[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75370-75371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29047]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO
Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for Flood Control Improvements to the Rio Grande
Canalization Project in Vado, New Mexico; Notice of Availability
AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water
Commission (USIBWC), United States and Mexico.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Supplemental Environmental
Assessment (SEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy
[[Page 75371]]
Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final Regulations (40
CFR Parts 1500 through 1508); and the USIBWC's Operational Procedures
for Implementing Section 102 of NEPA, published in the Federal Register
September 2, 1981, (46 FR 44083); the USIBWC hereby gives notice that
the Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
for Flood Control Improvements to the Rio Grande Canalization Project
in Vado, New Mexico are available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gilbert Anaya, Environmental
Management Division; United States Section, International Boundary and
Water Commission; 4171 N. Mesa, C-100; El Paso, Texas 79902. Telephone:
(915) 832-4703, email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action
The USIBWC is considering relocating the Rio Grande river channel
in the Canalization Project Levee System in a 1.08 mile stretch in
Vado, New Mexico and create new levees where no flood control measures
exist in an effort to meet current flood control requirements. The
Preferred Alternative would relocate the river channel approximately
100 feet west due to the river channel moving east against the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad. The preferred alternative
would then create a new levee that would tie into existing levee
structures to the north and south of the project area. These
improvements will be subject to availability of funds.
The Supplemental Environmental Assessment assesses potential
environmental impacts of the No Action Alternative and the Preferred
Alternative. Two additional alternatives were considered but were not
evaluated as they were determined to be more costly, more difficult to
achieve, less reliable, and more difficult to maintain. Potential
impacts on natural, cultural, and other resources were evaluated. A
Finding of No Significant Impact was issued for the Preferred
Alternative based on a review of the facts and analyses contained in
the Environmental Assessment when taking the proposed mitigation into
account.
Alternatives Considered
A No Action Alternative was evaluated for the flood control
improvements to the Rio Grande Canalization Project Levee System. This
alternative would retain the existing configuration of the system, and
the level of protection currently associated with this system. Under
severe storm events, current containment capacity may be insufficient
to fully control Rio Grande flooding, with risks to personal safety and
potential property damage, as well as risks to the railroad system.
Design alternatives were conducted and evaluated in the final
design memorandum entitled ``Rehabilitation Improvements for the Vado
East Levee, Do[ntilde]a Ana County, New Mexico,'' dated July 29, 2011.
The final design memorandum evaluated three alternatives as described
below.
Preferred Alternative. The Preferred Alternative would allow the
levees to meet the design criteria to contain flood flows and to comply
with FEMA specifications for the levees in the Rio Grande Canalization
Project Levee System. This would be accomplished by creating a flood
containment levee 1.08 miles in length that would continue from the
current levee system to the north and south of the project area. Fill
material, obtained from commercial sources would be used to create a
levee to meet the 3 foot freeboard criterion established by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In order to create the levee in
this area, the river channel would have to be relocated 100 feet to the
west and the floodplain would have to be re-established on the eastern
side of the river.
Flood Wall Alternative. This alternative would construct a flood
wall that would tie into the existing levee system to the north and
south of the project. The flood wall would require dredging the river
channel along the section that is currently against the railroad
easement and construction of a concrete or metal wall that would extend
888 feet along the river and existing flood plain to the current
levees. The wall would be 8 feet tall above the flood plain and require
pilings to be driven 40 feet in the ground.
Sheet Pile Wall Alternative. This alternative would construct a
sheet pile wall instead of the flood wall. This wall would follow the
same requirements but would consist of interlocked metal sheets driven
into the ground instead of a concrete wall. Therefore, the pilings
would also have to be driven 40 feet into the ground but would instead
of a few like in the flood wall; all of the pilings across the entire
length would have to be driven down to bedrock.
Availability
Single hard copies of the Final Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact may be obtained by request at the
above address. Electronic copies may also be obtained from the USIBWC
Web page: www.ibwc.gov/Organization/Environmental/EIS_EA_Public_Comment.html.
Dated: November 27, 2013.
Luisa Alvarez,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2013-29047 Filed 12-10-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7010-01-P