The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Draft Environmental Assessment evaluating the impacts of installing pumping facilities and subsequently removing of Savage Rapids Dam located near Grants Pass, Oregon. The purpose of the action is to improve fish passage, while also maintaining a water diversion for the Grants Pass Irrigation District.
Although these actions were evaluated by Reclamation in a planning report and final Environmental Impact Statement in 1995, the revised preferred alternative presented in this current EA includes the following actions:
Keeping a portion of the existing dam structures in place;
Constructing a single, large pumping plant on the south side of the river;
Installing a pipe bridge to convey water to the north side of the river.
Comments on the EA will be accepted through Sept. 26, and should be sent to: Bureau of Reclamation, Attn: Mr. Robert Hamilton, 1150 North Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise ID 83706-1234. Comments can also be sent via email to savage_rapids@pn.usbr.gov.
A copy of the Draft EA may be obtained at the Grants Pass Irrigation District office at 200 Fruitdale Drive in Grants Pass, Oregon, or by contacting Mr. Robert Hamilton at (208) 378 5087 or via email at savage_rapids@pn.usbr.gov. The Draft EA and the PR/FES are accessible on the internet at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
