The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the approval of a one-time water banking project in which Westlands Water District (WWD) would bank up to 50,000 acre-feet of their 2008 allocated Central Valley Project (CVP) contract water supply in Semitropic Water Storage Districts facilities for use by WWD at a later date.

WWD desires to maximize the beneficial use of their 2008 CVP allocation by storing supplies that are excess to its immediate demand.  Although 2008 has been a dry year, fallowing and crop abandonment due to limited water supply and delivery timing constraints may lead to unused water supplies in 2008.  WWD proposes to bank supplies above its 2008 irrigation demand for future delivery to meet crop demands during the next water supply shortage. 

The Draft EA/FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available for a 21-day public review and comment period.  The Draft EA/FONSI are available online at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=3396.  If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or lwirth@mp.usbr.gov.

Please send written comments to Ms. Judi Tapia, Bureau of Reclamation, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721, by Friday, September 19, 2008.  Comments may also be faxed to Ms. Tapia at 559-487-5397 or e-mailed to jtapia@mp.usbr.gov. 

For additional information or to request a copy of the Draft EA/FONSI, please contact Ms. Tapia at 559-487-5138, TDD 559-487-5933.  Copies of the Draft EA/FONSI may also be viewed at Reclamations Fresno office, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721.