[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34794-34795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11776]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Colorado River Reservoir Operations: Development of Management 
Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead Under Low Reservoir Conditions

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice to solicit comments and hold public meetings on the 
development of management strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, 
including Lower Basin shortage guidelines, under low reservoir 
conditions.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) has directed the 
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to develop additional Colorado 
River management strategies to address operations of Lake Powell and 
Lake Mead under low reservoir conditions. It is anticipated that, among 
other potential elements, these strategies could identify those 
circumstances under which the Department of the Interior (Department) 
would reduce annual water deliveries, and the manner in which annual 
operations would be modified.

Dates and Addresses:  Two public meetings will be held to solicit 
comments on the content, format, mechanism, and analysis to be 
considered during the development of management strategies for Lake 
Powell and Lake Mead under low reservoir conditions. Oral and written 
comments will be accepted at the public meetings to be held at the 
following locations:
     Tuesday, July 26, 2005-10 a.m. to 12 noon, Henderson 
Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, 200 South Water Street, Henderson, 
Nevada.
     Thursday, July 28, 2005-10 a.m. to 12 noon, Hilton Salt 
Lake City Center, Topaz Room, 255 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
    Written comments on the proposed development of these strategies 
may be sent by close of business on Wednesday, August 31, 2005, to: 
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, 
Attention: BCOO-1000, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, 
fax at 702-293-8156, or e-mail at [email protected]; and/or 
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, 
Attention: UC-402, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84318-
1147, fax at 801-524-3858, or e-mail at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terrance J. Fulp, Ph.D., at 702-293-
8500 or e-mail at [email protected]; and/or Randall Peterson at 
801-524-3633 or e-mail at [email protected]. If special assistance 
is required regarding accommodations for attendance at either of the 
public meetings, please call Nan Yoder at 702-293-8495, fax at 702-293-
8156, or e-mail at [email protected] no less than 5 working days prior 
to the applicable meeting(s).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In recent years the Department has 
undertaken a number of initiatives to improve the efficient and 
coordinated operation and management of the Colorado River. For 
example, a number of Indian water rights settlements have been enacted 
and implemented, while additional settlements are under active 
negotiation. Important programs have been developed in the Upper and 
Lower Basins to address conservation of endangered species. Scientific 
investigations are proceeding under the framework of the Glen Canyon 
Adaptive Management Program to study the impacts to and improve the 
values for which the Grand Canyon National Park and the Glen Canyon 
National Recreation Area were established. In 2003, water users in 
California executed agreements that will assist California to limit its 
use of water from the Colorado River to its normal year apportionment 
of 4.4 million acre-feet (maf).
    More recently a new management challenge has emerged on the 
Colorado River. The Colorado River Basin has experienced the worst 
five-year drought in recorded history. Drought in the Basin has 
impacted system storage, while demands for Colorado River water 
supplies have continued to increase. During the period from October 1, 
1999, to October 1, 2004, storage in Colorado River reservoirs fell 
from 55.7 maf to 29.7 maf.
    In the future, low reservoir conditions may not be limited to 
drought periods as additional development of Colorado River water 
occurs. The Colorado River is of strategic importance in the 
southwestern United States for water supply, hydropower production, 
recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and other benefits. In addition, 
the Republic of Mexico has an allocation to the waters of the Colorado 
River pursuant to a 1944 treaty with the United States.
    In a May 2, 2005, letter to the Governors of the Colorado River 
Basin States, issued in the context of the 2005 Annual Operating Plan 
mid-year review, the Secretary directed Reclamation to develop 
additional strategies to improve coordinated management of the 
reservoirs in the Colorado River system. Pursuant to that direction, 
Reclamation conducted a public consultation workshop on May 26, 2005, 
in Henderson, Nevada, and has prepared this Federal Register notice. In 
order to assure the continued productive use of the Colorado River into 
the future, Reclamation is soliciting public comments on, at a minimum, 
the development of management strategies for the operation of Lake 
Powell and Lake Mead under low reservoir conditions.
    It is the Department's intent that the development of additional 
management strategies, including Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines, will 
provide guidance to the Secretary's Annual Operating Plan decisions, 
and provide more predictability to water users throughout the Basin, 
particularly those in the Lower Division States of Arizona, California, 
and Nevada. For example, in 2001 the Department adopted Interim Surplus 
Guidelines (66 FR 7772) that are used by the Secretary in making annual 
determinations regarding ``Normal'' and ``Surplus'' conditions for the 
operation of Lake Mead. Among other provisions, these Guidelines have 
allowed the Department and entities in Arizona, California, and Nevada 
that rely on the Colorado River greater predictability in identifying 
when Colorado River water in excess of 7.5 maf will be available for 
use within these three states. In contrast, at this time the Department 
does not have detailed guidelines in place for annual determinations of 
releases from Lake Mead of less than 7.5 maf to water users in the 
three Lower Division States (often referred to as a ``shortage'' 
condition on the lower Colorado River). Therefore, water users who rely 
on the Colorado River in these states are not currently able to 
identify particular reservoir conditions under which the Secretary 
would release less than 7.5 maf for use

[[Page 34795]]

on an annual basis. Nor are these water users able to identify the 
amount of any potential future annual reductions in water deliveries. 
By developing additional management strategies, these users would be 
better able to plan for periods of less than full water deliveries. 
Additional operational tools may also facilitate conservation of 
reservoir storage, thereby minimizing the adverse effects of long-term 
drought or low-reservoir conditions in the Colorado River Basin.
    Over the past year, the seven Colorado River Basin States have been 
proactively discussing strategies to address the current system-wide 
drought in the Colorado River Basin. In addition, Reclamation has 
conducted detailed briefings for stakeholders in the Colorado River 
Basin and other interested entities regarding future scenarios for 
Colorado River operations. Reclamation will integrate available 
technical information in the upcoming development of additional 
management strategies for Colorado River operations.
    Reclamation intends to utilize a public process during the 
development of management strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead 
under low reservoir conditions. By this notice, Reclamation invites all 
interested members of the general public, including the seven Colorado 
River Basin States, Indian Tribes, water and power contractors, 
environmental organizations, representatives of academic and scientific 
communities, representatives of the recreation industry, and other 
organizations and agencies to present oral and written comments 
concerning the content, format, mechanism, and analysis to be 
considered during the development of these proposed strategies.
    Reclamation has not yet determined the appropriate level of 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for the upcoming 
development of additional management strategies. However, to ensure 
timely consideration of technical information and public comment, 
Reclamation is proceeding, at this time, as if the development of 
additional management strategies would require preparation of an 
Environmental Impact Statement. Information received by Reclamation 
pursuant to this Federal Register notice and the upcoming public 
meetings will be analyzed in order to define the nature of any proposed 
federal actions, the level of appropriate NEPA documentation, and the 
need, if any, for additional scoping activities. In addition to NEPA 
documentation, other compliance activities, as appropriate, will be 
undertaken pursuant to applicable Federal law.

Public Disclosure

    Written comments, including names and home addresses of 
respondents, will be made available for public review. Individual 
respondents may request that their home address be withheld from public 
disclosure, which will be honored to the extent allowable by law. There 
may be circumstances in which respondents' identity may also be 
withheld from public disclosure, as allowable by law. If you wish to 
have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently 
at the beginning of your comment. All submissions from organizations, 
business, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.

    Dated: June 6, 2005.
Darryl Beckmann,
Deputy Regional Director--UC Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
    Dated: June 7, 2005.
Robert W. Johnson,
Regional Director--LC Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 05-11776 Filed 6-14-05; 8:45 am]
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