[Federal Register: July 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number =
131)]
[Notices] =20
[Page 33274-33276]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10jy09-71] =20
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
=20
Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Project, Equus Beds=20
Division, Wichita Project, KS
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft environmental impact statement=20
(Draft EIS).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969=20
(NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has completed the Equus=20
Beds Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Project Draft EIS. It is now=20
available for public review and comment. The Draft EIS describes the=20
development and environmental effects of two alternatives: (1) A no=20
action alternative; and (2) an action alternative that meets the=20
project purpose and need.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife=20
Service are cooperating agencies providing assistance in the=20
preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the=20
guidance of NEPA.
DATES: A 60-day public comment period begins with the publication of=20
this notice. Written comments on the Draft EIS are due by September 11,=20
2009 and should be submitted to Reclamation listed in the ADDRESSES=20
section.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft EIS should be sent to the attention of=20
Charles F. Webster, Bureau of Reclamation, 5924 NW. 2nd Street, Suite=20
200, Oklahoma City, OK 73127-6514. Comments may also be submitted in=20
writing by facsimile or e-mail. Send facsimiles to the attention of=20
Charles F. Webster at 405-470-4807. Send e-mail to cwebster@usbr.gov=20
with Equus Beds Draft EIS Comment as the subject line.
Copies of the Draft EIS and related documents are available online=20
from Reclamation's Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingF=
R.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.usbr.gov/gp/nepa/quarterly.c=
fm. Paper copies of the Draft EIS may be obtained by calling=20
Charles F. Webster at 405-470-4831. Refer to the SUPPLEMENTARY=20
INFORMATION section for locations of libraries and offices where copies=20
of the Draft EIS are available for review.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles F. Webster at 405-470-4831 or=20
cwebster@usbr.gov. Mail =
requests should be addressed to the Bureau of=20
Reclamation at the address indicated in the ADDRESSES section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:=20
Locations where the Draft EIS may be reviewed:
Halstead Public Library, 264 Main, Halstead, Kansas 67056;
Hutchinson Public Library, 901 North Main, Hutchinson, KS=20
67501;
Newton Public Library, 720 North Oak, Newton, KS 67114;
Valley Center Public Library, 321 West First Street,=20
Valley Center, KS 67147;
Wichita Public Library, 223 South Main, Wichita, KS 67202;
[[Page 33275]]
City of Wichita Water and Sewer Department, 455 North Main=20
Street, 8th Floor, Wichita, KS 67202;
Bureau of Reclamation, 5924 NW. 2nd Street, Suite 200,=20
Oklahoma City, OK 73127.
Background: The ``Wichita Project Equus Beds Division Authorization=20
Act of 2005'' (Pub. L. 109-299) authorizes the Secretary of the=20
Interior to help the City of Wichita, Kansas, complete the Aquifer=20
Recharge (Storage), and Recovery component (ASR is the acronym for this=20
specific component or project) of Wichita's Integrated Local Water=20
Supply Plan (ILWSP). The broader ILWSP was developed in 1993 to provide=20
municipal and industrial water to Wichita and surrounding region=20
through the year 2050. The ASR component would collect water from the=20
Little Arkansas River basin and pipe it into the local Equus Beds=20
aquifer for recharge and storage. Water would later be recovered from=20
wells in the aquifer and used for the region's needs. The ASR component=20
would become the ``Equus Beds Division'' of Reclamation's Wichita=20
Project after completion. Operation, maintenance, replacement, and=20
liability of the new division would be the responsibility of the City=20
of Wichita.
Public Law 109-299 requires Reclamation to use, to the extent=20
possible, the city's plans, designs, and analyses. The Federal funding=20
cap would be 25% of total costs, or $30 million (indexed to January=20
2003), whichever is less. The full scale ASR component is estimated to=20
cost about $500 million and is designed to recharge the Equus Beds=20
aquifer with up to 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD).
Proposed Action: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes=20
to enter into a cost-share agreement with the City of Wichita for the=20
Equus Beds aquifer ASR component. The entire ASR component is designed=20
as one project consisting of four main phases (I-IV). Details and=20
diagrams of the project are provided in the Draft EIS. Phase I is=20
complete and has the capacity to divert and recharge up to 10 MGD.=20
Phase IIa is currently being developed by the City independent of=20
Federal cost-sharing. The proposed cost-share agreement would guide=20
Federal expenditures during Phases IIb through IV. These phases of the=20
project are the focus of the EIS. Reclamation would not own or operate=20
the project at any point during design, construction, implementation,=20
or any other process.
Reclamation would administer financing of Federal funds for the=20
proposed action alternative identified as the 100 MGD ASR Plan with 60/
40 Option. This alternative would collect, pre-treat, and recharge the=20
Equus Beds aquifer with 100 MGD of water collected from the Little=20
Arkansas River basin. The 60/40 Option refers to the 60 percent that=20
would come from surface water taken directly from the Little Arkansas=20
River and forty percent from induced infiltration (ground) wells=20
located along the river bank.
Four recharge basins and 42 recharge wells connected by pipelines=20
would be used to recharge the aquifer. Wells would be constructed=20
outside of riparian zones where possible. Water pumped directly from=20
the river would occur at two intakes. The first intake is at Halstead=20
and was constructed during Phase I. The second intake is near Sedgwick=20
and is being constructed as part of Phase IIa. The second intake would=20
be modified during Phase IV to bring total ASR component diversion=20
capacity to 100 MGD. When available, water would be piped to either the=20
Phase I pre-sedimentation plant or to a second, proposed plant.=20
Approximately 46 miles of pipeline, 62 miles of fiber optic cable,=20
access roads, and other facilities would be built during Phases IIa-IV.=20
The total cost of construction for the 100 MGD ASR Plan with 60/40=20
Option is currently estimated at about $500 million and includes about=20
$115 million spent during Phases I and IIa.
Purpose and Need for the Action: The first purpose of the ASR=20
component is to provide a safe and reliable future source of drinking=20
water for Wichita while restoring the Equus Beds water table. Federal=20
funding is authorized to help implement the ASR project and defray=20
costs that would otherwise be passed on to local customers.=20
Approximately 32% of Wichita's water supply comes from the Equus Beds.=20
The aquifer also supplies irrigation and livestock water throughout the=20
region. There are approximately 1,650 non-domestic water wells=20
withdrawing about 157,000 acre-feet (51.2 billion gallons) of water per=20
year from the aquifer. Use of the Equus Beds aquifer for both municipal=20
and agricultural needs over the last 60 years has exceeded recharge.=20
This has resulted in a drop in the water table of 40 feet in some=20
places. Approximately 50% of the water used annually goes to=20
agriculture, 34% to cities, 15% to industry, and 1% to other users.
A second purpose is to protect water quality in the aquifer. The=20
decline in the Equus Beds aquifer water table has allowed water with=20
higher salt content to enter the aquifer. Saltwater encroachment has=20
become a problem because as freshwater levels have dropped, saltwater=20
has infiltrated from the Arkansas River and other sources. This change=20
in gradient between fresh and saltwater allows the movement of poor=20
quality water into the aquifer. Continuing saltwater encroachment will=20
degrade water quality to the point where the water would require much=20
more treatment to make it drinkable. In addition, the use of saline=20
water for irrigation would damage crops, reduce soil productivity, and=20
increase salt infiltration through soils. The ASR component would help=20
maintain a safe gradient between fresh and saltwater sections,=20
protecting the aquifer from saltwater encroachment.
The ASR component is needed because population and resulting water=20
demands of Wichita and surrounding areas are projected to increase=20
markedly by 2050. Increasing demands and water use could further=20
deplete the aquifer. The ASR component would provide a reliable and=20
safe source of high quality water for Wichita's future. The project=20
would:
Store surface water underground thereby reducing=20
evaporation and other losses.
Reduce the gradient between fresh and saltwater sections=20
within the aquifer to protect water quality.
Capture surface water for storage during periods of high=20
stream flow.
Protect stored water from short-term, seasonal, annual,=20
and long-term climate change.
Alternatives: The Draft EIS addresses the effects of one action=20
alternative and a no action alternative. The alternatives for Federal=20
action evaluated in the Draft EIS include:
(1) Proposed Action--Reclamation would enter into a cost share=20
agreement to assist with construction of facilities and infrastructure=20
to implement the 100 MGD ASR Plan with 60/40 Option.
(2) No Action Alternative--Under ``No Action,'' Reclamation would=20
not enter into a cost-share agreement for reimbursement to the City for=20
project implementation costs.
Public Disclosure Statement: Before including your name, address,=20
telephone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying=20
information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire=20
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made=20
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to=20
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we=20
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
[[Page 33276]]
Dated: June 29, 2009.
Michael J. Ryan,
Regional Director, Great Plains Region.
[FR Doc. E9-16043 Filed 7-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P