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i, MONTANASTATELIBRARY s 63t.7 M179w9c9s 308640014 34128 WESTCRANE SPRINKLERIRRIGATIONPROJECT DRAFTENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT Preparedby MONTANADEPARTMENTOFNATURAL RESOURCESANDCONSERVATION STATEDOCUMENTSCOLLECTION \m c' ra MONTANASTATELIBRARY HELEN15A1,5MEO.N6TtAhNAAVE5-9620 February1999 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION GMOAVRECRRNAOCRICOT DITREELCETFOARX'NSUOMFFBIECRE((440066))444444--22608744 STATE OF MONTANA TWEALTEEFRARXENSUOMUBRCEERSSD(I40V6I)S4I4O4-N05(43036)/4(44046-)6640414-5918 48HNELOERNTAH,LMAOSNTTCAHPANONABCO5E9X6G220U0-L1166C00H11 NOTICE-FEBRUARY8,1999 TheDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservationhascompleteditsdraftenvironmentalassessment (EA)fortheWestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProject.CopiesofthedraftEAarebeingcirculatedforpublic review.ApublicmeetingwillbeheldattheSidneyPublicLibraryonMonday,February22,1999at7:00 p.mtoanswerquestionsontheEAandtoreceivewrittenandoralcomments.Writtencommentsalsowill beacceptedpriortothepublicmeeting.Theyshouldbeaddressedto: LarryDolan DepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation 48NorthLastChanceGulch PHe.lOe.nBa,oxM2T0156906120-1601 ; Orcommentscanbeemailedto:[email protected] ThedraftEAfortheWestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProjectwaspreparedpursuanttotheMontana EnvironmentalPolicyAct,andMontanaWaterUseAct.AdditionalcopiesofthedraftEAcanbeobtained bycallingLarryDolanat(406)444-6627,orbywritingDNRCattheaddresslistedabove. DepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation STATEWBAUTREERAPURO)ECTS WATERBMUARNEAAGUEMENT WATERBOUPREERAAUTIONS WATBEURRREIAGUHTS (40(<)444-664b (406)444-6637 (406)444-0860 (406)444-6610 1.0-PURPOSEANDNEEDFORACTION 1 1111....1234 PBHSriacosocjtpkeoegcrortyfoLutohncedateinovnironmentalAnalysis 55516 PublicInvolvement 6 1.7 AppAIRMMUUlsgi.ooSisScennuc.hnFtetalciAsaabasyrnnSlnhmatIadeuanyDrCDdvneioeCoedepuplogdanvaWruirterpillmytntsdaemmDlConeteieotffnntoneEtatrsniSeyooglerffirRvNnFvaeiaeitqstceiheuuro,rsin(arW(UDlieiCSlRmsdOFetelEWrsini)Softceu)tsra(cneRdsCPCaaDnr)dksCo(nDsFerWvPa)tion(DNRC) ......6177777 MontanaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality(DEQ) .7 2.0-ALTERNATIVESINCLUDINGTHEPROPOSEDACTION .9 2.1 DevPerilmoaprmyeInstsuoefalternatives ..99 OtherRelevantIssues .9 2.2 DesAAAclllrtttieeerrrpnnntaaaitttoiiinvvveeeo2I3f---AFNlPirtonoeeAprcSontcsairetoedinevPnrieonsjgeocftIntakes 11110002 AAlltteerrnnaattiivvee45--ISnlfoitlttreadtHioDnPGaEllpeirpyeintakescreenswithBendwayweirs. 1134 3.0-AFFECTEDENVIRONMENT 16 3.1 LanNSeodnxsUiisotuievseAWNPelDaenVdtessgetation 111667 LandOwnership 17 Transportation 17 3.2 Wetlands 18 3.3 WatSWueartrfeaRrceeQsuWoaalutiretcyres 211099 SodiuTmotAaldsDoirspstolivoendRSaotliidosn((TSDASR)) ,.2212 Sodium,Chloride,andBoron ..22 Arsenic ..22 TotalSuspendedSediment(TSS) ..22 Temperature ..23 DissolvedOxygen ..23 StreaSmuiCtahbailnintyelofFWoartmerforIrrigation ...2233 3.4 GrHoyudnrodgweaoltoegricUnits ..2266 GroundWaterFlowandGroundWaterQuality .28 33..56 SEocioPlnospoumliactiaonndSocialFactors ...333133 Employment - .33 Income Taxation AgriculturalSales 3.7 Wildlife 3.8 Fisheries 3.9 CulturalResources YellowstoneRiver ^20 GartsideReservoir 4.0-ENVIRONMENTALCONSEQUENCES 40 4.1 LandUSEANDVegetation 40 Vegetation 40 SensitivePlants 40 LandUse 40 Powertransmissionlines 40 Highways,Railroads,Canals 47 Transportation 47 4.2 Wetlands 41 Impacts 47 4.3 WaterResources 42 SurfaceWater 42 WaterQuality 44 TotalSuspendedSediment 44 TotalDissolvedSolids 44 TemperatureandDissolvedOxygen 45 Arsenic 45 StreamChannelForm 45 4.4 Groundwater 46 4.5 EffectsONSoils 48 SoilsImpactsDuetoIrrigation 45 Erosion 45 Salinity 49 SoilsImpactsDuetoConvertingfromDrylandAgriculturetoIrrigatedAgriculture 52 SoilsImpactsDuetoConvertingRangelandtoIrrigatedAgriculture 52 SoilsImpactsDuetoPipelineandServiceRoadConstruction 52 4.6 EconomicandSocialFactors 53 Population 55 EffectsofNoAction 53 EffectsofProjectundertheFourActionAlternatives 53 EmploymentandIncome 55 EffectsofNoAction 53 EffectsofProjectundertheFourActionAlternatives 53 Taxation 54 EffectsofNoAction 54 EffectsofProjectundertheFourActionAlternatives 54 AgriculturalSales 54 EffectsofNoAction 54 EffectsofProjectundertheFourActionAlternatives 54 4.7 WILDLIFE 54 4.8 Fisheries 55 GeneralCommentsandConcerns 55 Alternative1-NoAction 55 Alternative2-ProposedProject 55 Alternative3-FineScreeningofIntakes 56 Alternative4-InfiltrationGallery 56 Alternative5-SlottedHDPEPipewithBendwayWeirs 56 4.9CulturalResources 56 4.10Recreation 57 YellowstoneRiver 57 GartsideReservoir 57 5.0-PREFERREDALTERNATIVEANDRECOMMENDEDMITIGATIONMEASURES 58 5.1 PreferedAlternative 58 5.2RecommendedMitigation 58 Fisheries 55 WaterQuality 55 Recreation 59 5.3NeedforanEIS 59 6.0-REFFERENCES 61 7.0-LISTOFPREPARERS 65 iii ListofAcronyms COE U.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers DEQ MontanaDepartmentofEnvironmentalOuality DFWP MontanaDepartmentofFish,Wildlife,andParks DNRC MontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation DO DissolvedOxygen EA EnvironmentalAssessment EIS EnvironmentalImpactStatement ET Evapotranspiration MEPA MontanaEnvironmentalPolicyAct NEPA NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct NRCS NaturalResourceConservationService NRHP NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces PCPI PerCapitaPersonalIncome RCCD RichlandCountyConservationDistrict TDS TotalDissolvedSolids TPI TotalPersonalIncome TSS TotalSuspendedSediment USFWS U.S.FishandWildlifeService USGS U.S.GeologicalSurvey WCSIP WestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProject WCSIP,LLC WestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProjectLimitedLiabilityCompany IV ^ 1.0-PURPOSEANDNEEDFORACTION ThepurposeoftheWestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProject(WCSIP)istheirrigationof11,965acresofland ipLWRniriCaocbSRvihiIillcidPathen,yldaLCenLcodCComo,npCuotoanomutnindyycteyv(C,beWeolnCnMoeSsopfeInir2Pttv3,aat,Lnot9Lai3C.to0)hne,TahcsbDreiueesrl-tprifrreoeiovceujtetnesdcoi(tftnRhrgseCepCsoapeDrnrreso)avjo.eercdi,tsTwtiaoshsteeneeprekWreioefnvdsrgieotddmeaCttutrohtheaheinoYmreenpilerzSlacoptoevriwseiossnntfkaoalrnefryrermowRIemairctrvoieeDgrnraN,otRfimaooCitrnc,atPhvrmieooaajnbxpeilrciiobttjmeyehuLcaaitmlnm,fidrttaehttodeoef of132.5cubicfeetpersecond(cfs),throughawaterrightchangeapplication. The following Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) is an examination of the potential effects of dReevseoluorpcmeesnatnodfCtohneseWrCvSatIiPo.nT(hDeNRDCr)afttoEcAomhpalsywbietehnthpereMpoanrteadnabyEntvhieroMnomnetnatnaalPDoelpiacrytAmcetnt(MoEfPANa)tuarnadl tihnseigNniaftiicoannatlorEncvainrobnemeandteaqluatPeollyicmyitAicgtate(dN,EtPhAe).EAIfwiillmpbaectdseeomfetdhethepraoppporsoeprdiaptreojleecvtelaorfeenfvoiurnodnmteontbael orreviofewq.ueIsftiimopnaacbtlseomfetrihte,ptrhoepoaspepdlicpraonjtesctwiallrebfeournedqutiorebdetsoigpnrifeipcaarnte,aanndenpvriorpoonsmeedntmailtigiamtpiaocntinsatdaetqeumaetnet (EIS). Written comments on the Draft EA must be provided by the date specified by the notice accompanyingthisreport. 1.1 ProjectLocation TheproposedprojectislocatedinsoutheastRichlandCountynearSidney,Montana. Figure1.2-1shows theprojectlocation. WaterwouldbediverteddirectlyfromtheYellowstoneRiveratapoint12milessouth ofSidney,nearCrane(Figure1.2-2). Approximately78milesofpipelinewouldbenecessarytoconvey waterforirrigationoflandslocatedasfaras15mileswestofthepointofdiversion(Figure1.2-3). c 1 9 Figure1-2-1. LocationMapForWestCraneSprinklerIrrigationProject. 2