PHOENIX - The Bureau of Reclamation is issuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) proposing a 100-year lease of 5,925 acre-feet of water annually to the town of Gilbert in Maricopa County, Ariz. The water is part of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) water entitlement currently held by the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The proposal calls for Gilbert to either treat and deliver, or recharge the CAP water. Adding this renewable water source would reduce the town's dependence on groundwater within its service area and lessen their reliance on excess CAP water. Reclamation's approval of the proposed lease and the town's delivery or recharge of the entitlement would not result in construction of new facilities or any land-disturbing activities.

Based upon the EA, Reclamation has made a preliminary determination that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate for this proposed lease, and an environmental impact statement is not required. However, no final decision will be made until all comments from the public are fully considered. The EA is posted for public review on Reclamation's Phoenix Area Office website, http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix. A hard copy or CD version of the EA is available by calling the Environmental Resource Management Division at (623) 773-6251, or by e-mailing jharagara@usbr.gov.

Please mail your comments to Ms. Nichole Olsker, Bureau of Reclamation, 6150 W. Thunderbird Rd., Glendale AZ 85306-4001, Attention PXAO-1500, via electronic mail to nolsker@usbr.gov., or faxed to (623) 773-6486, no later than December 2, 2010.

Questions should be directed to Ms. Olsker at (623) 773-6258.