September 14, Ken Cunningham, Chief a I. Conservation Services Division ti9 r< New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. P0 Box

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1 September 14, 2011 j Conservation Services Division ti9 r< Ken Cunningham, Chief a I fl4j Richardson Building Fax: Phone: Las Cruces, NM North Alameda, Suite 8C URS Corporation process of determining the potential impact of the alternative alignment and are preparing a biological assessment for submittal to the BLM. If you determine that the project has environmental impact(s), please provide comments by September 23, If your office determines that there is no environmental impact or you have no comment, please complete and return a copy of the acknowledgement below. You may the completed form to Julie.kutz@urs.com or fax to The review process requires coordination with pertinent agencies and interested parties. Your review and comment on the proposed project is an important element in the overall review. We are in the Previous correspondence has been conducted with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project summary (BLM) lands. Initial consultation with the BLM resulted in a determination by the agency that suitable describes the history of the project and the accompanying attachments are provided for reference to past agency correspondence with URS. A significant portion of the northern project area is located within habitat and known populations of the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) occur within a efforts have focused on an alternative alignment for a portion of the overall waterline rehabilitation project. This alternative alignment is being developed as a mitigation measure for the protection of dunes sagebrush lizard habitat. Please refer to the project summary for a detailed discussion. portion of the existing waterline alignment project area. As a result of these previous discussions recent in the attached project summary sheet which includes site maps. Double Eagle Water System. We are currently gathering information for an environmental review of the referenced project to support anticipated funding through federal programs. The project is described URS is working with the City of Carlsbad, New Mexico in the development of improvements to the Dear Mr. Cunningham: Request for Comment I Consultation Double Eagle Water System Improvements Re: City of Carlsbad, New Mexico P0 Box New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Santa Fe, NM CD

2 City of Carlsbad URS URS Director of Public Works Project Manager Environmental Scientist Luis Camero Karen Burt Julie Kutz To provide verbal comments or for more information, please feel free to contact: Name Title Signature Date LI identified no environmental impact, or, El has no comments. request for comment, and having reviewed the attached project summary, As a representative for the referenced organization, the undersigned acknowledges receipt of this ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Environmental Scientist Julie Kutz Sincerely, In advance, thank you for your attention to this request. Mobile Mobile Las Cruces, NM Albuquerque, NM luis. corn camero@cityofcarlsbadnin. karenburt@urscorp.com Julie.kutz@urs.com Office Office , ext. Office Enclosure: Project Summary Sheet, including Site Maps and Sketch cc: Luis Camero, Director of Public Works, City Carlsbad of Anna Beason, Projects Administrator, City of Carlsbad Karen Burt, Project Manager, IJRS URS Project File Carlsbad.NM Suite8C Suite900 P0 Box North Alameda 6501 Americas Parkway NE Page2of2

3 :irn - September 14, 2011 Project Summary Alternative Alignment Subsequent discussions with the BLM, USFWS, the City of Carlsbad, and URS resulted in development of an alternative alignment that would involve the construction of a new habitat. waterline that shifts the alignment to the east and would utilize existing roads in areas of sensitive habitat in order avoid the majority of identified known dunes sagebrush lizard Management (BLM) lands. Discussions with the BLM resulted in a determination by the (Sceloporus arenicolus) and the Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) agency that suitable habitat and known populations of the dunes sagebrush lizard occur within or near a portion of the existing waterline alignment in the area south of NM82 and southwest of Maijamar, New Mexico. Additional discussions with the BLM, existing alignment. Included in Attachment B are responses received from the USFWS regarding discussions of the project impacts. the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish focused on potential project impacts if the waterline were to be replaced in its A significant portion of the northern existing waterline is located within Bureau of Land A contains previous correspondence to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The City of Carlsbad Double Eagle II overall water system improvement project has been efforts have focused on an alternate alignment for a portion of the waterline. Attachment Background introduced previously as part of the scoping and evaluation conducted for an Environmental Information Document (EID) per the requirements of the New Mexico Also included are the overall project description, maps, and photos that were previously Environment Department. In addition to the information previously provided, recent provided with the original correspondence letter. Introduction PROPOSED PROJECT miles of waterline as part of the overall improvements of the Double Eagle Water System The City of Carlsbad is considering an alternative route of a section of approximately 18 located northeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The project alignment is shown on the attached site map. Double Eagle Water System Improvements City of Carlsbad, New Mexico

4 lands and a small portion is located on New Mexico State Land Office lands. It begins on northern most waterline replacement will connect to an existing three million gallon the caprock region of the arid Llano Estacado, along the Mescalero Ridge where the The City of Carlsbad is proposing to install a new 24 waterline in order to mitigate the the following improvements: Install the section of pipeline from the existing three MG tank for the North Well Field with a new 24-inch pipeline for a length of approximately 40,000 linear feet dunes sagebrush lizard or in areas where the waterline cuts through undeveloped land, will be routed around dunal habitat suitable for the dunes sagebrush lizard. deteriorating conditions of the existing waterline The new waterline will connect to a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) located southwest of Maljimar (see attached site map). Water will be conveyed through the eastern service area of the system and will consist of water tank, a new 18 waterline will continue to the southeast, drop off the caprock and will route through existing roads in areas of suitable habitat for the to the second 2MG water tank located northeast of Maijimar. From the second Proposed Project Scope of Work Photographs of the area of the project are attached. area is approximately 1 8 miles (95,040 feet) in length. The total length of the water system replacement in the northern portion of the project gas wells, roads, pipelines, and associated facilities are abundant in this area. Land use is glandulosa), broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and yucca (Yucca spp.). Oil and quaternary eolian sand dunes and alluvium deposits originating from the caprock. The (Quercus havardii), sand sagebrush (Arteinisia Jflifolia), honey mesquite (Prosopis primarily livestock grazing, oil and gas production, and wildlife habitat. In areas of dunes Mescalero Ridge where it drops off the caprock and into the Shinnery Sands region, Shinnery Sands are comprised of arid grassland and shrubs such as the Harvard shin oak that are considered sensitive habitat, the waterline alignment will follow existing roads or The waterline alignment continues from the 2MG tank to the southeast traversing the shift as necessary and will cause minimal disturbance to the natural formation and vegetation of the Shinnery Sands. glauca) and Western soapberry (Sapindus drummondii). The land use of the caprock along the ridge. The ridge is part of the caprock that is classified as the Arid Liano Estacado and is comprised of level, elevated plains containing arid prairie grasses such as grama (Bouteloua spp.), buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) and bluestem (Andropogon region is primarily for livestock grazing and oil and gas production. of Maljamar. The alignment is proposed to run from the 3MG tank to the 2MG tank (MG) water tank. A two MG tank has been constructed on the Mescalero Ridge northeast spp.) and shrubs including mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), narrowleaf yucca (Yucca The project for the alternative alignment is located near Maljamar, as shown on the attached maps. A significant portion of the northern project area is located within BLM Project Area Description

5 The area of potential effect is shown on the attached site maps. Construction within the northern portion of the project area will consist of a new waterline to be constructed Area of Potential Effect (APE) in-progress (studies), dedicated funds from gross receipts taxes ($1 4M) and the State Water Trust Fund ($1.5M). In addition, the City has funding applications pending through various sources including the State Water Trust Fund administered by the Water Trust Board / New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration and the Clean Water State Revolving Load (CWSRF) administered by the New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED). The City has secured initial project funding through a legislative appropriation for work PROJECT FUNDING SOURCES 30-feet. along the top of the caprock. The APE is anticipated to be contained wherever possible to the existing roads. The APE width of the water replacement project will be approximately Maijamar Road. The waterline will connect at an existing PRV located southwest of NM529 and

6 LOCATION MAP ALTERNATE ALIGNMENT SITE MAPS

7 I - _z I - :,.&( + Ffih Edition, Copyright 2009 DeLorme New Mexico Detailed Topographic Maps DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer MAP REFERENcE: - LOCATION MAP t :