United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Utah State Office
P.O. Box 45155
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0155
http://www.blm.gov
IN REPLY REFER TO:
9171
(UT-933)P February 25, 2008
Information Bulletin No. UT 2008-013
To: Clark, Lincoln and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development
Project – Utah Team
From: Deputy State Director, Natural Resources
Subject: Project Initiation Memo
Action: Under federal law, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is lead agency for the Clark, Lincoln, and White Pine Counties Groundwater Development Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Since the physical boundaries of the proposed project lie within the State of Nevada, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada has been assigned as lead on the project and the Nevada State Director will be BLM’s authorized officer on any grants issued for the project.
This EIS will form the basis for BLM’s decision on the issuance of rights-of-way to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) to build and operate groundwater production wells, pipelines, pumping stations, and facilities for water treatment and power supply to partially serve SNWA purveyor members in the Las Vegas Valley and customers of the Lincoln County Water District in Coyote Springs Valley. The proposed project occupies public lands within the state of Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management, Utah is involved because lands and resources within its jurisdiction could be affected by indirect impacts of the proposed groundwater withdrawals.
The EIS must conform to requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). BLM has responsibility for the content of the EIS and its compliance with the provisions of NEPA, including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), and the Record of Decision (ROD).
Background: The project would convey up to 200,000 acre feet of water per year (afy) from six hydrographic basins in eastern Nevada and western Utah to Las Vegas. The project components include:
• 328 miles of buried pipelines
• 5 pumping stations
• 6 regulating tanks
• One 40 million-gallon buried storage reservoir
• One water treatment facility
• 14 production well sites
• 349 miles of power lines
• 8 electrical substations
• 4 hydro-turbine energy recovery facilities
Due to the complex nature of the project and the fact that not all water rights appropriations are finalized, this EIS will include the main line pipeline supporting facilities as well as the Spring Valley well field. The other five hydrologic basins proposed for water development will be covered by this EIS in a conceptual fashion only. The well fields for these five basins will require subsequent NEPA analysis.
Guidance: BLM – NV is the lead office in this project and the BLM – UT will be providing support to the BLM – NV. Justin Jimenez has been assigned as the BLM - UT point of contact for this project. BLM-UT is responsible for identifying issues, concerns, input, recommendations and comments regarding this project and Justin will be coordinating this effort. Guidance for this effort can be found in current regulations and policies including the National Environmental Policy Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2004.
To ensure efficiency and coordination on this project, all information about the project outside of the BLM must be coordinated through Justin Jimenez and the Nevada Project Manager.
Process: BLM – UT input and involvement in the Clark, Lincoln and White Pine Counties Ground Water Development Project will be coordinated through Justin Jimenez with the Nevada Project Manager. BLM has contracted with ENSR International of Fort Collins, Colorado in preparation of the EIS. An Interdisciplinary Team for Utah has been identified who will provide comments and input to Justin for inclusion in the NEPA documents. In addition the Utah Team will have several representatives on working groups associated with data collection and compilation specific to the project. The Utah Team members are identified in the following table.
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Role | Staff | Expertise |
Agency Representative | Justin Jimenez | Fisheries Biologist |
Utah BLM Work Group Representatives - Hydrology | Heidi Hadley | Groundwater Hydrology and Geology |
George Cruz | Surface Hydrology | |
Utah BLM Work Group Representatives – Natural Resources | Mark Vinson | Aquatic Entomologist |
Justin Jimenez | Fisheries Biologist | |
Utah BLM Team | Harvey Gates | Range/Vegetation |
Heidi Hadley | Groundwater Hydrology | |
Justin Jimenez | Fisheries Biologist | |
Roy Smith | Water Rights | |
Utah BLM NEPA Product Reviewers | Lisa Bryant | Soils |
Ron Bolander | Botany and T&E | |
Steve Madsen | Wildlife Biologist | |
Greg Thayn | NEPA | |
Phillip Zieg | Water Rights | |
Craig Egerton | Range |
The following timeline identifies work tasks and estimated timeframes for the Utah Team.
TASKS | ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME |
30 Day Review of ADEIS Chapters 1-3 | February - March 2008 |
ID Team Meeting | February 2008 |
Ongoing coordination with ENSR during preparation of ADEIS/DEIS | Ongoing throughout FY08 |
30 Day Review of ADEIS Chapters 4-5 | July - August 2008 |
ID Team Meeting | August 2008 |
Funding: BLM cost to process the right of way including all costs associated with the EIS are funded through cost recovery account, NV040 5101 ER F345. If salary is charged to this account corresponding work log (Form 1323-1) must be submitted to Justin Jimenez on a pay period basis.
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This memo outlines the expectations and constraints involved in this project. The process will require the balancing of economic, social, and ecological values on public land in Nevada and Utah. The process and objectives described above require diligent and conscientious professionals with a commitment to our public land and to complete a complex and innovative monitoring and mitigation package for the sensitive resources under our jurisdiction. You are the professionals; you are that team.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Donald R. Banks Rosie Geren
DSD, Natural Resouces Records Manager
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