U.S. Section International Boundary and Water Commission Rio Grande and Tijuana River Flood Control Projects Programmatic EIS

USIBWC Flood Control Projects u USIBWC intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for management activities of flood control projects in the U.S. portions of the Rio Grande and Tijuana Rivers u Management activities may include: u Structural activities (construction) u Non-structural activities (maintenance) u Collaboration with other agencies and landowners

Why a Programmatic EIS? u Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Encourages a Tiered Process: u Per CFR u Coverage of a program or plan in a broader EIS is called a Programmatic EIS (PEIS) u Subsequent narrower EAs or EIS’s for specific projects

Recent USIBWC EIS’s u PEIS and EIS Relationship u Incorporate information already developed u Status of Canalization EIS u Record of Decision

NEPA Process - PEIS Identification of Stakeholders Public Notification Scoping Meetings Development of Alternatives Draft PEIS Public Hearings Respond to and Incorporate Comments Final PEIS Record of Decision S c o p i n g P r o c e s s Public Participation Proposed Agency Action Stakeholders

USIBWC Projects u USIBWC manages four flood control projects along the Rio Grande u Canalization Project – Percha Dam to American Dam u Rectification Project – El Paso to Ft. Quitman u Presidio-Ojinaga Project u Lower Rio Grande Project – From Peñitas to the Gulf of Mexico u USIBWC manages the Tijuana River Flood Control Project (U.S. portion)

USIBWC Projects

Program Purpose and Need u The purpose of the proposed federal action is to: u Identify and evaluate alternatives for the management of existing projects u Assist USIBWC to comply with its mandate for flood protection, water deliveries, and/or boundary stabilization u Identify opportunities to enhance environmental resources u Coordinate with other entities in the development of recreational opportunities

Alternatives Formulation

Alternatives are organized around different themes Flood Control Water Supply Rip Hab Recrea. Water Quality FloodControl Flood Control Aquatic Hab Rip Hab Recrea- tion Wat Qual Recreation Fl Control Water Sup Riparian Habitat Recrea. Wat Qual Habitats Aquatic Habitat Flood Control Water Supply Aquatic Habitat Recrea- tion Riparian Habitat Water Quality Alternatives Restoration Strategies Method

Formulation process 1. Identify objectives and performance measures u Flood control u Water supply u Environmental enhancement u Recreational opportunities u Implementability (cost, social impacts) u Inter-agency cooperation

Formulation process 2. Identify ‘concepts’ organized by objective u Flood control and water deliveries: levee improvements, sediment control u Environmental enhancement: native vegetation management, diversify habitat u Recreational opportunities: coordination with adjacent parks, trails u Implementability: cost, acceptance u Interagency cooperation: Border Patrol activities

Formulation process 3. Initial screening of concepts based on fatal flaw analysis 4. Identify flood control issues/problem areas u U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee survey u Previous hydraulic modeling u Previous alternative formulations & analyses u USIBWC experience

Formulation process 5. Identify water delivery issues/problem areas u USIBWC experience u Sediment control 6. Divide river into ‘River Management Units’ or similar concept 7. Identify environmental enhancement and recreational opportunities by RMU

Formulation process 8. Formulate alternatives based on: u Flood control issues and needs u Water supply issues and needs u Environmental enhancement opportunities u Recreational opportunities 9. Evaluate alternatives based on objectives and performance measures

Environmental Impacts

Environmental Resource Categories u Biological Resources u Water Resources u Air Quality u Land Use / Agricultural Issues u Urban / Energy Issues u Recreational Resources u Cultural Resources u Indian Tribal Lands u Environmental Justice u Visual Resources u Regional Economics u Public Health / Environmental Hazards

Types of Environmental Impacts u Direct u e.g., vegetation removal u Indirect u e.g., increase in water temperature u Short-term u e.g., fugitive dust from construction u Long-term u e.g., promote native vegetation u Cumulative u resulting from proposed and other actions in project area

Impacts on Biological Resources u Assess Impacts to u Habitats –Aquatic –Riparian –Terrestrial u Species –Ecologically important –T&E –State special concern

Impacts on Biological Resources u Assess Impacts from u Water Quality u Water Quantity u Sediment/Soil Quality u Habitat Loss/Degradation –Construction –Vegetation removal –Sedimentation u Invasive/Exotic Species

Next Steps u Complete Scoping Process – Early 2005 u Preparation of Draft PEIS – Most of 2005 u Public/Agency Review of Draft PEIS – Late 2005 u Public Hearings – Late 2005 u Final PEIS – Early 2006 u Record of Decision – Early 2006

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