The public is invited to review and comment on a Bureau of Reclamation draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT) Rural Water System project.
The proposed project would include construction and operation of a dam, storage reservoir, water pumping plant, water treatment facilities and a pipeline that would provide water to Fort Apache Indian Reservation communities, 180 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona. The draft EIS analyzes the environmental impacts of constructing, operating, and maintaining the proposed system.
The proposed Miner Flat Reservoir would store approximately 8,600 acre-feet of water. The proposed dam would be 163 feet high and 407 feet in length. Water from the Miner Flat Reservoir would be released to the North Fork of White River and conveyed via pipeline to downstream Fort Apache Indian Reservation communities. Construction of the distribution system would include 50 miles of new water pipeline.
The draft EIS was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the WMAT Water Rights Quantification Act (Title III of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010; Public Law 111-291).
The document is available for review on the project website at https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com. Reclamation and the WMAT will host a virtual public meeting via Facebook Live on Aug. 27, 2022, at 10 a.m. PST. People will have the opportunity to ask questions about the draft EIS.
Public comments will be accepted through Sept. 12, 2022. Comments can be submitted during the virtual public meeting, by email at bor-sha-LCB-WMAT-EIS@usbr.gov, through the project website at https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com, or via U.S. mail to:
Dominic Graziani
Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office
6150 West Thunderbird Road
Glendale, AZ 85306
For more information about the draft EIS, please visit https://www.wmat-rws-eis.com.
Original source can be found here.
