News Release Archive

Public Hearings Scheduled on the Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord Draft EIR/EIS

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

For Release: July 19, 2007

Two public hearings have been scheduled to allow interested individuals/agencies to comment on the Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).  The document was developed by the Bureau of Reclamation, Yuba County Water Agency (YCWA), and California Department of Water Resources pursuant  to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  As part of the NEPA/CEQA process, the hearings will provide the public with an opportunity to submit oral and/or written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS.  The two hearings are scheduled as follows:

Marysville, California Wednesday, August 1, 2007 2-3 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. YCWA, 1220 F Street (corner of F & 13th) Map

The Draft EIR/EIS was released to the public on June 26, 2007, for a 60-day public review and comment period.  The document is available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=2549.  For a DVD of the Draft EIR/EIS, please contact Ms. Dianne Simodynes at 916-569-1000 or Dianne.Simodynes@hdrinc.com.  Written comments on the document are due by close of business Friday, August 24, 2007, to Ms. Simodynes, HDR|SWRI, 1610 Arden Way, Suite 175, Sacramento, CA  95815, fax 916-569-1001, or Dianne.Simodynes@hdrinc.com.  

The purpose of the Lower Yuba River Accord is to resolve instream flow issues associated with the operation of the Yuba River Development Project in a way that protects and enhances lower Yuba River fisheries and local water-supply reliability, while providing revenues for local flood control and water supply projects, water for the CALFED Program to use for protection and restoration of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fisheries, and improvements in State-wide water supply management, including supplemental water for the Federal Central Valley Project and California’s State Water Project.  The only identified potentially significant impact for the project is related to energy consumption.  Increases in average annual energy consumption would occur due to increases in ground-water pumping within the Yuba basin.

For additional information on the Proposed Lower Yuba River Accord Draft EIR/EIS, please contact Mr. Curt Aikens, YCWA, at 530-741-6278 or caikens@ycwa.com or Ms. Tamara LaFramboise, Reclamation, at 916-978-5269 or tlaframboise@mp.usbr.gov.

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