Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, 9026-9028 [E7-3447]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
9026
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 28, 2007 / Notices
Procedure will now read ‘‘Describe the
records sought.’’
Dated: February 22, 2007.
Robert Roudabush,
Acting Assistant Director, Renewable
Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land
Management.
INTERIOR/LLM–2
SYSTEM NAME:
Range Management System—Interior,
LLM–2.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management, Denver
Federal Center, Bldg. 50, Denver,
Colorado 80225.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE
SYSTEM:
Individuals to whom BLM issues
grazing permits or leases.
The records, paper and electronic,
contain the lessee’s or permittee’s name,
address, the Bureau’s assigned case file
number, grazing allotment descriptions,
grazing applications, grazing preference
summary and history, copies of the
grazing permit or lease, grazing fee
billing statements, grazing exchange-ofuse agreement, evidence of ownership
or control of base property, notice of
lienholder interest in base property,
corporate or partnership documentation,
affiliate documentation, notice of
authorized representative, livestock
control agreements, copies of brand
registration, closed unauthorized use
case records, Cooperative Range
Improvement Agreements, Range
Improvement Permits, Assignment of
Range Improvements, grazing decisions,
and correspondence to, or received
from, the permittee or lessee.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
43 U.S.C. 315, et seq.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE
SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND
THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
The primary uses of the records are (a)
to identify the permittees and lessees
authorized to graze lands administered
by the Bureau of Land Management, (b)
to print statements of grazing
preference, grazing authorizations,
billings for grazing fees due, and other
reports, (c) to maintain the information
required to administer livestock grazing
on public rangelands in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations,
and (d) to provide information
concerning the grazing permittees and
lessees for administrative use.
Disclosures outside the Department of
the Interior may be made: (1) To the
16:08 Feb 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
that privacy protection measures were
in place.
RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
BLM Manual(s) 1220, Records and
Information Management, Appendix II,
GRS/BLM Combined Records Schedule,
Schedule 20, Item 42. Destroyed when
superseded or no longer needed for
administrative purposes.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
Chief, Division of Rangeland
Management, U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Land Management,
(WO–220), 1849 C St., NW.,
Washington, DC 20240.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
To determine whether records are
maintained on you in this system, write
to the System Manager. See 43 CFR
2.60.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Department of Justice, or to a court,
adjudicative or other administrative
body, or to a party in litigation before
a court or adjudicative or administrative
body, when (a) the Department or any
component of the Department, any
Departmental employee acting in his or
her official capacity, or any
Departmental employee acting in his or
her individual capacity where the
Department of Justice has agreed to
represent the employee is a party in the
suit and (b) we deem the disclosure to
be relevant and necessary to the
proceeding, and compatible with the
purpose for which we compiled the
information; (2) to Federal, State, or
local agencies to manage their activities
related to BLM’s grazing program; and
(3) to a congressional office from the
record of an individual in response to a
written inquiry the individual has made
to the congressional office.
DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING
AGENCIES:
Disclosures pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a(b)(12): Disclosures may be made to
consumer reporting agencies as defined
in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15
U.S.C. 1681a(f)) or the Federal Claims
Collection Act of 1966 (31 U.S.C.
3701(a)(3)).
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING,
RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND
DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
Computer magnetic tape and/or
manual index. Paper case records are
maintained in locking filing cabinets at
BLM field offices.
To see your records, write to the
System Manager. Describe the records
sought. If copies are desired, indicate
the maximum you are willing to pay.
See 43 CFR 2.63.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
To request corrections or the removal
of material from your files, write the
System Manager. See 43 CFR 2.71.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Grazing Permittees or Lessees
EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
[FR Doc. E7–3477 Filed 2–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–10–P
RETRIEVABILITY:
Indexed by name of permittee or
lessee and grazing authorization
number.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
SAFEGUARDS:
[DES–07–05]
Maintained with safeguards meeting
the requirements of 43 CFR 2.51 for
manual and automated records. Access
to records in the system is limited to
authorized personnel whose official
duties require such access. Paper
records are maintained in locked file
cabinets and/or in secured rooms.
Electronic records conform to Office of
Management and Budget and
Departmental guidelines reflecting the
implementation of the Federal
Information Security Management Act.
The electronic data will be protected
through user identification, passwords,
database permissions, and software
controls. Such security measures will
establish access levels for different types
of users. A Privacy Impact Assessment
was completed on the system to ensure
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Bureau of Reclamation
Colorado River Interim Guidelines for
Lower Basin Shortages and
Coordinated Operations for Lake
Powell and Lake Mead
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and
Notice of Public Hearings for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for the
Colorado River Interim Guidelines for
Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated
Operations for Lake Powell and Lake
Mead.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, and the Council on
Environmental Quality’s Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions
E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM
28FEN1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 28, 2007 / Notices
of NEPA, the Department of the Interior
(Department), acting through the Bureau
of Reclamation (Reclamation), has
prepared a draft environmental impact
statement (Draft EIS) on the proposed
adoption of specific Colorado River
Lower Basin shortage guidelines and
coordinated reservoir management
strategies to address operations 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 detailed and objective
guidelines for the operations 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 (NPS), the Western Area Power
Administration (Western), and the
United States Section of the
International Boundary and Water
Commission.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: A public review
period commences with the publication
of this notice. Comments on the Draft
EIS must be submitted no later than
Monday, April 30, 2007, to: Regional
Director, Lower Colorado Region,
Bureau of Reclamation, Attention:
BCOO–1000, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder
City, Nevada 89006–1470; faxogram at
(702) 293–8156; or e-mail at
strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
Reclamation will conduct three public
hearings to receive written or oral
comments from the public on the Draft
EIS at the following locations:
• Tuesday, April 3, 2007—6 p.m. to 9
p.m., Henderson Convention Center,
Sierra Room, 200 South Water Street,
Henderson, Nevada.
• Wednesday, April 4, 2007—6 p.m.
to 9 p.m., Phoenix Airport Marriott,
Buckhorn Room, 1101 North 44th
Street, Phoenix, Arizona.
• Thursday, April 5, 2007—6 p.m. to
9 p.m., Hilton Salt Lake City Center,
Canyon Room A & B, 255 South West
Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah.
If special assistance is required
regarding accommodations for
attendance at any of the public hearings,
please contact Nan Yoder at (702) 293–
8495, faxogram at (702) 293–8156, or email at nyoder@lc.usbr.gov no less than
5 working days prior to the applicable
meeting(s).
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:08 Feb 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
The Draft EIS is electronically
available for viewing and copying at
Reclamation’s project Web site at:
https://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–1000, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder
City, Nevada 89006–1470; faxogram at
(702) 293–8156; or e-mail at
strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available
for public inspection and review at the
following locations:
• 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.
• 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Terrance J. Fulp, Ph.D., at (702) 293–
8500 or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov;
and/or Randall Peterson at (801) 524–
3633 or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the
period from 2000–2006, the Colorado
River has experienced the worst drought
conditions in approximately one
hundred years of recorded history.
During this period, storage in Colorado
River reservoirs has dropped from
nearly full to less than 60 percent of
capacity at the end of 2006. Currently,
the Department does not have specific
operational guidelines in place to
address the operation of Lake Mead and
Lake Powell during drought and low
reservoir conditions.
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
9027
Accordingly, the Department
proposes the adoption of specific
interim guidelines for Lower Basin
shortages and coordinated operations of
Lake Powell and Lake Mead. 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 Draft EIS.
The interim guidelines would be used
by the Secretary of the Department 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 in
the case of Arizona v. California, 547
U.S.ll(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 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
E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM
28FEN1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
9028
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 39 / Wednesday, February 28, 2007 / Notices
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 Draft EIS presents four possible
action alternatives for implementation,
plus a ‘‘No Action Alternative.’’
Reclamation has not identified a
preferred alternative in this Draft EIS.
The preferred alternative will be
identified following public comments
on the Draft EIS and will be expressed
in the Final EIS. The action alternatives
reflect input from Reclamation staff, the
cooperating agencies, stakeholders, and
other interested parties. Reclamation
received two written proposals for
alternatives that met the purpose and
need of the proposed federal action, one
from the Basin States and another from
a consortium of environmental
organizations. These proposals were
used and refined by Reclamation to
formulate two of the alternatives
considered and analyzed in this Draft
EIS: the Basin States Alternative and the
Conservation Before Shortage
Alternative. A third alternative (Water
Supply Alternative) was developed by
Reclamation and a fourth alternative
(Reservoir Storage Alternative) was
developed in coordination with the NPS
and Western.
The Basin States Alternative proposes
a coordinated operation of Lake Powell
and Lake Mead that would minimize
shortages in the Lower Basin and avoid
the risk of curtailments of use in the
Upper Basin. This alternative also
provides a mechanism, Intentionally
Created Surplus (ICS), for promoting
water conservation in the Lower Basin.
The Conservation Before Shortage
Alternative includes voluntary,
compensated reductions in water use to
minimize involuntary shortages in the
Lower Basin and avoid risk of
curtailments of use in the Upper Basin.
This alternative also provides a
mechanism for promoting water
conservation in the Lower Basin by
expanding the ICS mechanism.
The Water Supply Alternative is
intended to maximize water deliveries
at the expense of retaining water in
storage in the reservoirs for future use.
This alternative would implement
shortages only when insufficient water
to meet entitlements is available in Lake
Mead.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:08 Feb 27, 2007
Jkt 211001
The Reservoir Storage Alternative
would keep more water in storage in
Lake Powell and Lake Mead by reducing
water deliveries and increasing
shortages to benefit power and
recreational interests; and this
alternative also provides a mechanism
for promoting water conservation in the
Lower Basin.
Public Disclosure
It is our practice to make comments,
including names, home addresses, home
telephone numbers, and e-mail
addresses of respondents, available for
public review. Individual respondents
may request that we withhold their
names and/or home addresses, etc., but
if you wish us to consider withholding
this information you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comments. In addition, you must
present a rationale for withholding this
information. This rationale must
demonstrate that disclosure would
constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of privacy. Unsupported
assertions will not meet this burden. In
the absence of exceptional,
documentable circumstances, this
information will be released. We will
always make submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
Dated: February 2, 2007.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. E7–3447 Filed 2–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
[TA–W–60,281]
Airtex Products LP, Including On-Site
Leased Workers of Staffmark and Aid
Temporary Services, Inc.; Marked Tree,
Arkansas; Notice of Revised
Determination on Reconsideration of
Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance
By letter dated February 8, 2007, a
company official requested
administrative reconsideration
regarding Alternative Trade Adjustment
Assistance (ATAA) applicable to
workers of the subject firm. The
negative determination was signed on
January 24, 2007, and was published in
PO 00000
Frm 00070
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the Federal Register on February 14,
2007 (72 FR 7087).
The workers of Airtex Products LP,
including on-site leased workers of
Staffmark and Aid Temporary Services,
Inc., Marked Tree, Arkansas were
certified eligible to apply for Trade
Adjustment Assistance (TAA) on
January 24, 2007.
The initial ATAA investigation
determined that there was not a
significant number of workers in the
workers’ firm that are 50 years of age or
older, and that the skills of the subject
worker group are easily transferable to
other positions in the local area.
In the request for reconsideration, the
company official resubmitted correct
employment numbers which show that
a significant number or proportion of
the worker group of the subject firm are
fifty years of age or older. The company
official also provided new information
confirming that the skills of the workers
at the subject firm are not easily
transferable in the local commuting
area.
Additional investigation has
determined that the workers possess
skills that are not easily transferable. A
significant number or proportion of the
worker group are age fifty years or over.
Competitive conditions within the
industry are adverse.
Conclusion
After careful review of the additional
facts obtained on reconsideration, I
conclude that the requirements of
Section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended, have been met for workers at
the subject firm.
In accordance with the provisions of
the Act, I make the following
certification:
All workers of Airtex Products LP,
including on-site leased workers of Staffmark
and Aid Temporary Services, Inc., Marked
Tree, Arkansas, who became totally or
partially separated from employment on or
after October 20, 2005 through January 24,
2009, are eligible to apply for trade
adjustment assistance under Section 223 of
the Trade Act of 1974 and are also eligible
to apply for alternative trade adjustment
assistance under Section 246 of the Trade Act
of 1974.
Signed in Washington, DC, this 21st day of
February, 2007.
Elliott S. Kushner,
Certifying Officer, Division of Trade
Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. E7–3460 Filed 2–27–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM
28FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9026-9028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3447]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[DES-07-05]
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 and Notice of Public Hearings for the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Colorado River Interim
Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for
Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's
Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions
[[Page 9027]]
of NEPA, the Department of the Interior (Department), acting through
the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), has prepared a draft
environmental impact statement (Draft EIS) on the proposed adoption of
specific Colorado River Lower Basin shortage guidelines and coordinated
reservoir management strategies to address operations 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 detailed and objective guidelines for the operations 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 (NPS), the Western
Area Power Administration (Western), and the United States Section of
the International Boundary and Water Commission.
DATES AND ADDRESSES: A public review period commences with the
publication of this notice. Comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted
no later than Monday, April 30, 2007, to: Regional Director, Lower
Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation, Attention: BCOO-1000, P.O. Box
61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470; faxogram at (702) 293-8156; or
e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
Reclamation will conduct three public hearings to receive written
or oral comments from the public on the Draft EIS at the following
locations:
Tuesday, April 3, 2007--6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Henderson
Convention Center, Sierra Room, 200 South Water Street, Henderson,
Nevada.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007--6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Phoenix
Airport Marriott, Buckhorn Room, 1101 North 44th Street, Phoenix,
Arizona.
Thursday, April 5, 2007--6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hilton Salt
Lake City Center, Canyon Room A & B, 255 South West Temple, Salt Lake
City, Utah.
If special assistance is required regarding accommodations for
attendance at any of the public hearings, please contact Nan Yoder at
(702) 293-8495, faxogram at (702) 293-8156, or e-mail at
nyoder@lc.usbr.gov no less than 5 working days prior to the applicable
meeting(s).
The Draft EIS is electronically available for viewing and copying
at Reclamation's project Web site at: https://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-1000, P.O. Box 61470,
Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470; faxogram at (702) 293-8156; or e-mail
at strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
Copies of the Draft EIS are available for public inspection and
review at the following locations:
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.
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terrance J. Fulp, Ph.D., at (702) 293-
8500 or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov; and/or Randall Peterson at
(801) 524-3633 or e-mail at strategies@lc.usbr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the period from 2000-2006, the
Colorado River has experienced the worst drought conditions in
approximately one hundred years of recorded history. During this
period, storage in Colorado River reservoirs has dropped from nearly
full to less than 60 percent of capacity at the end of 2006. Currently,
the Department does not have specific operational guidelines in place
to address the operation of Lake Mead and Lake Powell during drought
and low reservoir conditions.
Accordingly, the Department proposes the adoption of specific
interim guidelines for Lower Basin shortages and coordinated operations
of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. 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 Draft EIS. The interim
guidelines would be used by the Secretary of the Department 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 in the
case of Arizona v. California, 547 U.S.----(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 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
[[Page 9028]]
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 Draft EIS presents four possible action alternatives for
implementation, plus a ``No Action Alternative.'' Reclamation has not
identified a preferred alternative in this Draft EIS. The preferred
alternative will be identified following public comments on the Draft
EIS and will be expressed in the Final EIS. The action alternatives
reflect input from Reclamation staff, the cooperating agencies,
stakeholders, and other interested parties. Reclamation received two
written proposals for alternatives that met the purpose and need of the
proposed federal action, one from the Basin States and another from a
consortium of environmental organizations. These proposals were used
and refined by Reclamation to formulate two of the alternatives
considered and analyzed in this Draft EIS: the Basin States Alternative
and the Conservation Before Shortage Alternative. A third alternative
(Water Supply Alternative) was developed by Reclamation and a fourth
alternative (Reservoir Storage Alternative) was developed in
coordination with the NPS and Western.
The Basin States Alternative proposes a coordinated operation of
Lake Powell and Lake Mead that would minimize shortages in the Lower
Basin and avoid the risk of curtailments of use in the Upper Basin.
This alternative also provides a mechanism, Intentionally Created
Surplus (ICS), for promoting water conservation in the Lower Basin.
The Conservation Before Shortage Alternative includes voluntary,
compensated reductions in water use to minimize involuntary shortages
in the Lower Basin and avoid risk of curtailments of use in the Upper
Basin. This alternative also provides a mechanism for promoting water
conservation in the Lower Basin by expanding the ICS mechanism.
The Water Supply Alternative is intended to maximize water
deliveries at the expense of retaining water in storage in the
reservoirs for future use. This alternative would implement shortages
only when insufficient water to meet entitlements is available in Lake
Mead.
The Reservoir Storage Alternative would keep more water in storage
in Lake Powell and Lake Mead by reducing water deliveries and
increasing shortages to benefit power and recreational interests; and
this alternative also provides a mechanism for promoting water
conservation in the Lower Basin.
Public Disclosure
It is our practice to make comments, including names, home
addresses, home telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents,
available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we
withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to
consider withholding this information you must state this prominently
at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a
rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must
demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden.
In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this
information will be released. We will always make submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Dated: February 2, 2007.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. E7-3447 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P
