[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 229 (Monday, November 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 74771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30155]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
Intent To Prepare a Draft Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management
Plan Report and Environmental Impact Statement To Investigate Potential
Significant Impacts, Either Positive or Negative, to Table Rock Lakes'
Authorized Purposes of Flood Risk Management, Hydropower, Water Supply,
Recreation, and Fish and Wildlife
AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR, 1500-1517), and the
USACE implementing regulation, Policy and Procedures for Implementing
NEPA, Engineer Regulation (ER) 200-2-2 (1988). The study is being
conducted in accordance with the requirements of 36 CFR 327.30, dated
27 July 1990 and ER 1130-2-406, dated 31 October 1990. The EIS will
evaluate potential impacts (beneficial and adverse) to socioeconomic
conditions, cultural and ecological resources, public access and
safety, impacts to lake use, public parks and recreation, aesthetics,
infrastructure, lake water quality, terrestrial and aquatic fish and
wildlife habitats, federally-listed threatened and endangered species,
and cumulative impacts associated with past, current, and reasonably
foreseeable future actions at Table Rock Lake.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Mr. Bob Singleton, Biologist,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Planning and Environmental Division,
Environmental Branch, Little Rock District, P.O. Box 867, Little Rock,
AR 72203-0867. Comments will be accepted through December 31, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions or comments regarding
the Draft Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management Plan EIS, please contact
Mr. Bob Singleton, (501) 324-5018 or email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Table Rock Lake: Table Rock Lake is a multiple purpose water
resource development project primarily for flood risk management and
hydropower generation. Additional purposes include providing water
storage to supply a fish hatchery (Pub. L. 86-93 of 1959); recreation
and fish and wildlife mitigation, to the extent that those additional
purposes do not adversely affect flood risk management, power
generation, or other authorized purposes of the project (Flood Control
Act of 1944 as amended in 1946, 1954, 1962, 1965 and 1968 and the Water
Resources Act of 1996). Table Rock Lake is a major component of a
comprehensive plan for water resource development in the White River
Basin of Missouri and Arkansas. Additional beneficial uses include
increased power output of downstream power stations resulting from the
regulated flow from the Table Rock Lake project.
2. Study Location: The Table Rock Lake Civil Works project on the
White River is bordered by two States: southwest Missouri (Stone,
Taney, and Barry counties) and northwest Arkansas (Boone and Carroll
counties). The total area contained in the Table Rock project,
including both land and water surface, consists of 62,207 acres. Of
this total, 2,576 acres are in flowage easement. The region is
characterized by narrow ridges between deeply cut valleys that are well
wooded with deciduous trees and scattered pine and cedar. When the lake
is at the top of the conservation pool, the water area comprises 42,560
acres and 742 miles of shoreline within fee. The shoreline is irregular
with topography ranging from steep bluffs to gentle slopes.
3. Study History: The original Table Rock Lake Shoreline Management
Plan (also known as the Lakeshore Management Plan) was approved in
April 1976. The SMP was reviewed, updated, and approved by the Division
Engineer in May 1982. The SMP was supplemented in January 1988 and
April 1989. The SMP was once again reviewed, updated, and approved by
the Division Engineer in July 1990. The SMP was supplemented in August
1991 and in September 1992, the official conversion of a Lakeshore
Management Plan to a SMP was approved by the District Engineer. The
last review, update, and approval process of the Table Rock Lake SMP
took place in March 1996.
4. Scoping/Public Involvement. The Public Scoping process provides
information about the study to the public, serves as a mechanism to
solicit agency and public input on alternatives and issues of concern,
and ensures full and open participation in Scoping and review of the
Draft EIS. Comments received as a result of this notice and news
releases will be used to assist the preparers in identifying potential
impacts to the quality of the human or natural environment. The Corps
invites other Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, State and local
agencies and officials, private organizations, and interested
individuals to participate in the Scoping process by forwarding written
comments to (see ADDRESSES). Interested parties may also request to be
included on the mailing list for public distribution of announcements
and documents.
5. Issues/Alternatives: The EIS will evaluate effects from a range
of alternatives developed to address potential environmental concerns
of the area. Anticipated significant issues to be addressed in the EIS
include impacts on: (1) hydropower, (2) flooding, (3) recreation, (4)
water supply, (5) fish and wildlife resources and habitats, and (6),
other impacts identified by the public, agencies or USACE studies.
6. Availability of the Draft EIS: The Draft Environmental Impact
Statement is anticipated to be available for public review in the
spring of 2017, subject to the receipt of Federal funding.
Courtney W. Paul,
Colonel, US Army, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 2015-30155 Filed 11-27-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3720-58-P