Operation of Glen Canyon Dam, Colorado River Storage Project, Arizona

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[INT-FES-95-8]

Operation of Glen Canyon Dam, Colorado River Storage Project,

Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: In response to a July 27, 1989, directive from the Secretary

of the Interior and pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act

of 1969, as amended, and in accordance with the Grand Canyon Protection

Act of 1992, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has prepared a

final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on the operation of Glen

Canyon Dam, Colorado River Storage Project in Arizona. The FEIS

evaluates nine alternatives, including no action, and analyzes their

impacts on downstream environmental and cultural resources and Native

American interests in Glen and Grand Canyons.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS may be obtained from Mr. Gordon S. Lind,

Colorado River Studies Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: UC-

1500, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City UT 84138-1102;

telephone: (801) 524-5479.

Copies of the FEIS are available for inspection at the address

above and also at the following locations:

Office of the Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Room

7612, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington DC 20240

Denver Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Library, Room 167,

Building 67, Denver Federal Center, Denver CO 80225

Upper Colorado Regional Office, Bureau of Reclamation,

Library, Room 7101, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City UT 84147

Center for Environmental Studies, Arizona State

University, 905 South Mill Avenue, Tempe AZ 85287-3211

Glen Canyon Environmental Studies Group, Security Bank

Building, 121 East Birch, Room 307, Flagstaff AZ 86002

Libraries:

Arizona

Arizona Department of Water Resources Library, Phoenix

Arizona State Library, Department of Library, Archives and Public

Records, Phoenix

Arizona State Regional Library for the Blind and Physically

Handicapped, Phoenix

Arizona State University, Noble Science and Engineering Library, Tempe

Arizona State University, Hayden Library, Tempe

Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library, Flagstaff

Grand Canyon Community Library, Grand Canyon

Maricopa County Library, Phoenix

Mesa Public Library, Mesa

Mohave County Library/Kingman Public Library, Kingman

Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, Flagstaff

Page Public Library, Page

Phoenix City Library, Phoenix

Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale

Tempe Public Library, Tempe

Tucson Public Library, Tucson

University of Arizona Library, Tucson

California

California State Library, Sacramento

California State University, Hayward Library, Hayward

California State University, University Library, Los Angeles

Colorado River Board of California Library, Glendale

Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX Library, San Francisco

Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Public Library, Water and Power Section, Los Angeles

San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco

Stanford University Libraries, Stanford

University of California, General Library, Berkeley

University of California, University Research Library, Los Angeles

University of California, Shields Library, Davis

University of Southern California, Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles

Colorado

Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins

Denver Central Library, Denver

University of Colorado at Boulder, Norlin Library, Boulder

University of Denver, Penrose Library, Denver

U.S. Air Force Academy, Academy Library, Colorado Springs

Nevada

Boulder City Library, Boulder City [[Page 15582]]

Clark County Library District, Las Vegas

Nevada State Library, Carson City

University of Nevada, Reno Library, Reno

University of Nevada at Las Vegas, James Dickinson Library, Las Vegas

New Mexico

Albuquerque Public Library, Albuquerque

New Mexico State Library, Santa Fe

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Utah

Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library, Provo

Cedar City Public Library, Cedar City

Kanab City Library, Kanab

Moab Public Library, Moab

Salt Lake City Public Library, Salt Lake City

Salt Lake County Library System, Salt Lake City

Southern Utah State University Library, Cedar City

University of Utah, Marriott Library, Salt Lake City

Utah State University, Merrill Library, Logan

Utah State Library, Salt Lake City

Washington County Library, St. George

Weber State University, Stewart Library, Ogden

Wyoming

Laramie County Library System, Cheyenne

Rock Springs Public Library, Rock Springs

University of Wyoming, Coe Library, Laramie

Wyoming State Library, Cheyenne

Washington, DC

District of Columbia Public Library

Library of Congress

Natural Resources Library, Department of the Interior

Other States  any U.S. Government Regional Depository Library

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gordon S. Lind, Colorado River

Studies Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Room

6107, Salt Lake City UT 84138-1102; telephone: (801) 524-5479.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary of the Interior called for a

reevaluation of dam operations to determine specific options that could

be implemented, consistent with law, to minimize adverse impacts on the

downstream environmental and cultural resources and Native American

interests in Glen and Grand Canyons.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the

Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992, Reclamation has prepared the FEIS

in cooperation with other Interior agenciesBureau of Indian Affairs,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Park Service. Other

cooperating agencies are the Department of Energy's Western Area Power

Administration, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai

Tribe, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Southern Paiute

Consortium, and Zuni Pueblo.

The FEIS presents analyses of the impacts of nine alternatives for

operating Glen Canyon Dam. Three alternatives would provide steady

flows and six, including no action, would provide various levels of

fluctuating flows. Additional measures have been combined with the

alternative operations, where appropriate, either to mitigate adverse

impacts of the alternative or to enhance resources. The preferred

alternative is the Modified Low Fluctuating Flow Alternative.

As the result of comments on both the draft EIS (DEIS) and draft

biological opinion, discussions with FWS, and with the broad support of

the cooperating agencies, the preferred alternative described in the

DEIS was modified in the FEIS. This modification includes increasing

the maximum flow from 20,000 to 25,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and

increasing the up ramp rate from 2,500 to 4,000 cfs per hour. The

endangered fish research flows described in the DEIS were moved from

the preferred alternative to a scientifically based position within the

Adaptive Management Program. This modification was made because

Reclamation believes that the potential effects of steady flows should

be further studied before implementation to evaluate uncertainties

concerning the interactions between native and non-native fish.

In addition, Reclamation will request, through the Federal

appropriations process, accelerated implementation of selective

withdrawal at Glen Canyon Dam since temperature modification has been

determined to be the most critical factor affecting the recovery of

endangered fish in Glen and Grand Canyons.

Dated: March 21, 1995.

Willie R. Taylor,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.

[FR Doc. 95-7291 Filed 3-23-95; 8:45 am]

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