Wellsville Canyon Plan-EIS

Wellsville Canyon Watershed Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Improvements in the Wellsville Mountains Watershed

Sponsor: Cache Water District
Co-sponsors: Wellsville City Irrigation Company, Wellsville City, Mendon City, Wellsville-Mendon Conservation District, Mendon North Irrigation Company, Mendon Central Irrigation Company, Mendon Second North Irrigation Company, Greater Mendon Irrigation Company, Wellsville East Field Irrigation & Canal Company, Mendon South Irrigation Company, Cache County

Page updated: August 22, 2023 — This page will continue to be updated as the project progresses.

Note: Previously referred to as the Wellsville-Mendon Plan-EA.

 

◆ Project Description

The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), with assistance from Cache Water District as the project sponsor, and several co-sponsors—Wellsville City Irrigation Company, Wellsville City, Mendon City, Wellsville-Mendon Conservation District, Mendon North Irrigation Company, Mendon Central Irrigation Company, Mendon Second North Irrigation Company, Greater Mendon Irrigation Company, Wellsville East Field Irrigation & Canal Company, Mendon South Irrigation Company, and Cache County—are considering proposed improvements within the Wellsville Canyon and Threemile Creek Watersheds, Cache County, UT.

The proposed project would prevent or reduce flooding, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve irrigation water delivery. Conceptual improvements may include:

  1. Flood Prevention
    • Culvert replacements
    • Channel stabilization measures
    • Detention basins
  2. Agricultural Water Management
    • Pressurized secondary irrigation system to improve reliable irrigation water supply and provide sustainable conveyance system
    • Diversion structures
  3. Recreation
    • Opportunities at Wellsville Reservoir

 

◆ Project Location

To view a map of the project watershed area, click here.

 

◆ NEPA Analysis

NRCS, as the lead federal agency, is initiating National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis in the form of a Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) to analyze impacts to the natural and human environment from this project. The Plan-EA will comply with the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations at 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and the Natural Resources Conservation Service Regulations (7 CFR Part 650), which require an evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with federal projects and actions.

Update: This project has been updated from an Environmental Assessment (EA) to an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), any project which receives federal funding must undergo an environmental impact analysis to ensure that no unnecessary irreversible or damaging practices occur as a result of the project. Compliance with NEPA can come in three different ways: an Environmental Assessment (EA), an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or a Categorical Exclusion (CatEx).

A Categorical Exclusion is applied to federal projects which are deemed to have negligible environmental impacts and are exempt from further analysis.

Environmental Assessments are documents which are written to evaluate all existing resources in a project area, develop all possible project alternatives which would fulfill the Purpose and Need, evaluate the environmental consequences each alternative would have, select a Preferred Alternative, and issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) statement. Under an EA, only two alternatives are evaluated, the NEPA No-Action Alternative and the Proposed Action.

An Environmental Impact Statement follows the same process as an EA but includes the evaluation of multiple alternatives in addition to the NEPA No-Action Alternative. An EIS also typically covers projects which are larger in scale that may have more significant environmental consequences. Upon completion of an EIS, the federal agency will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) instead of a FONSI since some impacts are likely to occur under EIS projects.

An EA may progress to an EIS for several reasons, including exceedance of a federal funding cap for an EA or if the project will have larger and more consequential environmental impacts to proceed. This project has progressed to an EIS due to the exceedance of the federal funding cap for the EA.

 

◆ Current Status

The scoping phase is complete. The project is currently in the alternative development and analysis phase.

 

◆ Project Schedule (Update Forthcoming)
  • Scoping Public Comment Period :: April 27, 2021 — May 27, 2021

You can click here to view the Scoping Report. (The page may take a few minutes to load due to the large file size of the report. We recommend using the Google Chrome browser. Thank you for your patience!)

  • Scoping Public Virtual Open House :: May 11, 2021

You can click here to see the meeting flyer, presentation, and a recording of the meeting.

  • Alternative Development and Analysis :: Ongoing
 
  • Preparation of Draft Watershed Plan – Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan-EA) :: Winter 2023 — Spring 2024
 
  • Draft Plan-EA Public Comment Period (30 days) :: Pending
 
  • Preparation of Draft Plan-EA & Finding of No Significant Impact (Plan-EA and FONSI) :: Pending
 
  • Issue of Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) :: 2025

 

◆ Contact Information

Lance Houser — Franson Civil Engineers
459 South Main Street Suite 200
Logan, UT 84321
[email protected]
435-754-7661

Anthony Beals – USDA-NRCS
125 South State Street Room 4010
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
[email protected]
385-414-1872

Derek Hamilton – USDA-NRCS
125 South State Street Room 4010
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
[email protected]
801-524-4560