[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 212 (Friday, November 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62272-62274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21417]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[FES-07-37]


Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and 
Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin 
Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior (Department), acting through 
the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), has issued a final 
environmental impact statement (Final EIS) on the proposed adoption of 
specific Colorado River Lower Basin shortage guidelines and coordinated 
reservoir management strategies to address operation of Lake Powell and 
Lake Mead, particularly under low reservoir conditions. This action is 
proposed in order to provide a greater degree of certainty to U.S. 
Colorado River water users and managers of the Colorado River Basin by 
providing

[[Page 62273]]

detailed and objective guidelines for the operation of Lake Powell and 
Lake Mead, thereby allowing water managers and water users in the Lower 
Basin to know when, and by how much, water deliveries will be reduced 
in drought and other low reservoir conditions. The Department proposes 
that these guidelines be interim in duration and extend through 2026.
    Cooperating agencies are the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Western Area 
Power Administration, and the United States Section of the 
International Boundary and Water Commission.

DATES: The Department will issue a Record of Decision on implementing 
the proposed interim guidelines no sooner than December 3, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is electronically available for viewing and 
copying at Reclamation's project Web site at: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies.html. Alternatively, a compact disc or hard 
copy is available upon written request to: Regional Director, Lower 
Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: BCOO-1005, P.O. Box 
61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470; fax at (702) 293-8156; or e-
mail at [email protected].
    See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for 
locations and addresses where copies of the document may be viewed.

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].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the period from 2000-2007, the 
Colorado River has experienced the worst drought conditions in 100 
years of recorded history. During this period, storage in Colorado 
River reservoirs dropped from nearly full to less than 55 percent of 
capacity as of September 30, 2007. Currently, the Department does not 
have specific operational guidelines in place to address the operation 
of Lake Powell and Lake Mead during drought and low reservoir 
conditions.
    Accordingly, through a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
process initiated by a Federal Register notice dated September 30, 2005 
(70 FR 57322), the Department proposed the adoption of specific interim 
guidelines for Lower Basin shortages and coordinated operations of Lake 
Powell and Lake Mead. It is anticipated that the proposed federal 
action will be implemented through the adoption of interim guidelines 
in effect through 2026 that would be used each year by the Department 
in implementing the Criteria for Coordinated Long-Range Operation of 
Colorado River Reservoirs Pursuant to the Colorado River Basin Project 
Act of September 30, 1968, through issuance of the Annual Operating 
Plan for Colorado River Reservoirs.
    The proposed federal action considers four operational elements 
that collectively are designed to address the purpose and need for the 
proposed federal action. These elements are addressed in each of the 
alternatives described and analyzed in the Final EIS. The interim 
guidelines would be used by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) 
to:
     Determine those circumstances under which the Secretary 
would reduce the annual amount of water available for consumptive use 
from Lake Mead to the Colorado River Lower Division states (Arizona, 
California, and Nevada) below 7.5 million acre-feet (a ``Shortage'') 
pursuant to Article II(B)(3) of the United States Supreme Court Decree 
in the case of Arizona v. California, 547 U.S. 150 (2006);
     Define the coordinated operation of Lake Powell and Lake 
Mead to provide improved operation of these two reservoirs, 
particularly under low reservoir conditions;
     Allow for the storage and delivery, pursuant to applicable 
federal law, of conserved Colorado River system and non-system water in 
Lake Mead to increase the flexibility of meeting water use needs from 
Lake Mead, particularly under drought and low reservoir conditions; and
     Determine those conditions under which the Secretary may 
declare the availability of surplus water for use within the Lower 
Division states.

The proposed federal action would modify the substance of the existing 
Interim Surplus Guidelines (ISG), published in the Federal Register on 
January 25, 2001 (66 FR 7772), and would change the term of the ISG 
from 2016 to 2026.
    The purpose of the proposed federal action is to: (1) Improve 
Reclamation's management of the Colorado River by considering the 
trade-offs between the frequency and magnitude of reductions of water 
deliveries, and considering the effects on water storage in Lake Powell 
and Lake Mead, water supply, power production, recreation, and other 
environmental resources; (2) provide mainstream U.S. users of Colorado 
River water, particularly those in the Lower Division states, a greater 
degree of predictability with respect to the amount of annual water 
deliveries in future years, particularly under drought and low 
reservoir conditions; and (3) provide additional mechanisms for the 
storage and delivery of water supplies in Lake Mead.
    The Final EIS presents five action alternatives for potential 
implementation, plus a No Action Alternative. The action alternatives 
reflect input from Reclamation staff, the cooperating agencies, 
stakeholders, members of the general public and other interested 
parties. The preferred alternative was identified by Reclamation by 
publication on June 15, 2007, on the dedicated project Web site: 
(http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies.html), following 
public comments on the Draft EIS and further analysis.
    The preferred alternative proposes: (1) Discrete levels of shortage 
volumes associated with Lake Mead elevations to conserve reservoir 
storage and provide water users and managers in the Lower Basin with 
greater certainty to know when, and by how much, water deliveries will 
be reduced in drought and other low reservoir conditions; (2) a 
coordinated operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead determined by 
specified reservoir conditions that would minimize shortages in the 
Lower Basin and avoid the risk of curtailments in the Upper Basin; (3) 
a mechanism to encourage and account for augmentation and conservation 
of water supplies, referred to as Intentionally Created Surplus, that 
would minimize the likelihood and severity of potential future 
shortages; and (4) the modification and extension of the ISG through 
2026.
    A Record of Decision implementing the interim guidelines is 
anticipated to be completed before the end of 2007.
    Following publication of this Federal Register notice, additional 
and updated information regarding the content and development of 
guidelines is anticipated to be provided to the public through the 
dedicated project Web site, (http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/strategies.html).

Locations Where the Final EIS Is Available for Public Review

     Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office, 400 
Railroad Avenue, Boulder City, Nevada.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
South State Street, Room 7220, Salt Lake City, Utah.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, 6150 West 
Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona.

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     Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma Area Office, 7301 Calle Agua 
Salada, Yuma, Arizona.
     Bureau of Reclamation Library, Denver Federal Center, 6th 
Avenue and Kipling, Building 67, Room 167, Denver, Colorado.
     Department of the Interior, Natural Resources Library, 
1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC.
     Yuma County Library, 185 South Main Street, Yuma, Arizona.
     Palo Verde Valley Library, 125 West Chanslor Way, Blythe, 
California.
     Mohave County Library, 1170 Hancock Road, Bullhead City, 
Arizona.
     Laughlin Library, 2840 South Needles Highway, Laughlin, 
Nevada.
     Las Vegas Clark County Library, 833 Las Vegas Boulevard N, 
Las Vegas, Nevada.
     James I. Gibson Library, 280 Water Street, Henderson, 
Nevada.

Public Disclosure

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. E7-21417 Filed 11-1-07; 8:45 am]
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