The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments on its draft
Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for Mud
Mountain Dam Fish Passage Project. The public comment period ends April 17,
2015.
The
Mud Mountain Upstream Fish Passage Facility was constructed as mitigation for
the loss of fish passage due to the construction of Mud Mountain Dam that was
completed in 1941. The project is
located at River Mile 24.3 on the White River in Pierce and King Counties near
the Cities of Enumclaw and Buckley on the White River, which is a tributary
entering the Puyallup River about 10 miles above the Puyallup River’s mouth at
Commencement Bay, Puget Sound.
The Corps is proposing to
construct a replacement fish trap and haul facility, and a replacement fish
passage barrier, as well as upgrading access roads to the fish trap and the
release site. The proposed new fish trap facility would be constructed on the
right bank of the river directly across from the existing fish trap facility.
The project replaces a
100-year-old barrier and a 70-year-old fish trap. The replacement is designed to pass more than
1 million fish to ensure all fish are passed in a safe, timely and effective
manner.
The
planning of the new facility has been a collaborative effort using a Regional
Design Team with representatives from National Marine Fisheries Service,
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife, and Cascade Water Alliance.
The
draft EA and draft FONSI are available on the Seattle District website at: http://1.usa.gov/1xmgaIe (Draft EA), and
http://1.usa.gov/1DFgnIn (Draft EA
appendices).
To
submit public comments on this Draft EA and FONSI, correspondence should be
directed to: Michael Scuderi, Environmental Resources Branch, telephone (206)
764-7205; via e-mail at Michael.R.Scuderi@usace.army.mil; or at the address
below:
Michael
Scuderi
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineer District, Seattle
Attn:
CENWS-EN-ER
P.O.
Box 3755
Seattle,
Washington 98134
To
become part of the record and to be considered in the decision, comments on
this notice must be postmarked no later than April 17, 2015. In your response,
please refer to the public notice number CENWS-EN-ER 15-05, Mud Mountain Dam Upstream Fish Passage
Environmental Assessment, March 18, 2015. If no response is received and
postmarked by the closing date, a “no comment” response will be assumed.