Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Fish Passage and Habitat Improvements to Dry Creek, Yuba and Nevada Counties, California Beale Air Force Base and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announce their intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment for the proposed fish passage and habitat improvement project that would restore access for anadromous salmonids in Dry Creek. Project activities would: 1) remove Beale Lake Dam; 2) remove a low-flow crossing in Dry Creek downstream of Beale Air Force Base; and 3) inject spawning-grade gravel to improve spawning habitat upstream of Beale Air Force Base. As part of the Proposed Action, the Air Force is considering a No Action Alternative and the Preferred Alternative (removal of the dam and low flow crossing and injection of spawning gravel). The complete project area includes approximately 7 acres of wetland. Short-term, temporary impacts would occur to wetlands during barrier removals and gravel injection activities under the Preferred Alternative. Wetland impacts in the long-term would be beneficial due to the removal of Beale Lake Dam and the low-flow crossing, returning Dry Creek to a free-flowing creek. Native vegetation along the banks of the creek would be restored. Under the No Action Alternative, fish passage barrier removals and gravel injections would not occur and no impacts to the wetlands would be anticipated. Because the Proposed Action has the potential to result in impacts to wetlands and wetland buffers, the action is subject to the requirements and objectives of Executive Order 11990, Wetlands, as amended. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Sacramento District have special expertise related to impacts to wetlands and have all been notified of this project. The Air Force and Fish and Wildlife Service invite the public to provide comments on the proposal and any practicable alternatives that may reduce these impacts Comments should be sent by October 5, 2019 to Ms. Kathryn Curtis, Compliance Section Chief, at (530) 634-2642 9 CES/CEIE, 6425 B Street Bldg. 25390, Beale AFB, CA 95903-1708 or emailed to kathryn.curtis@us.af.mil Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Fish Passage and Habitat Improvements to Dry Creek, Yuba and Nevada Counties, California Beale Air Force Base and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announce their intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment for the proposed fish passage and habitat improvement project that would restore access for anadromous salmonids in Dry Creek. Project activities would: 1) remove Beale Lake Dam; 2) remove a low-flow crossing in Dry Creek downstream of Beale Air Force Base; and 3) inject spawning-grade gravel to improve spawning habitat upstream of Beale Air Force Base. As part of the Proposed Action, the Air Force is considering a No Action Alternative and the Preferred Alternative (removal of the dam and low flow crossing and injection of spawning gravel). The complete project area includes approximately 7 acres of wetland. Short-term, temporary impacts would occur to wetlands during barrier removals and gravel injection activities under the Preferred Alternative. Wetland impacts in the long-term would be beneficial due to the removal of Beale Lake Dam and the low-flow crossing, returning Dry Creek to a free-flowing creek. Native vegetation along the banks of the creek would be restored. Under the No Action Alternative, fish passage barrier removals and gravel injections would not occur and no impacts to the wetlands would be anticipated. Because the Proposed Action has the potential to result in impacts to wetlands and wetland buffers, the action is subject to the requirements and objectives of Executive Order 11990, Wetlands, as amended. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Sacramento District have special expertise related to impacts to wetlands and have all been notified of this project. The Air Force and Fish and Wildlife Service invite the public to provide comments on the proposal and any practicable alternatives that may reduce these impacts Comments should be sent by October 5, 2019 to Ms. Kathryn Curtis, Compliance Section Chief, at (530) 634-2642 9 CES/CEIE, 6425 B Street Bldg. 25390, Beale AFB, CA 95903-1708 or emailed to kathryn.curtis@us.af.mil