The Long-Term Experimental Plan Environmental Impact Statement (LTEP EIS) was begun in late 2006 to address flow and non-flow actions in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation completed public scoping for the proposed action in January 2007 and issued a scoping report in March 2007. Multiple factors, including extraordinarily large sediment inputs from tributaries, new information on the endangered humpback chub population, and litigation, have led to a temporary suspension of work on the LTEP EIS, and instead a primary focus on Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act compliance on a five-year plan of experimental flows, including a high-flow test that was completed in early March 2008.
During the ESA/NEPA compliance efforts, the Bureau of Reclamation published a Federal Register Notice on February 12, 2008, advising the public that there was a need to reassess the need for and approach to the LTEP EIS following completion of compliance on the five-year experimental flow program. That reassessment has not yet been completed, but when it is finished the public will be notified and this web site will be updated to identify the decision.
Cooperating Agencies
Under the provisions of NEPA, a total of 16 entities have been identified as Cooperating Agencies to participate in the EIS development process. Cooperating Agency List
The proposed federal action is to develop and adopt a long-term experimental plan that will implement a structured, long-term program of experimentation (including dam operations, modifications to Glen Canyon Dam intake structures, and other non-flow management actions, such as removal of non-native fish species) in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam.
The purpose of the proposed action is to increase scientific understanding of the ecosystem downstream from Glen Canyon Dam and to improve and protect important downstream resources. Specific hypotheses to be addressed include the effect of dam release temperatures; ramp rates; non-native control; and the timing, duration, and magnitude of BHBF releases. Adoption of a long-term experimental plan is needed to ensure a continued, structured application of adaptive management in such a manner as to protect, mitigate adverse impacts to, and improve the values for which Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area were established, including, but not limited to natural and cultural resources and visitor use, consistent with applicable federal law. Adoption of a long-term experimental plan will assist scientists, policy makers, and resource managers to better understand resource management options, tradeoffs and consequences, and assist in the long-term operations of Glen Canyon Dam.
- 02-29-08 "Reclamation Releases Final EA and FONSI Authorizing High-Flow and Steady Flow Experiments on the Colorado River"
- 03-30-07 "Reclamation Issues a Scoping Report for the Glen Canyon Dam Long-term Experimental Plan EIS"
- 12-12-06 "Reclamation Opens Scoping Comment Period for Long-Term Experimental Plan EIS for Glen Canyon Dam"
- 11-03-06 "Long-Term Experimental Plan for Operation of Glen Canyon Dam to be Developed"
- 02-12-08 Notice: Long-Term Experimental Plan for the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam and other Associated Management Activities
- 12-12-06 Notice of intent to prepare an EIS and notice to solicit comments and hold additional scoping meetings
- 11-06-06 Notice of intent and notice of public meeting
- 02-02-07 Letter from Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary - Water and Science and Secretary's Designee for the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Work Group
- 11-01-06 Letter from Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary - Water and Science and Secretary's Designee for the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group
- December 5 - 6, 2006: Tempe, Arizona, Fiesta Inn Resort (Encantada Ballroom), 2100 South Priest Drive.
Meeting times: Dec. 5: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. , Dec. 6: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - January 4, 2007: Phoenix, Arizona, Embassy Suites Phoenix Airport at 44th Street (Cholla room), 1515 North 44th Street. Meeting time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- January 5, 2007: Salt Lake City, Utah, Hilton Salt Lake City Center, (Salon 1), 255 South West Temple.
Meeting time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Sign-in sheet - Phoenix meeting 01-04-07
- Speaker sign-in sheet Phoenix meeting 01-04-07
- Sign-in sheet - Salt Lake meeting 01-05-07
- Speaker sign-in sheet Salt Lake meeting 01-05-07
- Adaptive Management Work Group Public Meeting Comments Transcript - Tempe, AZ 12-05/06-06
- Scoping meeting transcript - Salt Lake 01-05-07
- Scoping meeting transcript - Phoenix 01-04-07
- December 12, 2006 - February 28, 2007: Formal scoping period
- March 2007: Issue scoping report
- April 2008: Publish draft environmental impact statement
- October 2008: Publish final environmental impact statement
- December 2008: Issue record of decision
Related Documents and Information
The Long-Term Experimental Plan Environmental Impact Statement will build on a decade of scientific experimentation and monitoring that has taken place as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP), and will build on the knowledge gained by experiments, operations, and management actions taken under the AMP. Accordingly, the Department of the Interior intends to tier from earlier National Environmental Policy Act compliance documents such as those prepared as part of the Department's Glen Canyon Dam AMP efforts.
- Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact- Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, 2008 through 2012
- Final Biological Opinion for the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam (February 27, 2008)
- Science Plan for Potential 2008 Experimantal High Flow at Glen Canyon Dam (December 2007)
- Biological Assessment on the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam and Proposed Experimental Flows for the Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam During the Years 2008 - 2012 (December 2007)
- Matrix of Alternatives (September 7, 2007)
- Scoping Report (March 2007)
- Settlement Agreement (August 2006)
- Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment - Proposed Experimental Actions for Water Years 2005-2006 Colorado River, Arizona, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park (November 2004)
- Finding of No Significant Impact - Proposed Modification to Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam and Continued Mechanical Removal of Non-Native Fish (November 2004)
- Final Environmental Assessment - Adoption of an Interim 602(a) Storage Guideline (March 2004)
- Finding of No Significant Impact - Proposed Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam and Removal of Non-Native Fish (December 2002)
- Environmental Assessment - Proposed Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam and Removal of Non-Native Fish (September 2002)
- Record of Decision - Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement (October 1996)
- Operation of Glen Canyon Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement (March 1995)
- What is the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program
- Adaptive Management Program background
- Adaptive Management Program purpose and goals
- Adaptive Management Program - what we've done
- Dennis Kubly, Bureau of Reclamation, 801-524-3715, fax: 801-524-3858, e-mail: GCDExpPlan@uc.usbr.gov
- Jayne Kelleher, Bureau of Reclamation, 801-524-3680, fax 801-524-3858, e-mail: GCDExpPlan@uc.usbr.gov
- Randall Peterson, Bureau of Reclamation, 801-524-3758, fax: 801-524-3858, e-mail: GCDExpPlan@uc.usbr.gov