WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District has completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the “Stahl H.B. Farms and JSH Farms River Pumping Stations: Fish Screening and Intake Modification Project.” District leadership signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Jan. 29. This completes environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The EA and FONSI are available at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/StahlJSHFarms.aspx.
The project involves Stahl H.B. Farms and JSH Farms’ request to modify and extend their existing river pumping station intakes and fish screening facilities located along the Columbia River at river mile 301.6. Sediments are accumulating in front of and underneath the Stahl H.B. Farms pumping station, restricting flows and causing damage to the Stahl H.B. Farms intake pumps and threatening to damage the JSH Farms intake pumps.
The project EA identifies Alternative 3 (Installation of Extended Intake Pipes and Replacement Fish Screens) as the Preferred Alternative. This alternative would meet the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) current fish passage and screening criteria, make it less likely for pump intakes to affect migrating juvenile salmonids, avoid the need for annual dredging, secure continued flow of irrigation water and result in little or no effect to environmental resources.
The District consulted with NMFS as part of its well-established environmental compliance process. In response to Stahl and JSH Farms’ request, the District plans to issue a new easement to Stahl H.B. Farms and would amend the existing easement with JSH Farms.
For more information, contact John Leier of the Corps at 509-527-7269.
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Release no. 13-007