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Purpose of Environmental Impact Statement: The purpose of the federal action is to execute a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract with the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID), allow the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) to use water from up to 6,000 acres of land for miscellaneous purposes. In the no-action alternative, Reclamation would not execute a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract with CID. Reclamation and the NMISC would continue to operate under the existing short-term contract until it expires.

Current Status: The Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was filed with the Environmental Protection Agency on July 21, 2006, and a Notice of Availability for the FEIS was published in the Federal Register on that same date. The 30-day review period for the FEIS ends on August 21, 2006. The comments and responses, together with the final environmental impact statement, will be considered in determining whether or not to implement the proposed action.

No decision will be made on the proposed federal action until 30 days after release of the FEIS. After the 30-day waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision. The Record of Decision will state the action that will be implemented and discuss all factors leading to that decision.

Background: For several years, Reclamation and the NMISC have worked together to address Pecos River water issues. Recently, the two agencies developed an approach for the environmental review of proposed Pecos River Basin activities that involves two concurrent EISs: the Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS and the Carlsbad Project Water Operations and Water Supply Conservation EIS. The latter EIS is being developed to address Reclamation's Carlsbad Project water operations and water acquisition program. The Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS will address the effects of entering into a long-term miscellaneous purposes contract and the subsequent conversion and delivery of the full amount of irrigation water addressed in the miscellaneous purposes contract. Reclamation and NMISC plan to coordinate the environmental analyses for both EIS processes.

On June 29, 2000, Reclamation sent a letter to the Fort Sumner Irrigation District (FSID) requesting they modify their operations of the Reclamation-owned diversion dam to provide for additional downstream flows for the bluntnose shiner. The FSID entered into a forbearance agreement with Reclamation on September 16, 2000.

• January 2005 Newsletter #2

Position of Interested Parties: The NMISC and Reclamation are jointly working to complete the NEPA process as per the proposed EIS schedule.

The FEIS is available to the public July 21, 2006. A Record of Decision is expected August 2006.

Prepared By: Marsha Carra, Albuquerque Area Office, 505-462-3602, and Lori Robertson, 505-462-3594

Record of Decision [302KB]
Final EIS - Abstract, Table of Contents, Acronyms and Abbreviations [843KB]
Final EIS - Summary [91KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 1 (Purpose and Need)  [506KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 2 (Alternatives)  [ 93KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 3 (Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences )  [794KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 4 (Cumulative Effects)  [246KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 5 (Consulation & Coordination)  [57KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 6 (Preparers)  [30KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 7 (Agencies/Individuals To Whom This EIS was Sent, References) [28KB]
Final EIS - Chapter 8 (References)  [46KB]
Final EIS - Appendix A (Draft Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract)  [294KB]
Final EIS - Appendix B (Miscellaneous Purposes Act of 1920)  [66KB]
Final EIS - Appendix C (Scoping Report)  [103KB]
Final EIS - Appendix D (Biological Evaluation)  [508KB]
Final EIS - Appendix E (Pecos River Settlement Agreement)  [333KB]
Final EIS - Appendix F (Responses to Comments on DEIS)  [478KB]
Final EIS - Federal Register Notice of Availability
Transmittal Letter to Fish and Wildlife Service for Final Biological Evaluation (BE)
Final Biological Evaluation of Proposed Long-Term Miscellaneous Purposes Contract (BE)
Federal Register Notice - Carlsbad Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS: January 20, 2004
Final Scoping Report: Full - Carlsbad Miscellaneous Purposes Contract EIS (3.7MB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment A - Notice of Intent (115KB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment B - Newspaper Announcement (150KB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment C - Scoping Newsletter (105KB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment D - Scoping Meeting Handout (1.1MB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment E - Scoping Presentation (1.9MB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment F - Scoping Letter to Interested Parties (65KB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment G - Native American Tribe Scoping Letter and Letter to the BIA (505KB)
Final Scoping Report: Attachment H - Scoping Report (70KB)

 Self-extracting File ;    WinZip File;    View-online (PDF)

For more information, contact:
Marsha Carra
Bureau of Reclamation
555 Broadway NE, Ste. 100
Albuquerque, NM 87102-2352
E-mail: Marsha Carra