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- Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Documents for Proposed Short-Term Water Transfer from Glenn- Colusa Irrigation District to San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority
News Release Archive
Reclamation Releases Draft Environmental Documents for Proposed Short-Term Water Transfer from Glenn- Colusa Irrigation District to San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority
Media Contact:
Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov
For Release: March 06, 2008
The Bureau of Reclamation has completed a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (Draft FONSI) for a proposed short-term operations and forbearance agreement involving up to 56,338 acre-feet of Central Valley Project (CVP) and Base Supply water that Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) would have diverted during the 2008 irrigation season, but that GCID will forbear from diverting in order for Reclamation to make the water available to the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA). The Draft EA and FONSI are available for a 14-day public review and comment period.
Under the terms of the Option Agreement Between GCID, Reclamation, and the SLDMWA for 2008 Operations (Agreement), as originally proposed, GCID would not divert up to 85,000 acre-feet of Sacramento River water that it is otherwise entitled to under the terms of its Sacramento River Settlement Contract No. 14-06-200-855A (Settlement Contract) with Reclamation. This will allow Reclamation to deliver the water supply as CVP water to the SLDMWA. Since the preparation of the Draft EA and Draft FONSI, GCID and SLDMWA have advised Reclamation that the maximum quantity of water that would be made available by GCID under the Agreement has decreased to an amount up to 56,338 acre-feet.
The term of the Agreement will be from the date of execution of the Agreement through and including February 28, 2009, or if the option under the Agreement is not exercised by April 21, 2008, then this Agreement shall expire immediately. The delivery of the water made available by GCID for the SLDMWA will only occur if it can be accomplished in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and court orders for operations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta.
Written comments are due by close of business Wednesday, March 19, 2008, to Mr. Buford Holt, Environmental Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, 16349 Shasta Dam Boulevard, Shasta Lake, CA 96019, or bholt@mp.usbr.gov. For additional information, please contact Mr. Holt at 530-276-2047.
The Draft EA and FONSI are available on Reclamation's National Environmental Policy Act website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=3103. If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102, or lwirth@mp.usbr.gov.
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