News Release Archive

Draft EA/FONSI Available for Short-Term Warren Act Contract and License for Delta Lands Reclamation District 770

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: November 30, 2006

The Bureau of Reclamation is making available a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a proposed Short-Term Warren Act Contract and License for Delta Lands Reclamation District 770 (District) near Corcoran, California (in Kings County), to pump high river flows into the Friant-Kern Canal.

Under the proposed action, Reclamation and the District would enter into a short-term Warren Act contract for emergency flood control to use otherwise excess capacity in the Friant-Kern Canal to accept floodwaters from the Kings, Kaweah, and Tule Rivers to protect downstream agricultural lands. Reclamation and the District would also enter into a short-term license agreement for setup, maintenance, storage, and operation of structures and in-place pumping equipment on federally owned lands.

Up to 300,000 acre-feet of floodwaters may be collectively diverted from these rivers within a single water year. The floodwater would only be accepted when, (1) coordinated with Friant operations and the Friant Water Users Authority, (2) when it meets the applicable water quality standards and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control criteria, and (3) in coordination with Kings, Kaweah, and Tule River water users. The disposal of this floodwater may occur under various alternatives. The EA examines the impacts to resources under each of the alternatives for disposing the diverted floodwaters.

The Draft EA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available for a 15-day public review. The documents are available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=2414. If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or e-mail lwirth@mp.usbr.gov.

To request a copy of the draft documents, please contact Ms. Lynne Silva at 559-487-5807 or e-mail lsilva@mp.usbr.gov. Comments are due to Ms. Silva by close of business December 15, 2006.

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Relevant Link:

Draft EA/FONSI Available for Short-Term Warren Act Contract and License for Delta Lands Reclamation District 770