Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria; Notice of Intent To

Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of

1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's

regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, the

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (``Reclamation''),

proposes to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (``EIS'') for

development of interim implementing criteria pursuant to Article III

(3) of the Long-Range Operating Criteria that will be used by the

Secretary of the Interior (``Secretary'') to determine surplus

conditions for management of the Colorado River.

Reclamation previously published Federal Register notices on

Tuesday, May 18, 1999 (64 FR 27008) and Friday May 28, 1999 (64 FR

29068) announcing its intention to consider the development of specific

criteria that will identify those circumstances under which the

Secretary may make Colorado River water available for delivery to the

States of Arizona, California, and Nevada (Lower Division States or

Lower Basin) in excess of the 7,500,000 acre-foot Lower Basin

apportionment. Those notices announced four public scoping meetings and

requested oral and written comments on the need for such criteria, the

format for the criteria, the scope of specific surplus criteria, and

the issues and alternatives that should be analyzed.

The public comment period ran from May 18, 1999 until June 30,

1999. In addition to oral comments submitted at four public scoping

meetings, we received 32 letters during the comment period. The

respondents included one irrigation district, three water districts,

two individuals, three environmental organizations, nine state

agencies, two federal organizations, three tribes, two cities, three

water users associations, one corporation, one water resource

organization, one conservation district and one public utility.

Based on the public comments received, Reclamation has made the

decision to prepare an EIS that evaluates the potential impacts of

alternative implementing interim criteria that will be used by the

Secretary to determine surplus conditions for management of the

Colorado River.

Supplementary information is provided in the aforementioned May 18,

1999 Federal Register notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jayne Harkins, telephone (702) 293-

8190; faxogram (702) 293-8042; E-mail at: [email protected] or Tom

Ryan, telephone (801) 524-3732, faxogram (801) 524-3858; E-mail at:

[email protected].

Dated: December 1, 1999.

David J. Hayes,

Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 99-31681 Filed 12-6-99; 8:45 am]

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