Reclamation is seeking public comments on a revised draft Environmental Assessment on the proposed Community Water Company water distribution system and recharge facility. The proposed project would allow delivery and use of CWC's Central Arizona Project entitlement of 2,858 acre-feet per year for its service area within the upper Santa Cruz basin, located south of Tucson, Ariz. A pipeline would be constructed to convey CAP water to an artificial recharge facility located east of CWC's water service area, where the CAP water would be stored underground.

An initial draft EA for the Proposed Project was made available March 6, 2009. Subsequent to the end of the 2009 comment period, CWCGV identified two alternate recharge sites, located adjacent to each other, about 1.6 miles west of the originally proposed recharge site. These sites are more suitable than the original recharge location, capable of recharging up to 7,000 acre-feet per year (AFY), and reduce environmental impacts.

The revised DEA reflects these changes and includes, where appropriate, changes made in response to comments received on the March 2009 document. Because the revisions do not substantially change the environmental impacts, Reclamation does not intend to conduct a public hearing to receive oral comments. Previously submitted comments do not have to be resubmitted. All comments received on both versions of the EA, and Reclamation's responses, will be included in the final EA.

The revised draft EA can be obtained by calling the Environmental Resource Management Division at (623) 773-6251, e-mailing rkonst@lc.usbr.gov , or by downloading it from the Phoenix Area Office website at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/

Comments may be mailed to Ms. Sandra Eto, PXAO-1500, Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, 6150 W. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix AZ 85306; via electronic mail to seto@usbr.gov; or FAX to 623-773-6486, no later than May 21, 2010. Comments, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available.