Summary

Description

The TruckeeCarsonPyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act Public Law 1 0 1618 directs the Secretary of the Interior to acquire enough water and water rights to sustain, on a longterm average, approximately 25,000 acres of primary wetland habitat in the Lahontan Valley. This FEIS describes and evaluates a Proposed Action and three action alternatives for accomplishing this objective; a No Action Alternative also is addressed. The five alternatives are 1 No Action Alternative, which includes the acquisition of 20,000 acrefeet AF of water rights from within the Carson Division of the Newlands Project; 2 Proposed Action, which proposes the acquisition of up to 122,000 AF of water rights; 3 Least Cost Alternative, which would result in the acquisition of up to 100,000 AF of water rights; 4 Maximum Acquisition Alternative, which would result in up to 133,500 AF being acquired; and 5 the Services Preferred Alternative, which would result in a the acquisition of up to 75,000 AF of water rights in the Carson Division, b leasing of water, c acquisition of water rights from the Middle Carson River corridor, d use of conserved U.S, Navy water as available, and e pumping of groundwater. This FEIS evaluates the alternatives relative to their potential effects on: 1 Newlands Project operations and infrastructure; 2 water resources; 3 biological resources; 4 regional agriculture, farmlands, and the local economy; 5 regional recreation; 6 land use; and 7 social values. Estimated acquisition costs are also disclosed.