[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56317-56318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24674]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment for 
an Interim 602(a) Storage Guideline for Management of the Colorado 
River

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
for an interim 602(a) storage guideline for management of the Colorado 
River.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Department of the Interior (Secretary), 
acting through the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), is proposing 
the adoption of a 602(a) storage guideline that will assist the 
Secretary in making a determination of the quantity of water considered 
necessary as of September 30 of each year, as required by article II 
(1) of the 1970 Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of 
Colorado River Reservoirs (Long-Range Operating Criteria) pursuant to 
the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968. Section 
602(a) of the 1968 Act requires that, under certain circumstances, 
storage equalization releases be made from Lake Powell to Lake Mead. 
The proposed 602(a) storage guideline would remain in effect through 
calendar year 2016.
    The proposed 602(a) storage guideline is based upon information 
received from the Governors' representatives of the seven Colorado 
River Basin States (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, 
Utah, and Wyoming) during the public comment period on the Colorado 
River Interim Surplus Criteria Draft Environmental Impact Statement. 
This information was published in the Federal Register on August 8, 
2000 (65 FR 48531-38).

DATES: A 30-day public review period commences with the publication of 
this notice. Written comments on the draft EA are due by October 30, 
2003 and should be submitted to the address given below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft EA and requests for copies 
should be addressed to Tom Ryan, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado 
Regional Office, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138; 
telephone (801) 524-3732; faxogram (801) 524-5499; e-mail: 
[email protected]. The draft EA is also available on Reclamation's web 
site at http://www.usbr.gov/uc/library/ (click on Environmental 
Assessment Documents).
    Copies of the draft EA are also available for public review and 
inspection at the following locations:
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
South State Street, Room 7239, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1147.
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver 
Federal Center, Building 67, Room 167, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007.
    [sbull] Bureau of Reclamation, Main Interior Building, Room 7060-
MIB, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: One component of the proposal by the 
Governors' representatives is Section V, ``Determination of 602(a) 
Storage in Lake Powell during the Interim Period,'' and reads as 
follows:
    During the interim period, 602(a) storage requirements determined 
in accordance with Article II (1) of the Criteria [Long-Range Operating 
Criteria] shall utilize a value of not less than 14.85 million acre-
feet (elevation 3,630 feet) for Lake Powell (65 FR 48537).
    Reclamation published a Federal Register notice on January 28, 2003 
(68 FR 4230-31) announcing its intention to consider the adoption of a 
specific interim 602(a) storage guideline. Public comments were 
received from January 28, 2003, to March 14, 2003. Reclamation received 
13 comment letters.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (as amended), Reclamation has prepared a draft Environmental 
Assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental impacts of adopting the 
interim 602(a) storage guideline. The two alternatives considered in 
the draft EA are the No Action Alternative and the Action Alternative. 
The proposed federal action (Action Alternative) is based on the 
proposal submitted by the Governors' representatives.
    The Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 required the Secretary 
of the Interior to adopt operating criteria for the coordinated long-
range operation of Colorado River reservoirs by January 1, 1970. This 
requirement led to adoption of the Long-Range Operating Criteria which 
control operation of the Colorado River reservoirs in compliance with 
requirements set forth in the Colorado River Compact, Colorado River 
Storage Project Act, Boulder Canyon Project Act, Colorado River Basin 
Project Act, the United States and Mexico Water Treaty, and other 
applicable federal laws. The purpose of the Long-Range Operating 
Criteria is to control the coordinated long-range operation of the 
storage reservoirs of the Colorado River Basin. The Long-Range 
Operating Criteria established the minimum objective annual release of 
8.23 million acre-feet from Lake Powell. This minimum objective release 
ensures that the downstream delivery requirements of the Upper Division 
States (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) are met on an annual 
basis.
    The Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 also requires the 
development of an annual plan of operation. Accordingly, each year, the 
Secretary establishes an Annual Operating Plan (AOP) for the Colorado 
River reservoir system. The AOP describes how Reclamation will manage 
the reservoirs over a 12-month period, consistent with the Long-Range 
Operating Criteria. In compliance with applicable federal law, 
Reclamation consults annually with the Colorado River Basin States, 
Indian tribes, and other interested parties in the development of the 
AOP. As part of the AOP, the Secretary makes an annual determination 
under the Long-Range Operating Criteria regarding the quantity of water 
considered necessary as of September 30 of each year to be in storage 
as required by Section 602(a) of the Colorado River Basin Project Act. 
This determination is important because when projected storage in the 
Upper Basin reservoirs is greater than the 602(a) storage requirement, 
and when storage in Lake Powell is greater than Lake Mead, releases 
greater than the 8.23 million acre-foot are made to maintain, as nearly 
as practicable, active storage in Lake Mead equal to the active storage 
in Lake Powell. These releases are commonly referred to as ``storage 
equalization'' releases. When projected storage is less than the 602(a) 
storage requirement, or Lake Powell storage is less than Lake Mead 
storage, annual releases from Lake Powell are limited to 8.23 million 
acre-feet. The proposed federal action analyzed in the draft EA could 
modify the volume of storage equalization releases from Glen Canyon

[[Page 56318]]

Dam and have an affect on water storage in Lakes Powell and Mead.
    The Record of Decision for the Colorado River Interim Surplus 
Guidelines adopted specific objective elevation levels at Lake Mead at 
which surplus water (i.e., amounts to satisfy consumptive use in excess 
of 7.5 million acre-feet) could be delivered to the Lower Division 
States (Arizona, California, and Nevada) from Lake Mead through the 
year 2016. The purpose of the proposed 602(a) storage guideline is to 
adopt a similar objective elevation level in Lake Powell during the 
time period that the Colorado River Interim Surplus Guidelines are in 
place. The Colorado River Interim Surplus Guidelines are applicable 
through 2016, and the proposed 602(a) storage guideline is proposed to 
remain in effect through that same period.
    The need for the proposed 602(a) storage guideline arises because 
of the potential for additional surplus deliveries to the Lower 
Division States, during the period through 2016, to further draw down 
Lake Powell (through storage equalization releases), thus affecting 
Upper Basin resources such as water supply, recreation, and power 
generation. Just as the Interim Surplus Guidelines provide a lower 
limit at Lake Mead for declaration of surplus through the year 2016, 
the proposed 602(a) storage guideline would provide a lower limit for 
annual releases of water in excess of 8.23 million acre-feet from Lake 
Powell through the year 2016. The action is therefore needed to provide 
for coordinated operation of these two reservoirs on the Colorado 
River.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that we withhold their home address from public 
disclosure, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. If you 
wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

NEPA Process

    Public comments on the draft EA will be considered as part of the 
Secretary's decision in determining whether to adopt an interim 602(a) 
storage guideline for management of the Colorado River. Written and/or 
oral comments already received in response to the January 28, 2003, 
Federal Register notice (68 FR 4230-31) soliciting public comments and 
initiating a NEPA process need not be resubmitted as they have been 
retained and will be considered during this open comment period. 
Although we have used information already received in formulating the 
draft EA, we will address that information as well as any new comments 
received in our final EA, as appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Ryan, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper 
Colorado Regional Office, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 
84138, telephone (801) 524-3732.

    Dated: September 24, 2003.
Darryl Beckmann,
Acting Regional Director--Upper Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 03-24674 Filed 9-29-03; 8:45 am]
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