PORTLAND, Ore. – Two federal agencies are seeking public input on changed circumstances and new information regarding Columbia River System operations to inform preparation of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), who are the co-lead agencies for the SEIS, issued a notice of intent in the Federal Register, today, which announced the effort and the need for public input over the next 90 days.
The co-lead agencies intend to supplement the 2020 Columbia River System Operations EIS (CRSO EIS), including the selected alternative, to address new information and circumstances since it was published in 2020.
The 2020 CRSO EIS analyzed the coordinated operation and maintenance of fourteen Federal multi-purpose dams and related facilities located throughout the Columbia River Basin. As part of scoping, the co-lead agencies will seek input from the public to inform an SEIS as they recognize the need for additional collaborative dialogue about the system.
The co-lead agencies made the decision to supplement the 2020 CRSO EIS after a review process that considered available facts and input from Tribal partners, stakeholders, and federal and state agencies in fall 2024. After this review, the co-lead agencies determined initiating an SEIS was appropriate to evaluate the updated and changed circumstances that include, but are not limited to:
• Changes to operations, maintenance, and configuration of the fourteen projects that make up the Columbia River System.
• New species that have been listed or proposed for listing under the ESA (e.g., Wolverine).
• Relevant new reports, studies, or other information published since the CRSO EIS was completed.
The co-lead agencies will follow criteria for preparing supplements to final EIS, which are provided in the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations at 40 CFR §1502.9 and each agency’s NEPA implementing regulations. Presently, the co-lead agencies will continue to operate the Columbia River System to meet its congressionally authorized purposes, including flood risk management, water supply, navigation, hydropower generation, recreation, and fish and wildlife. To learn more and submit comments, visit the project website at www.nwd.usace.army.mil/columbiariver.
The co-lead agencies need your input and invite federal and state agencies, Native American Tribes, local governments, and the public to submit scoping comments relevant to the supplemental NEPA process no later than March 20, 2025. The co-lead agencies will hold at least three virtual public meetings the week of February 10, 2025. Details of those meetings will be posted on the project website early in the new year.