Notice of Availability of Draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment and Public Meetings for Farmers Irrigation District Infrastructure Modernization Project

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon, with Farmers Irrigation District (FID or the District) as the project sponsor, announces the availability of a Draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan-EA) for the Farmers Irrigation District Infrastructure Modernization Project.

FID proposes to install 3.0 miles of buried pipe; install six Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems; deepen the existing attenuation bay; and expand Forebay 3. The proposed improvements may be partially funded by NRCS through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (PL 83-566) and would improve water conservation and District operational efficiency in order to increase delivery reliability to District patrons and increase drought resiliency.

The proposed project is located in Hood River County, Oregon. The National Environmental Policy Act and the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations at 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500–1508 require an evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with federal projects and actions with input from the public.

You are invited to attend a public meeting to provide input on this project. The range of resource issues associated with the project and alternatives to addressing system improvements in the District will be presented and discussed. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

In-person Meeting                    
Wednesday, November 8, 2023                    
6 – 7 PM                
Hood River Fire Department    
1785 Meyer Pkwy, Hood River, OR, 97031              

Virtual Meeting
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
6 – 7 PM
Register for the online meeting at: oregonwatershedplans.org/farmers-id

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting to Kate Hart at (541) 716-6085 or kate.hart@fcasolutions.org.

Comments may be submitted during the public comment period starting October 25, 2023 and ending on November 29, 2023. Comments may be emailed to farmers.id.comments@gmail.com; submitted online at oregonwatershedplans.org/farmers-id; left as a voice message at the Farmers Conservation Alliance office at (541) 716-6085; or mailed to: Farmers Conservation Alliance, Attn: FID Plan, 102 State Street, Hood River, OR, 97031.

Additional information is available online at oregonwatershedplans.org/farmers-id or the NRCS Oregon web page at nrcs.usda.gov/oregon.