​East Fork Irrigation District Modernization Project (DOE/EA-2118)

Hood River County, Oregon

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to adopt the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA). The Plan-EA describes the proposed East Fork Irrigation District Modernization Project and the associated environmental impacts. BPA proposes to fund a portion of the Eastside Lateral Piping Project, which is a discrete component of the East Fork Irrigation District Modernization Project. The Eastside Lateral Piping Project would modernize approximately six miles of irrigation infrastructure and is expected to cost up to $10 million to implement. BPA would provide the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon with up to $1 million to fund certain design work and materials for the Eastside Lateral Piping Project.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

As the lead agency, NRCS prepared a Plan-EA following the procedures of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to understand the potential environmental impacts of the action. BPA is a cooperating agency. The Plan-EA analyzed the East Fork Irrigation District Modernization Project, which includes providing funding for the Eastside Lateral Piping Project, as well as a no-action alternative in which BPA would not fund a portion of the Eastside Lateral Piping Project and old infrastructure would remain in use without upgrades. The Plan-EA described anticipated impacts to natural and human resources and identifies mitigation measures to help avoid or minimize impacts. The draft Plan-EA was released for public review and comment in January 2020. During the review period, 27 comments on the Draft Plan-EA were received from 26 individuals and the ODFW. NRCS has reviewed all public comments and has made changes, as appropriate, to the final Plan-EA based on those comments and internal review. The final Plan-EA and NRCS’ Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) were released in July 2020. During the final review period, no comments were received.

CURRENT STATUS

The NRCS released its final Plan-EA and FONSI. Based on the Plan-EA analysis and mitigation measures to help lessen impacts, BPA found that the proposed action would not cause any significant impacts, and issued a FONSI on DATE, 2020. The BPA FONSI includes a Mitigation Action Plan to help avoid or lessen potential impacts. For more information, visit the NRCS project website.

CONTACT

For environmental information, contact:
Israel Duran        Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Environmental Protection Specialist Direct Line: 503-230-3967
Bonneville Power Administration – ECF-4 Email: induran@bpa.gov 
PO Box 3621
Portland, Oregon 97208-3621

For project information, contact:
Eric Andersen Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Fish and Wildlife Administrator Direct Line: 503-230-4094
Bonneville Power Administration – EWL-4        Email: ejandersen@bpa.gov 
PO Box 3621
Portland, Oregon 97208-3621
 

DOCUMENTS

FINAL Plan-EA & FONSI
Final Plan-EA  (07/15/2020)
NRCS FONSI/Mitigation Action Plan  (07/15/2020)
BPA FONSI & Mitigation Action Plan  (11/03/2020)
BPA Public Letter  (01/03/2020)

DRAFT
Public Letter  (01/08/2020)
Draft Plan-EA   (01/08/2020)

SCOPING
Public Letter  (10/03/2018)
Project Map  (10/18/2018)