised of Condition’’), it is assumed that no long- Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact the following member agencies: the City term actions would be taken to reduce Statement (FS/EIS) for the San of Palo Alto; the City of Menlo Park; the flood damage along San Francisquito Francisquito Creek Flood Risk City of East Palo Alto; the Santa Clara Creek; flood control improvements Management Project in San Mateo and Valley Water District; and the San would consist of emergency fixes to Santa Clara Counties, CA to consider Mateo County Flood Control District. damage areas, consistent with available opportunities to reduce fluvial flooding, 1. Background. The carrying capacity funding. to reduce the risk to public safety due of San Francisquito Creek is affected by b. Alternative 2 includes replacing to flooding consistent with protecting the presence of development, bridges and widening channel the Nation’s environment, in accordance vegetation, sedimentation, land constriction points to provide additional with national environmental statutes, subsidence, levee settlement, erosion, channel capacity in Reach 2 between applicable executive orders, and other and culverts and bridges in the project Highway 101 and El Camino Real. Federal planning requirements. The area. Erosion has caused the Under this alternative, bridges and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) undermining of roads and structures in channel constrictions or ‘‘bottlenecks’’ VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:33 Dec 22, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM 23DEN1 mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES 94352 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 247 / Friday, December 23, 2016 / Notices that cause creek flows to back up and Council on Environmental Quality 1. Authority. The study is authorized rise would be widened to increase regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508). under Section 216 of the 1970 Rivers channel conveyance and thus reduce and Harbor Act, Public Law 91–611, water surface elevation. Included in this John C. Morrow, 91st Congress, H.R. 19877, dated 31 widening is a proposed project element Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers December 1970. to align the channel with a CalTrans District Engineer. 2. Proposed Action. The study will project to increase flow capacity at [FR Doc. 2016–30985 Filed 12–22–16; 8:45 am] evaluate a range of alternatives for Highway 101 and adjacent frontage BILLING CODE 3720–58–P deepening and widening the MSC from roads. Impacts from these activities will offshore in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) be evaluated in the FS/EIS. through the Point Comfort turning c. Alternative 3 includes constructing DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE basin. Modifications to the existing 26- floodwalls along the channel. This mile long navigation channel are needed Department of the Army; Corps of Alternative would consider the addition to reduce transportation costs and Engineers of floodwalls in Reach 2 as a stand- increase operational efficiencies of alone measure and in combination with Intent To Prepare a Draft maritime commerce movement through the bridge replacement and channel Environmental Impact Statement for the channel. The existing MSC is widening in Alternative 2. the Matagorda Ship Channel, TX, comprised of an entrance channel about d. Alternative 4 would consider the Feasibility Study 4 miles long from the Gulf through a addition of a bypass culvert as a stand- man-made cut across Matagorda alone measure and in combination with AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Peninsula. The bayside channel is about the bridge replacement and channel Army Corps of Engineers, DoD. 22 miles long across Matagorda and widening in Alternative 2. This ACTION: Notice of Intent. Lavaca Bays to Point Comfort with a alternative may include floodwalls, turning basin at Point Comfort. Offshore though at a reduced scale compared to SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of and through the Matagorda Peninsula, Alternative 3. This alternative includes Engineers (USACE) intends to prepare a the channel has a 300-foot bottom width a new bypass inlet located a few Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and and is maintained at a depth of 40 feet hundred feet upstream from University Environmental Impact Statement (DIFR– mean lower low water (MLLW). Avenue that would divert high flows to EIS) to assess the social, economic and Generally, in Matagorda and Lavaca a culvert beneath Woodland Avenue or environmental effects of widening and Bays, the channel has a 200-foot wide a street in Palo Alto.