[Federal Register: July 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 39308-39309]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy06-60]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a
Proposed First Broad First Reservoir in Cleveland County, NC
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Cleveland County Sanitary District (CCSD) is applying for
a Department of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water
Act (33 U.S.C. 134) to impact approximately 24 miles of river and
stream habitat and approximately 1 acre of wetlands with the
construction of a dam and water supply reservoir on the First Broad
River. The proposed dam site is one mile north of the Town of Lawndale
in Cleveland County, NC. The CCSD is proposing this action for the
purpose of increasing the water supply for its service area and the
region. Based on current rates of growth, CCSD has projected that water
needs for its customers will double by the year 2050. Projected
regional water demand indicate that existing water supplies are
inadequate for future needs. The proposed reservoir would also lessen
the occurrence of water shortages during drought conditions. In
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be prepared to evaluate and
compare alternatives for increasing water supply and to assess
associated impacts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action
and DEIS can be answered by: Mr. David Baker, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 208, Asheville, NC 28801-5006;
telephone: (828) 271-7980 x225.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Construction of a dam to create the First
Broad River Reservoir will also require certification from the North
Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) pursuant to Section 401 of
the Clean Water Act, as amended, that the project can be undertaken
without violating the state water quality standards.
The following description of the proposed dam and reservoir is
subject to change as analysis and additional designs are completed.
Initial feasibility estimates indicate that an earth-filled dam across
the First Broad River may be approximately 83 feet high and 1,245 feet
wide at the base. The associated emergency spillway, located south of
the dam, would be approximately 1,000 feet wide. The dam would create a
reservoir with a surface area of approximately 2,245 acres, impounding
those areas below 860-feet msl. A 100-foot buffer would likely surround
the reservoir. Flooding impacts would potentially include the loss of
approximately 24 miles of river and stream habitat and roughly 1,400
acres of forested and agricultural land. The project would likely
inundate less than one acre of wetland, subject to field verification.
Alternatives
Through the NEPA process, a number of potentially alternatives to
meeting future water supply demands will be considered. It is
anticipated that those potential solutions could include, but are not
limited to, the following:
Conserve Water--Per capita water usage could be decreased through
the implementation of a water conservation program. The CSSD has a
voluntary water conservation program and enforces a mandatory program
of water conservation during periods of drought. According to the CCSD,
an aggressive water conservation plan will not negate the demand for an
additional water supply in the future.
Utilize Groundwater--Smaller communities and residences could be
served by individual groundwater wells. However, there are no aquifers
of large enough capacity to serve large municipal systems in the
Cleveland County area.
Purchase Water from other Sources--Under this alternative, water
would be
[[Page 39309]]
purchased from an existing municipal source, such as the City of
Shelby, the Town of Kings Mountain, the Broad River Water Authority
(BRWA), the Town of Forest City, or the City of Hickory.
Shelby--The City of Shelby utilizes the First Broad River as its
water source. The CCSD has an emergency use agreement and pipeline
connection in place with the City of Shelby. The volume of water
available to the CCSD is limited.
Kings Mountain--Moss Lake provides potable water to the Town of
Kings Mountain. There is currently no direct connection between the
town and CCSD. In 2002, an emergency pipeline connection with the City
of Shelby was constructed to supplement the city's water supply during
the drought.
Broad River Water Authority (BRWA)--The BRWA utilizes the Broad
River as its water source with an intake near the Town of Rutherfordton
and a 12.0 MGD water treatment plant. The CCSD has an emergency use
agreement and pipeline connection in place with the BRWA.
Town of Forest City--The Town of Forest City utilizes the Second
Broad River as its water source with an intake located north of the
town and a 12.0 MGD water treatment plant. The CCSD does not currently
have a connection in place with the Town of Forest City.
Hickory--The City of Hickory uses the Catawba River (Lake Hickory)
as a raw water supply. The city currently has available excess capacity
to meet the projected future CCSD demands. This alternative would
require permission from the North Carolina Environmental Management
Commission to transfer the required amount of flow from the Catawba
River basin to the Broad River basin.
Other Regional Sources--Other feasible regional sources of water to
meet future demands, including during emergency situations, would be
explored.
Increase Withdrawal at Existing Intake Site--Withdrawals at the
existing intake site are constrained by normal flows of the First Broad
River and the required instream flow requirements established by the
North Carolina Division of Water Resources. The projected safe yield of
the First Broad River at the existing CCSD intake is 10.0 MGD. However
during the 2002 drought the available supply dropped to less than 4.0
MGD.
Construct a Reservoir (no pumped storage).
First Broad River--A reservoir on the First Broad River would
consist of an impoundment of the river to meet the needs of the CCSD to
provide a reliable water source. Preliminary studies on several sites
were performed to consider the volume; surface area; shoreline; safe
yield; and number of roads, bridges, cemeteries and schools that would
potentially be affected (McGill, 1997, Feasibility Study, First Broad
River Reservoir).
Other Rivers in the Region--Other rivers may not be feasible due to
size constraints, cost estimates, existing water demands on the system
(such as the Broad River), distance to the CCSD water treatment
facility, or location within other regional utility service areas.
Construct Several Reservoirs--This alternative would construct
several reservoirs in the First Broad River watershed instead of one
main impoundment.
Intake System on the Broad River (no storage reservoir)--This
alternative would consist of construction of a new run of the river
type intake on the Broad River and the utilization of the river for a
raw water supply in addition to the First Broad River. This alternative
would require the classification of the river and a portion of the
watershed for use as a water supply. Several other municipalities have
expressed interest in future utilization of the Broad River for water
supply and have commenced the reclassification process for a portion of
the river. Other demands for water from the river will impact the
amount of water available for the CCSD.
Construct an Intake System on the First Broad River with one
Storage Reservoir--This alternative would consist of the construction
of an ``off-stream reservoir.'' The reservoir would be maintained at
full pool elevation during periods of normal to high flows by pumping
water from the First Broad River to the reservoir. During periods of
low flow in the First Broad River, raw water would flow from the ``off-
stream reservoir'' through a water line to the water treatment plant.
No Action--Under the no-action alternative, the CCSD would continue
to take water from the current intake on the First Broad River.
After an evaluation of such potential alternatives, a determination
will be made as to the Reasonable Alternatives to be fully evaluated in
the DEIS.
Proposed Scoping Process. This Notice of Intent initiates the
scoping process whereby the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will
refine the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS and identify
potential significant environmental issues related to the proposed
action.
The primary issues to be addressed in the DEIS are the impacts of
the project related to hydrology (including floodplains, floodways, and
geomorphology), water quality, aquatic habitat and wildlife,
jurisdictional waters, terrestrial habitat and wildlife (including
migratory birds), protected species, soils, topography, geology,
hazardous materials, underground storage tanks, transportation network,
recreational opportunities, air quality, noise, cultural resources,
aesthetics, socioeconomics, and land use. In addition, the DEIS will
address indirect and cumulative effects. This list of issues may be
modified and/or expanded through the scoping process.
The USACE will, through the scoping process, invite the
participation of all local, state, and federal agencies which have
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with the affected resources,
as well as other interested parties. These include, but are not limited
to, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Endangered Species
Act and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act; U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the State Historic Preservation Officer and the
Tribal Historic Preservation Office under the National Historic
Preservation Act, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and the North
Carolina Department of Transportation.
An initial scoping meeting will be held in the community to
describe the proposed project and solicit suggestions, recommendations,
and comments to help refine the issues, measures, and alternatives to
be addressed in the DEIS. The specific location, date, and time of the
meeting will be published in local newspaper(s) or other media, and
provided to those persons receiving this notice and those who call or
write after seeing a published version of this notice.
All private interests and Federal, State, and local agencies and
officials, Indian Tribes, and others having an interest in the project
are hereby notified that their participation is invited.
Availability. It is anticipated that the DEIS would be distributed
to the public in late 2008.
Dated: June 8, 2006.
John E. Pulliam, Jr.,
Colonel, U.S. Army, District Commander.
[FR Doc. 06-6139 Filed 7-11-06; 8:45 am]
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