[Federal Register: April 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 82)]
[Notices]
[Page 23212-23213]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap04-79]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan and Cachuma Project
Biological Opinion for Southern Steelhead Trout, Santa Barbara County,
California
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR).
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a Final EIS/
EIR for the ``Lower Santa Ynez River Fish Management Plan (Plan) and
Cachuma Project Biological Opinion (Opinion) for Southern Steelhead
Trout.'' The actions evaluated include various flow and non-flow
measures to be implemented by Reclamation and the Cachuma Project
Member Units to protect and enhance habitat for the endangered southern
steelhead trout along the Santa Ynez River downstream of Bradbury Dam.
Notice of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register
on July 24, 2003 (68 FR 43748). The written comment period ended
September 30, 2003. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all
comments received and changes made to the text of the Draft EIS/EIR as
a result of those comments.
DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the proposed action
until 30 days after release of the Final EIS/EIR. After the 30-day
waiting period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision (ROD).
The ROD will state the action that will be implemented and will discuss
all factors leading to the decision.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS/EIR for the Plan and Opinion are
available at the Bureau of Reclamation, South-Central California Area
Field Office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, California, 93721; or at the
Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board Office, 3301 Laurel Canyon
Road, Santa Barbara, California, 93105, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Young, Bureau of Reclamation,
South-Central California Area Office, telephoned 559-487-5127.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cachuma Project consists of Bradbury
Dam, Cachuma Lake, and various water conveyance facilities. The dam
impounds water along the Santa Ynez River in northern Santa Barbara
County. Water is provided to the Cachuma Project Member Units for
irrigation, domestic, and municipal and industrial water uses. The
current Member Units consist of the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta Water
District, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District,
and the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District--Improvement
District 1. Reclamation owns all project facilities and
operates Bradbury Dam. Operation and maintenance of the Cachuma Project
facilities, other than Bradbury Dam, was transferred in 1956 to the
Member Units who formed Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB)
to carry out these responsibilities.
In August 1997, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
designated the anadromous steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of the
Southern Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), which includes the
lower Santa Ynez River below Bradbury Dam, as an endangered species
under the Federal Endangered Species Act. In April 1999, Reclamation
requested initiation of consultation with NMFS regarding ongoing
operations of the Cachuma Project under the provisions of Section 7 of
the Federal Endangered Species Act. Reclamation submitted a Biological
Assessment (BA) to NMFS in 1999, describing the proposed operation of
the Cachuma Project, as well as measures designed to improve the
availability and quality of habitat for the steelhead in the lower
river. NMFS issued a final Opinion in September 2000. The Opinion
concluded that the proposed actions described in the BA would not
jeopardize the continued existence of the anadromous steelhead of the
Southern ESU, nor destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. The
Opinion included an incidental take statement with mandatory terms and
conditions to minimize ``take'' of the southern steelhead.
Prior to, and concurrent with, the endangered species consultation,
Reclamation and the Cachuma Member Units prepared a Fish Management
Plan (FMP) for the lower Santa Ynez River. The FMP management actions
include (1) creating new habitat and improving existing habitat in the
lower river and tributaries; (2) improving access to spawning and
rearing habitats in the lower river and tributaries; and (3) increasing
public awareness and support for beneficial actions on private lands.
The FMP identifies specific reaches of the mainstem and tributaries for
habitat protection and improvement. The highest priority has been
assigned to lower Hilton Creek, which is located on Reclamation
property, and the mainstem of the river between Bradbury Dam and
Highway 154. A high priority is also assigned to enhancing habitats on
the following tributaries which have favorable flows and habitat
conditions for aquatic resources: Quiota, El Jaro, and Salsipuedes
creeks.
The overall purposes of the management actions are two-fold: (1)
Ensure that operation of the Cachuma Project is consistent with the
Federal Endangered Species Act regarding effects on the southern
steelhead; and (2) improve conditions for native fish, particularly the
endangered southern steelhead, in the Santa Ynez River watershed below
Bradbury Dam.
Reclamation and Cachuma COMB have prepared the Final EIS/EIR to
evaluate the incidental adverse impacts of the proposed management
actions and projects to improve fish habitat conditions on the Santa
Ynez River below Bradbury Dam in northern Santa Barbara County. These
impacts include temporary construction-related disturbances to riparian
and aquatic habitat during fish habitat restoration work in the river
and tributaries; impacts to oak trees and recreational facilities at
Cachuma Lake due to
[[Page 23213]]
surcharging the reservoir to store additional water for downstream
releases for fish; and others described in the Final EIS/EIR.
Our practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public
disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There
also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a respondent's
identity from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish us to
withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at
the beginning of your comment. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Dated: April 6, 2004.
Susan L. Ramos,
Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 04-9638 Filed 4-27-04; 8:45 am]