The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on its draft Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for a Mud Mountain Dam fish passage project. The public comment period ends April 17.

The Mud Mountain fish passage facility was constructed as mitigation for the loss of fish passage due to the construction of Mud Mountain Dam that was completed in 1941. The project is on the White River near the Enumclaw and Buckley on the White River.

The Corps is proposing to construct a replacement fish trap and haul facility, plus a replacement fish passage barrier, as well as upgrading access roads to the fish trap and the release site. The proposed new fish trap facility would be constructed on the right bank of the river directly across from the existing fish trap facility.

The project replaces a 100-year-old barrier and a 70-year-old fish trap.

The planning of the new facility has been a collaborative effort using a Regional Design Team with representatives from National Marine Fisheries Service, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Cascade Water Alliance.The draft Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact are available on the Seattle District website at: http://1.usa.gov/1xmgaIe and http://1.usa.gov/1DFgnIn.

To submit public comments, correspondence should be directed to: Michael Scuderi, Environmental Resources Branch, 206-764-7205; via e-mail at Michael.R.Scuderi@usace.army.mil; or at U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Seattle, Attn: CENWS-EN-ER, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, 98134.