[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20416-20417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5844]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES-06-06]


Navajo Dam, Colorado River Storage Project, New Mexico and 
Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Navajo Reservoir Operations Final 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Federal agency 
responsible for operation of the Navajo Unit (Navajo Dam and Reservoir) 
has prepared and made available to the public a final environmental 
impact statement (FEIS) pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 United States 
Code (U.S.C.) 4332.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS are available from Pat Page, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, 
Suite 400, Durango, Colorado 81301-5475; telephone (970) 385-6500; 
faxogram (970) 385-6539; e-mail: [email protected]. The FEIS is also 
available on Reclamation's Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/uc/ (click 
on Environmental Documents).
    Copies of the FEIS are also available at the following locations:
     Bureau of Reclamation, Main Interior, Room 7060-MIB, 1849 
C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240-0001.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver 
Federal Center, Sixth & Kipling, Building 67, Room 167, Denver, 
Colorado 80225-0007.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1147.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 835 
East Second Avenue, Suite 400, Durango, Colorado 81301-5475.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 2764 
Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506.
     Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Attention: 
Russell George, Executive Director, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 718, 
Denver, Colorado 80203.
     Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Attention: Eric 
Bergman, 1313 Sherman Street, Room 521, Denver, Colorado 80203.
     Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, 
Attention: Joanna Prukop, Wendell Chino Building, 1220 St. Francis 
Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505.
     Environmental Department, Attention: Gedi Cibas, 
Environmental Impact Review Coordinator, Harold Runnels Building, 1190 
St. Francis Drive, Room 4050, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502.

Libraries

Cortez Public Library, Cortez, Colorado
Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado
University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado
Durango Public Library, Durango, Colorado
Fort Lewis College Library, Durango, Colorado
Albuquerque Public Library, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bloomfield Library, Bloomfield, New Mexico
Farmington Public Library, Farmington, New Mexico
San Juan College Library, Farmington, New Mexico
Din[eacute] College Library, Shiprock, New Mexico

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Page, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 400, 
Durango, Colorado 81301-5475; telephone (970) 385-6500; faxogram (970) 
385-6539; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS describes the environmental impacts 
of alternatives to operate Navajo Dam and Reservoir to implement the 
flow recommendations provided by the San Juan River Basin Recovery 
Implementation Program (Recovery Program), or a reasonable alternative 
to those recommendations. The purpose of the proposed Federal action is 
to provide sufficient releases of water at times, quantities, and 
durations necessary to conserve, in concert with other fish recovery 
plans authorized under the Recovery Program, two endangered fish 
species and their designated critical habitat in the San Juan River 
downstream from Farmington, New Mexico. The two endangered fish species 
are the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) and the razorback 
sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Reclamation would maintain the authorized 
purposes of the Navajo Unit which include enabling future water 
development to proceed in the San Juan River Basin in compliance with 
applicable laws, compacts, court decrees, and Indian trust 
responsibilities.

Background

    Navajo Dam, located on the San Juan River approximately 38 miles 
northeast of Farmington, New Mexico, and about 55 miles southeast of 
Durango, Colorado, is an authorized storage unit of the Colorado River 
Storage Project (CRSP). Navajo Dam was completed in 1963 as one of the 
four key features of the CRSP intended to develop the water resources 
of the Upper Colorado River Basin and is operated in accordance with 
the CRSP Act and applicable Reclamation and other Federal laws.
    Reclamation proposes to take action to protect and assist in 
recovery of the populations and designated critical habitat of the two 
endangered fishes found in the San Juan River, while maintaining all 
authorized purposes of the Navajo Unit. Reclamation would implement the 
proposed action by modifying the operation of Navajo Dam, to the extent 
possible within CRSP authority, to achieve the flow recommendations 
developed by the Recovery Program. Reclamation's goal is to implement 
the proposed action and,

[[Page 20417]]

at the same time, continue to meet all authorized purposes of the CRSP.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Under the proposed action, Navajo Dam will be operated to avoid 
jeopardy and assist in recovery of the two endangered fishes, while 
maintaining the authorized purposes of the Navajo Unit of the CRSP. 
This will allow future water development to proceed in the San Juan 
River Basin in compliance with applicable laws, compacts, court 
decrees, and Indian trust responsibilities. The proposed action is 
needed for the following reasons:
     The operation of Navajo Dam, under its original operating 
criteria, adversely affected the endangered fishes in the San Juan 
River.
     Reclamation is required to comply with the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) for the operation of facilities, including Navajo 
Dam. Within the exercise of its discretionary authority, Reclamation 
must avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species or 
adversely modifying designated critical habitat.
     Formal consultation under the ESA on the Navajo Unit was 
requested by Reclamation in 1991. At that time, Reclamation committed 
to operate Navajo Dam in concert with ongoing research to determine 
hydrologic conditions beneficial to endangered fish and in a manner 
most consistent with endangered fish recovery. In a 1991 response to 
Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred that the 
consultation process should be initiated and that the consultation 
period for the operation of the Navajo Unit be extended while research 
on the San Juan River was conducted. Under the direction of the 
Recovery Program, Navajo Dam releases were evaluated from 1992 to 1998. 
At the completion of the research period, the Recovery Program 
completed the Flow Recommendations for the San Juan River (Holden, 
1999). The recommendations included suggested Navajo Dam operating 
rules for various hydrologic conditions and levels of water development 
in the San Juan River Basin. Applying these rules would allow the flow 
recommendations to be met and would allow water development consistent 
with the ESA and other applicable laws.

Proposed Federal Action

    Reclamation proposes to take action to protect and assist in 
recovery of the populations and designated critical habitat of the two 
endangered fishes found in the San Juan River Basin. Reclamation would 
implement the proposed action by modifying the operations of Navajo 
Dam, to the extent possible, to achieve the flow recommendations 
developed by the Recovery Program. Reclamation's goal is to implement 
the proposed action and, at the same time, maintain and continue all 
authorized purposes of the CRSP.
    The Navajo Reservoir Operations Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement was issued in September 2002 and the public review process 
was conducted from September 4 through December 4, 2002. Over 300 
written comment letters were received. In addition, three public 
hearings were held to provide an opportunity for interested parties and 
agencies to present oral and written comments on the document and the 
proposed Navajo Reservoir operations. Comment letters, Reclamation 
responses, and public hearing statements are included in Volume III of 
the FEIS. The majority of comments received expressed concern with 
adverse impacts of the preferred alternative on resources such as the 
trout fishery, recreation, water quality, and hydropower. Other 
comments indicated that the preferred alternative was the only 
reasonable way to meet ESA obligations and protect water development. 
All written and oral comments received were carefully reviewed and 
considered in preparing the FEIS. Where appropriate, revisions were 
made to the document in response to specific comments. The comments and 
responses, together with the final environmental impact statement, will 
be considered in determining whether or not to implement the proposed 
action.
    No decision will be made on the proposed Federal action until 30 
days after release of the FEIS. After the 30-day waiting period, 
Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision. The Record of Decision 
will state the action that will be implemented and discuss all factors 
leading to that decision.

    Dated: March 9, 2006.
Rick L. Gold,
Regional Director--UC Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. E6-5844 Filed 4-19-06; 8:45 am]
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