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Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for North Unit Irrigation District Project

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oregon announces the availability of a Final Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the North Unit Irrigation District Infrastructure Modernization Project.

The project is located in Jefferson County, Oregon and will install 27.5 miles of gravity-pressurized, buried pipe; upgrade 153 turnouts; and construct four 1,000 cubic-yard retention ponds, each approximately 0.5 acres in size. The project will improve water conservation on District-operated laterals; improve water delivery reliability and drought resilience to NUID irrigators; reduce NUID’s operation and maintenance costs; reduce operational spills into natural waterbodies; and improve streamflow, water quality, habitat, and habitat availability in the Deschutes River.

The Deschutes Basin Board of Control is the project sponsor and North Unit Irrigation District is the co-sponsor with assistance from Farmers Conservation Alliance. The Bureau of Reclamation is a cooperating agency.

The project may be partially funded through the Watershed and Flood Prevention Program, administered by NRCS and authorized by Public Law 83-566.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Part 1500), and NRCS Regulations (7 CFR Part 650), NRCS gives notice that an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for this project.

The environmental assessment of this federally-assisted action indicates that the project will not cause significant local, regional, or national impacts to the environment. As a result of these findings, Ron Alvarado, NRCS Oregon State Conservationist, has determined that the preparation and review of an environmental impact statement is not needed for this project.

This Notice has been forwarded to various Federal, State, and local agencies and interested parties. The FONSI and other supporting planning documents are available at: oregonwatershedplans.org/north-unit-id.

Implementation of the proposal will not be taken for 30 days from the publication date of this Notice.

For more information, contact Gary Diridoni, NRCS Oregon’s Assistant State Conservationist for Watershed Resources and Planning, at (503) 414-3092 or gary.diridoni@usda.gov.