PHOENIX - The Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT), will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts of constructing and operating the WMAT Rural Water System. The project is being funded by the Bureau of Reclamation.
The proposed project includes a dam and storage reservoir on the North Fork of the White River, water treatment facilities, and a distribution system that would provide water to communities located approximately 180 miles east of Phoenix, Ariz. on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, including Whiteriver, Fort Apache, Canyon Day, Cedar Creek, Carrizo, and Cibecue.
Input from the public is desired to aid in the identification of key issues and possible alternatives related to the proposed project that should be considered in the EIS. Two meetings will be held to solicit public input on the scope of the environmental review, including alternatives, concerns, and issues to be addressed in the EIS. The scoping meetings will be held at the following locations:
• Sept. 20, 2013, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Cibicue Complex Feeding Center, 10 West 3rd North Cromwell Road, Cibecue, Arizona.
• Sept. 21, 2013, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Whiteriver Unified School District Office Training Room II, 963 South Chief Avenue, Whiteriver, Arizona.
Information regarding the proposed project can be obtained by calling Reclamation’s Environmental Resource Management Division at (623) 773-6251, by e-mailing jharagara@usbr.gov, or by downloading it from the Phoenix Area Office website at www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix
Comments can also be mailed to John McGlothlen at the Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, PXAO-1500, 6150 West Thunderbird Rd., Glendale, AZ. 85306-4001or faxed to (623) 773-6481, no later than Oct. 28, 2013. Questions may be directed to Mr. McGlothlen at (623) 773-6256.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
