DETERMINATION OF NONSIGNIFICANCE

DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL:

Priest Rapids Dam Off-Ladder Adult Fish Trap: Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County (District) plans to construct an Off-Ladder Adult Fish Trap (OLAFT) according to designs approved through the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee and the Priest Rapids Off Ladder Trap Working Group (NOAA Fisheries, Yakama Nation, WDFW, and Grant County PUD) pursuant to Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) #22 of the May 3, 2004 Biological Opinion issued by NOAA Fisheries for the Priest Rapids Project and a December 16, 2004 FERC Order incorporating RPA #22 into the District's FERC License. Construction of the intake water supply will be installed with the use of a temporary steel caisson barrier outside of the normal salmonid migration period. The intake water supply will be guarded by a trash rack and drum type of screen to prevent fish from entering the OLAFT from this location. Water will discharge through a flow-control drain beneath the left bank fish ladder back into the river. Water containing anesthetic solution will be sent to evaporation ponds. No dredge or fill material is anticipated and no work will be performed on the river bed. All construction work will be performed in the dry during regularly scheduled ladder outage maintenance. Located within the existing parking lot of Priest Rapids Dam, this new adult trap is approximately 75' wide by 132' long and will connect to the left bank fish ladder adjacent to the first turn.

PROPONENT: Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County

LOCATION OF PROPOSAL, INCLUDING STREET ADDRESS, IF ANY: Priest Rapids Dam spans the Columbia River at river mile 397.1, (Grant and Yakima counties, Washington) in Section 2, Township 13 North, Range 23 East, W.M., and approximately six miles south of Mattawa, Washington. The off-ladder adult trap project area will extend along the eastern edge of the left bank fish ladder.

LEAD AGENCY: Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County ("District") has determined that this proposed measure does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required under RCW 43.21C.030 (2)(c). This decision was made after review of a completed environmental checklist and other information on file with the lead agency. This information is available to the public on request.

[X] This DNS is issued under 197-11-340(2); the lead agency will not act on this proposal for 14 days from the date below.

Responsible official:

Mr. Cliff Sears

Position/title:

Regulatory Compliance Coordinator

Phone:

(509) 754-6612

Address:

P.O. Box 878

30 C. St. SW

Ephrata, WA 98823

Date:

Signature:

Cliff Sears, Regulatory Compliance Coordinator

X There is no adminstrative appeal of District SEPA determinations.

#09017

Pub: September 2, 9, 2005