Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Assistance

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for the construction and content of the Eastern Nevada Ground-Water Project environmental impact statements (EIS) and its compliance with the provisions of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). BLM has requested participation by the USGS in the EIS process to provide scientific expertise with respect to potential environmental impacts of the project. The assistance agreement establishes a technical relationship between BLM and USGS while recognizing that the USGS is not a cooperating agency and will not offer opinions or decisions on management actions.

Objectives

Participate as a technical advisor, at the BLM's request, in the development of an EIS consistent with the requirements of NEPA.

Strategy and Approach

Participate as a technical advisor in cooperating agency meetings, hydrology work group meetings, and data collections meetings, as scheduled by the BLM. The USGS will provide information and data, provide critical analysis of data and information provided by the project proponent, and guidance in evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed EIS and alternatives. Review and provide written comments on the content of draft EIS documents and scientific reports prepared by the project proponent. Actively participate in all substantial phases of EIS preparation. Attend regular and other meetings with federal, state, regional, and local agencies, and concerned environmental, conservation, landowner, water users, or other stakeholder groups.

Data availability and Additional Project Information

Additional project information is available from the BLM project web site.

Relevance and Benefits

The proposed work in eastern Nevada is relevant to and consistent with the USGS Strategic Plan to provide resource managers with accurate, reliable, and impartial scientific information, to increase our understanding of natural resources on a regional scale. The proposed work is also relevant to issues 3 and 4 of the USGS Strategic Directions for the Water Resources Discipline. These issues direct the Water Resources Discipline to make assessments of the availability and sustainability of the Nation's ground-water resources, provide information where disputes may arise from impacts to aquatic habitat from withdrawal of ground water for public supply, and determine the effects of ground-water withdrawals on wetlands. The work is also consistent with the Nevada Water Science Center Science Plan, issues 1, 6, and 7. These issues describe the need for improving water-budget estimates, collecting data on evapotranspiration, and improving our understanding of regional ground-water flow systems in Nevada. The work will benefit the USGS, local and regional managers in Nevada and Utah, and the residents of eastern Nevada, and adjacent parts of Utah by providing impartial scientific information and increasing our understanding of natural resources and the potential effects of ground-water pumping in eastern Nevada on water and ecological resources both locally and regionally.