[Federal Register: April 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 76)]
[Notices]
[Page 20416-20417]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20ap06-52]
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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: ppage@uc.usbr.gov. 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: ppage@uc.usbr.gov.
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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