Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has decided to fund the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes to construct a new weir on Pettit Lake Creek. The new weir would be located at the site of an existing weir that is undersized for the flows regularly encountered. The weir would utilize current technology for capture of both in-migrating Snake River sockeye adults and out-migrating Snake River sockeye juveniles and would be designed according to National Marine Fisheries Service criteria for this type of structure. Weir construction would require building a temporary access spur to the site and a temporary staging and equipment storage area.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
To understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA), in cooperation with BPA, prepared an environmental assessment (EA) following the procedures of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EA considered the Pettit Lake Creek weir construction proposal, as well as a No Action Alternative in which BPA funding would not be provided for construction and the current structure would remain in use. The EA describes anticipated impacts to to natural and human resources with a focus on impacts to fish, recreation, and scenic values.
The schedule for the environmental review was as follows:
Scoping comment period
Draft EA comment period
Final EA
Finding of No Signicant Impact (if warranted)
If decision to build, construction start |
February 19, 2020 - March 20, 2020
Spring 2020
Summer 2020
Late Summer 2020
Late Summer 2020 |