OVERVIEW
FINAL EIS NOW AVAILABLE
COMMENT PERIOD: February 8, 2008 - March 10, 2008
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposed action submitted by the Lincoln County Water District (LCWD) in 2005 to obtain rights-of-way across land managed by the BLM. If granted, the rights-of-way would authorize LCWD to construct a groundwater conveyance system in Kane Springs Valley. Phase 1 of this proposed project would consist of construction of infrastructure to develop and convey 1,000 acre-feet of water, and subsequent phases would correspond to the demand for water and the issuance of future water rights. The proposed facilities and phases associated with this project are described below:
PHASE 1: Construction would occur over a 90- to 180-day time period.
Water Facilities
Pipelines: 3.8 miles of transmission pipeline (main water line) and approximately 9 miles of well field collection pipelines for up to four wells (main collection plus laterals to wells)
Wells: up to 4 production wells
Storage Tanks: one 50,000-gallon forebay storage tank on public land and one 700,000-gallon terminal storage tank on private land
Power Facilities
Power Lines: approximately 2.7 miles of 138 kilovolt (kV) overhead power lines located on private land and 14 miles of 69kV/22.8kV overhead power lines located primarily on public land
Electrical Substations: Emrys Jones substation located on private land and up to 4 smaller substations to serve each well
Ancillary Facilities: access roads, temporary workspace, and a storage yard located on private land
Ancillary Project Components
Fiber Optics Line
Monitoring Wells: 1 monitoring well is currently being used to monitor groundwater conditions in the area
Extra Work Space: up to 50 acres total; each work space would be approximately 2 acres in size and would be spaced approximately one-half mile apart
PHASE 2: Construction would occur over a 30- to 60-day time period and would begin one to three years after the completion of Phase 1.
Water Facilities
Power Facilities
Power Lines: 22.8kV underground power lines from main transmission line to substation(s)
Electrical Substations: One to two smaller substations to serve the new well(s)
Ancillary Facilities: access roads to substations
PHASE 3: Construction would occur over a 30- to 60-day time period and would begin one to three years after the completion of Phase 2. Phase 3 would only be developed if production from Phase 1 and Phase 2 was insufficient to meet anticipated demand or if production from previous wells was lower than estimated or designed.
Water Facilities
Power Facilities
Power Lines: 22.8kV underground power lines from main transmission line to substation(s)
Electrical Substations: One to two smaller substations to serve the new well(s)
Ancillary Facilities: access roads to substations
Water Rights Process
On February 14, 2005, LCWD filed 4 water rights applications totaling approximately 17,375 acre-feet per year. The Nevada Division of Water Resources, Office of the State Engineer is responsible for administering water law and managing Nevada's water resource. On February 2, 2007, the Nevada State Engineer issued Ruling 5712, granting a total duty of 1,000 acre-feet per year of water. The water rights process is separate and distinct from the right-of-way process. The BLM will not make any decisions about the amount of water to be pumped nor will the agency decide what basins or points of diversion will be used.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/LCWD Stipulation
Federal agencies may participate in the water rights process in the same manner as any Nevada citizen. This includes protesting water rights applications that may affect resources for which the agency is responsible. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was a protestant on the Kane Springs Valley applications submitted by LCWD. The FWS withdrew their protest after completing a Stipulated Agreement with LCWD. The Stipulated Agreement establishes that a Monitoring, Management, and Mitigation Plan be included as part of the terms and conditions of any applications that are granted. The goal of the plan is to collectively manage the development of LCWD water rights in the Kane Springs Valley Hydrographic Basin and to avoid losses to senior water rights held by FWS in the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Although the BLM was not a party to this agreement, the FWS concerns and requirements outlined in the Stipulation are being used to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement. Components of the Monitoring, Management, and Mitigation Plan will likely be incorporated into the Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation with the FWS.
The NEPA Process
The process BLM will use to determine whether the application for rights-of-way should be granted is comprehensive and includes compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other laws. NEPA is a tool designed to enhance and improve decision making by requiring federal agencies to take a close look at the potential impacts proposed actions will have on the environment. NEPA also requires agencies to consider reasonable alternatives to proposed actions. The NEPA process emphasizes agency cooperation and invites public participation. To meet NEPA's requirements, BLM has determined an EIS must be prepared. The chart to the right outlines the steps of the EIS Process. The box outlined in blue indicates where BLM is in the process. Click on any of the boxes to see documents relative to the topic.
Click here to view NEPA and other laws/regulations
Public participation is critical to helping ensure BLM has considered the views of the public in the decision on these groundwater development projects. BLM encourages you to get involved; we want to hear from you.
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