Office of the Assistant SecretaryWater and Science; Central Utah Project Completion Act; Notice of Intent To Discontinue Planning on the Spanish Fork CanyonNephi Irrigation System as Presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement DES 98-13

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55137-55138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27484]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Office of the Assistant Secretary--Water and Science; Central 
Utah Project Completion Act; Notice of Intent To Discontinue Planning 
on the Spanish Fork Canyon--Nephi Irrigation System as Presented in the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement DES 98-13

AGENCIES: Department of the Interior (Department), Utah Reclamation

[[Page 55138]]

Mitigation and Conservation Commission (Commission), and Central Utah 
Water Conservancy District (District) are the joint-lead agencies.

ACTION: Notice of intent to discontinue planning on the Spanish Fork 
Canyon--Nephi Irrigation System (SFN) as presented in the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement DES 98-13 (EIS).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Department, Mitigation 
Commission, and the District issued a joint Draft EIS on the SFN 
System. The Department published a notice of intent to prepare an EIS 
for the SFN System in the Federal Register Vol. 56 No. 166, dated 
August 30, 1993. Scoping meetings were held in Salt Lake City, Orem, 
and Nephi, Utah. The Draft EIS was filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) on March 31, 1998. Public Hearings were held in 
Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 11, 1998, and Santaquin, Utah, on May 12, 
1998.
    The SFN Draft EIS described two systems--the Diamond Fork System 
and the SFN System. Comments received on the SFN Draft EIS from EPA and 
the State of Utah raised serious issues regarding salinity impacts to 
Utah Lake. Comments from the Strawberry Water Users Association with 
regard to their participation in the SFN seriously impacted the Purpose 
and Need of the SFN Main Conveyance Aqueduct. Due to these issues, 
which are directly related to the SFN System and not the Diamond Fork 
System, the joint-lead agencies have discontinued planning on the SFN 
Draft EIS relating to the Main Conveyance Aqueduct and alternatives 
thereto. However, the joint lead agencies intend to file a final 
supplement to the Diamond Fork System Final EIS that will be based on 
the Diamond Fork Final EIS and the ``Diamond Fork Tunnel Alternative'' 
which was presented in the SFN Draft EIS. A Federal Register notice 
regarding the proposed Diamond Fork final supplement will be issued.
    The joint-lead agencies will initiate a new planning process with 
public involvement on the facilities authorized in section 202(a)(1) of 
the Central Utah Project Completion Act (Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water 
Delivery System). Any other additional uses of Bonneville Unit water on 
the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City to Nephi, Utah), and all remaining 
environmental issues and commitments associated with the Bonneville 
Unit will be addressed during this new process. When planning for the 
Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System is initiated, a Notice 
of Intent regarding NEPA compliance will be published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on matters 
related to this Federal Register notice can be obtained at the address 
and telephone number set forth below: Mr. Reed R. Murray, Program 
Coordinator, CUP Completion Act Office, Department of the Interior, 302 
East 1860 South, Provo, UT 84606-6154, Telephone: (801) 379-1237, E-
Mail address: rmurray@uc.usbr.gov

    Dated: October 7, 1998.
Ronald Johnston,
CUP Program Director, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 98-27484 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RK-P