Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the December 2016 Record of Decision Entitled Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan, 68667-68669 [2023-22077]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Notices
68667
TABLE 2—CONCESSION CONTRACTS CONTINUED UNTIL THE EXPIRATION DATE SHOWN OR UNTIL THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
A NEW CONTRACT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST—Continued
Park unit
CONCID
Lake Mead NRA ..............................
Lake Mead NRA ..............................
Interior Region 1—National Capital
Region.
LAKE006–74
LAKE009–88
NACC003–86
Continuation
effective
date
Concessioner
Las Vegas Boat Harbor, Inc. ........................................
LMNRA Guest Services, LLC .......................................
Guest Services, Inc. ......................................................
1/1/2024
1/1/2024
1/1/2024
Continuation
expiration
date
12/31/2024
12/31/2024
12/31/2025
TABLE 3—TEMPORARY CONCESSION CONTRACT
Park Unit
CONCID
Voyageurs NP .............................................
VOYA002–11
Justin Unger,
Associate Director, Business Services.
[FR Doc. 2023–21908 Filed 10–3–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR040U2000, 23XR0680GB,
RXN5570007.3200000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the December 2016
Record of Decision Entitled Glen
Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental
and Management Plan
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
On June 6, 2023, the Secretary
of the Interior’s Acting Designee to the
Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive
Management Work Group (AMWG), a
Federal advisory committee, directed
the Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) to prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (SEIS). The supplement is to
the December 2016 Record of Decision
for the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term
Experimental and Management Plan
(LTEMP) Final Environmental Impact
Statement and will analyze flow options
to prevent smallmouth bass and other
warmwater invasive nonnative fish from
establishing below Glen Canyon Dam
(by preventing additional spawning)
and will analyze new information
regarding the sediment accounting
window associated with the LTEMP
High-Flow Experiment (HFE) protocol.
DATES: This Federal Register notice
initiates the public scoping process for
the SEIS. Reclamation requests that the
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SUMMARY:
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20:21 Oct 03, 2023
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Services
Lodging, Food and Beverage, Transportation, Marina, Retail,
and Boat Portage Services.
public submit comments concerning the
scope of specific operational guidelines,
strategies, and any other issues that
should be considered on or before
November 3, 2023.
Reclamation will host two public
webinars to provide summary
information and receive oral comments.
For specific information concerning the
dates, times, and links to the webinars,
click on the link provided in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Please send written
comments pursuant to this notice to
LTEMPSEIS@usbr.gov or by mail to
Bureau of Reclamation, Attn: LTEMP
SEIS Project Manager, 125 South State
Street, Suite 800, Salt Lake City, UT
84138. For information on the upcoming
webinars, go to https://www.usbr.gov/
uc/progact/amp/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathleen Callister, Adaptive
Management and Water Quality
Division Manager, Bureau of
Reclamation, at (801) 524–3867, or by
email at LTEMPSEIS@usbr.gov. Please
also visit the Glen Canyon Dam
Adaptive Management website at
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/amp/
index.html for updates. Individuals in
the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
document provides notice that
Reclamation intends to prepare an SEIS
and a modified Record of Decision for
the 2016 LTEMP. Reclamation is issuing
this Federal Register notice pursuant to
the National Environmental Policy Act
PO 00000
Frm 00109
Effective date
Fmt 4703
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1/1/2024
of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.; the Council on
Environmental Quality’s regulations for
implementing NEPA, 43 CFR parts 1500
through 1508; and the Department of the
Interior NEPA regulations, 43 CFR part
46.
Background
The Colorado River Basin has been in
a prolonged period of drought and lowrunoff conditions, and despite current
projections of 2023 runoff being above
average, the period from 2000 through
2023 is currently estimated as the
second driest period in more than a
century and one of the driest periods in
the last 1,200 years.
As the water elevation at Lake Powell
has declined, the epilimnion (upper
layer of water) where most fish reside
has become closer to the dam’s intakes,
which move water from the reservoir,
into the dam through the turbines for
hydropower production, and
downstream into the Colorado River.
The decrease in water elevation means
that nonnative fish in Lake Powell are
now more likely than in prior years to
become entrained, passing through the
dam and downstream into the Colorado
River. While some level of fish mortality
occurs during passage through the
turbines, some fish survive. As Lake
Powell elevations decline, warmer water
from the epilimnion is discharged,
resulting in releases of water with
warmer temperatures. Warm water
temperatures below the dam create
conditions that are suitable for
warmwater nonnative fish to reproduce
and eventually establish populations.
This is a concern because smallmouth
bass and other predatory invasive fish
pose a threat to federally listed fish
species and other native fish
downstream of Glen Canyon Dam.
Although invasive fish, including
smallmouth bass, have been detected
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04OCN1
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68668
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Notices
below the dam previously, the thermal
conditions in the river (that is, warmer
waters) are now conducive for
smallmouth bass reproduction and
establishment.
To respond to the changing
conditions, the Secretary of the
Interior’s Acting Designee to the AMWG
directed Reclamation in August 2022,
through the AMWG, to identify and
analyze operational alternatives at Glen
Canyon Dam that may serve to disrupt
spawning of smallmouth bass and other
warmwater invasive fish that pass
through the dam.
Reclamation undertook an
environmental assessment (EA) in
August 2022. The draft EA entitled Glen
Canyon Dam/Smallmouth Bass (SMB)
Flow Options was released for public
comment on February 24, 2023. Based
on the EA analysis and nearly 7,000
comments received, Reclamation
concluded that additional analysis was
warranted.
Additionally, the increased
temperatures of water releases,
entrainment of warmwater nonnative
fish, and lower Lake Powell elevations
have resulted in the Department
deciding to not implement fall HFEs in
2015, 2021, and 2022, despite reaching
input triggers for sediment HFEs. The
absence of spring HFEs during the first
10 years of the HFE protocol, coupled
with analyses documenting reduced
transport of fine sediments in years with
low release volumes and low Lake
Powell elevations, have prompted the
researchers to reassess aspects of the
scientific information supporting the
HFE protocol. Assessment of the
protocol from its use over the past 11
years indicates a need to evaluate the
potential for longer sediment accounting
periods and implementations windows
as described in the LTEMP Record of
Decision. The successful
implementation of a spring HFE in April
2023 gives preliminary credence to
altering sediment accounting windows.
The LTEMP SEIS will also consider
modifying the LTEMP HFE protocol to
incorporate the latest scientific
information available. Over the past 25
years, scientific information on the use
and timing of HFEs has improved
understanding of how best to manage
tributary-derived sediment supplies
below the dam. Refined evaluation of
opportunities and impediments for
HFEs over the past decade under lower
Lake Powell reservoir levels warrants
review of the HFE implementation
protocols. The LTEMP SEIS will reevaluate the HFE sediment accounting
period and implementation window to
more fully achieve the LTEMP goals as
they relate to using HFEs.
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20:21 Oct 03, 2023
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Purpose and Need
The purpose of the LTEMP SEIS is for
Reclamation to analyze additional flow
options at Glen Canyon Dam in
response to invasive smallmouth bass
and other warmwater nonnatives
recently detected directly below the
dam. The need is to prevent the
establishment of smallmouth bass below
the Glen Canyon Dam (by preventing
additional spawning), which could
threaten core populations of threatened
humpback chub in and around the Little
Colorado River and its confluence with
the Colorado River mainstem.
The LTEMP SEIS will also consider
the HFE protocol by including the latest
scientific information to improve
Reclamation’s ability to implement
HFEs as originally intended in the
LTEMP EIS. Specifically, Reclamation is
considering adjusting sediment
accounting periods and HFE
implementation windows.
Preliminary Proposed Action
Reductions in water temperature
combined with changes in flow velocity
may be vital tools that can be used to
disrupt smallmouth bass from
successfully spawning and establishing
a population. As such, Reclamation has
determined that an SEIS is necessary to
pursue implementation of additional
flow options at Glen Canyon Dam. A
range of reservoir releases with
temperature and flow velocity
combinations will be analyzed to
determine efficacy of their ability to
disrupt and prevent smallmouth bass
spawning behavior. Reclamation will
also analyze the sediment accounting
periods and implementation windows
associated with the HFE protocol
analyzed in LTEMP.
Alternatives To Be Considered
During the EA process, nearly 7,000
public comments were received. Many
of the substantial comments focused on
the effects to hydropower generation
and revenues as well as the effects on
Tribal resources. Upon direction from
the Secretary of the Interior’s Acting
Designee, Reclamation is transitioning
to an SEIS analysis.
For the LTEMP SEIS scoping process,
Reclamation anticipates the following
preliminary alternatives will be
considered:
• No Action.
• Four actions initially analyzed in
the Glen Canyon Dam/Smallmouth Bass
Flow Options Draft Environmental
Assessment (February 2023). The Draft
EA can be accessed at this web address:
https://www.usbr.gov/uc/DocLibrary/
EnvironmentalAssessments/20230200-
PO 00000
Frm 00110
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
GCDSmallmouthBassFlowOps_
Draft%20EA_508.pdf.
• Hydropower flow option that does
not include the use of bypass to reduce
water temperatures.
• Included in all but the No Action
alternative will be a revised annual
sediment accounting period and
implementation window associated
with the HFE protocol.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The LTEMP SEIS will analyze
reasonably foreseeable impacts from the
alternatives considered. An initial
analysis of impacts was done as part of
the Glen Canyon Dam/Smallmouth Bass
Flow Options Draft Environmental
Assessment (February 2023). This initial
analysis and alternatives considered
will be further informed by comments
received during the public EA comment
process, the current SEIS scoping
process and analysis of the current
hydrology. These analyses will build
upon and utilize information described
in the 2016 LTEMP Final EIS and
relevant analyses. The analyses in the
SEIS will consider potential effects on
the resources below Glen Canyon Dam,
including natural and cultural
resources, endangered species,
recreation, water resources, hydropower
resources, and other resources and uses.
Reclamation will use an
interdisciplinary approach
incorporating expertise in the relevant
resource fields.
Schedule
Reclamation is planning to provide
opportunities for public participation
consistent with the NEPA process,
including a 30-day scoping period and
a 45-day public comment period on the
draft LTEMP SEIS. The draft LTEMP
SEIS is anticipated to be made available
for public review in the winter of 2023–
2024 and the final LTEMP SEIS with a
Record of Decision, as appropriate, is
anticipated to be available during the
early summer 2024. The proposed
duration of the flow options would
potentially run through 2027. Any
decisions regarding revisions to the HFE
protocol are anticipated to run through
duration of the LTEMP Record of
Decision.
Cooperating Agencies
Reclamation will be inviting the
cooperating and co-lead agencies that
participated in the LTEMP EIS to be
cooperating agencies on the current
LTEMP SEIS. Federal agencies with
jurisdiction by law or with specialized
expertise include the National Park
Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Notices
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Western
Area Power Administration.
Public Disclosure of Comments
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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.
Wayne Pullan,
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation,
Upper Colorado Basin Region.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation Nos. 701–TA–694 and 731–
TA–1641–1642 (Preliminary)]
Aluminum Lithographic Printing Plates
From China and Japan; Institution of
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Investigations and Scheduling of
Preliminary Phase Investigations
The Commission hereby gives
notice of the institution of investigations
and commencement of preliminary
phase antidumping and countervailing
duty investigation Nos. 701–TA–694
and 731–TA–1641–1642 (Preliminary)
pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (‘‘the
Act’’) to determine whether there is a
reasonable indication that an industry
in the United States is materially
injured or threatened with material
injury, or the establishment of an
industry in the United States is
materially retarded, by reason of
imports of aluminum lithographic
printing plates from China and Japan,
provided for in subheading 3701.30.00
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of
the United States, that are alleged to be
sold in the United States at less than fair
value and alleged to be subsidized by
the Government of China. Unless the
Department of Commerce (‘‘Commerce’’)
extends the time for initiation, the
Commission must reach a preliminary
determination in antidumping and
countervailing duty investigations in 45
days, or in this case by November 13,
2023. The Commission’s views must be
transmitted to Commerce within five
business days thereafter, or by
November 20, 2023.
DATES: September 28, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Celia Feldpausch (202) 205–2387, Office
of Investigations, U.S. International
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436. Hearingimpaired persons can obtain
information on this matter by contacting
the Commission’s TDD terminal on 202–
205–1810. Persons with mobility
impairments who will need special
assistance in gaining access to the
Commission should contact the Office
SUMMARY:
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation Nos. 701–TA–487 and 731–
TA–1197–1198 (Second Review)]
Steel Wire Garment Hangers From
Taiwan and Vietnam; Determinations
On the basis of the record 1 developed
in the subject five-year reviews, the
United States International Trade
Commission (‘‘Commission’’)
determines, pursuant to the Tariff Act of
1930 (‘‘the Act’’), that revocation of the
antidumping duty orders on steel wire
garment hangers from Taiwan and
Vietnam and the countervailing duty
order on steel wire garment hangers
from Vietnam would be likely to lead to
continuation or recurrence of material
injury to an industry in the United
States within a reasonably foreseeable
time.
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BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
Background
The Commission instituted these
reviews on April 3, 2023 (88 FR 19669)
and determined on July 7, 2023 that it
would conduct expedited reviews (88
FR 55068, August 14, 2023).
The Commission made these
determinations pursuant to section
751(c) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1675(c)). It
completed and filed its determinations
in these reviews on September 29, 2023.
The views of the Commission are
contained in USITC Publication 5464
(October 2023), entitled Steel Wire
Garment Hangers from Taiwan and
Vietnam: Investigation Nos. 701–TA–
487 and 731–TA–1197–1198 (Second
Review).
1 The record is defined in § 207.2(f) of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19
CFR 207.2(f)).
20:21 Oct 03, 2023
[FR Doc. 2023–21980 Filed 10–3–23; 8:45 am]
AGENCY:
[FR Doc. 2023–22077 Filed 10–3–23; 8:45 am]
VerDate Sep<11>2014
By order of the Commission.
Issued: September 29, 2023.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
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68669
of the Secretary at 202–205–2000.
General information concerning the
Commission may also be obtained by
accessing its internet server (https://
www.usitc.gov). The public record for
these investigations may be viewed on
the Commission’s electronic docket
(EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background.—These investigations
are being instituted, pursuant to
sections 703(a) and 733(a) of the Tariff
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671b(a) and
1673b(a)), in response to a petition filed
on September 28, 2023, by Eastman
Kodak Company, Rochester, New York.
For further information concerning
the conduct of these investigations and
rules of general application, consult the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, part 201, subparts A and B
(19 CFR part 201), and part 207,
subparts A and B (19 CFR part 207).
Participation in the investigations and
public service list.—Persons (other than
petitioners) wishing to participate in the
investigations as parties must file an
entry of appearance with the Secretary
to the Commission, as provided in
§§ 201.11 and 207.10 of the
Commission’s rules, not later than seven
days after publication of this notice in
the Federal Register. Industrial users
and (if the merchandise under
investigation is sold at the retail level)
representative consumer organizations
have the right to appear as parties in
Commission antidumping duty and
countervailing duty investigations. The
Secretary will prepare a public service
list containing the names and addresses
of all persons, or their representatives,
who are parties to these investigations
upon the expiration of the period for
filing entries of appearance.
Limited disclosure of business
proprietary information (BPI) under an
administrative protective order (APO)
and BPI service list.—Pursuant to
§ 207.7(a) of the Commission’s rules, the
Secretary will make BPI gathered in
these investigations available to
authorized applicants representing
interested parties (as defined in 19
U.S.C. 1677(9)) who are parties to the
investigations under the APO issued in
the investigations, provided that the
application is made not later than seven
days after the publication of this notice
in the Federal Register. A separate
service list will be maintained by the
Secretary for those parties authorized to
receive BPI under the APO.
Conference.—The Office of
Investigations will hold a staff
conference in connection with the
preliminary phase of these
investigations beginning at 9:30 a.m. on
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68667-68669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22077]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR040U2000, 23XR0680GB, RXN5570007.3200000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the December 2016 Record of Decision Entitled Glen Canyon
Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On June 6, 2023, the Secretary of the Interior's Acting
Designee to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG),
a Federal advisory committee, directed the Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(SEIS). The supplement is to the December 2016 Record of Decision for
the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP)
Final Environmental Impact Statement and will analyze flow options to
prevent smallmouth bass and other warmwater invasive nonnative fish
from establishing below Glen Canyon Dam (by preventing additional
spawning) and will analyze new information regarding the sediment
accounting window associated with the LTEMP High-Flow Experiment (HFE)
protocol.
DATES: This Federal Register notice initiates the public scoping
process for the SEIS. Reclamation requests that the public submit
comments concerning the scope of specific operational guidelines,
strategies, and any other issues that should be considered on or before
November 3, 2023.
Reclamation will host two public webinars to provide summary
information and receive oral comments. For specific information
concerning the dates, times, and links to the webinars, click on the
link provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments pursuant to this notice to
[email protected] or by mail to Bureau of Reclamation, Attn: LTEMP
SEIS Project Manager, 125 South State Street, Suite 800, Salt Lake
City, UT 84138. For information on the upcoming webinars, go to https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/amp/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Callister, Adaptive
Management and Water Quality Division Manager, Bureau of Reclamation,
at (801) 524-3867, or by email at [email protected]. Please also visit
the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management website at https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/amp/ for updates. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that
Reclamation intends to prepare an SEIS and a modified Record of
Decision for the 2016 LTEMP. Reclamation is issuing this Federal
Register notice pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; the Council on
Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing NEPA, 43 CFR parts
1500 through 1508; and the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations,
43 CFR part 46.
Background
The Colorado River Basin has been in a prolonged period of drought
and low-runoff conditions, and despite current projections of 2023
runoff being above average, the period from 2000 through 2023 is
currently estimated as the second driest period in more than a century
and one of the driest periods in the last 1,200 years.
As the water elevation at Lake Powell has declined, the epilimnion
(upper layer of water) where most fish reside has become closer to the
dam's intakes, which move water from the reservoir, into the dam
through the turbines for hydropower production, and downstream into the
Colorado River. The decrease in water elevation means that nonnative
fish in Lake Powell are now more likely than in prior years to become
entrained, passing through the dam and downstream into the Colorado
River. While some level of fish mortality occurs during passage through
the turbines, some fish survive. As Lake Powell elevations decline,
warmer water from the epilimnion is discharged, resulting in releases
of water with warmer temperatures. Warm water temperatures below the
dam create conditions that are suitable for warmwater nonnative fish to
reproduce and eventually establish populations. This is a concern
because smallmouth bass and other predatory invasive fish pose a threat
to federally listed fish species and other native fish downstream of
Glen Canyon Dam. Although invasive fish, including smallmouth bass,
have been detected
[[Page 68668]]
below the dam previously, the thermal conditions in the river (that is,
warmer waters) are now conducive for smallmouth bass reproduction and
establishment.
To respond to the changing conditions, the Secretary of the
Interior's Acting Designee to the AMWG directed Reclamation in August
2022, through the AMWG, to identify and analyze operational
alternatives at Glen Canyon Dam that may serve to disrupt spawning of
smallmouth bass and other warmwater invasive fish that pass through the
dam.
Reclamation undertook an environmental assessment (EA) in August
2022. The draft EA entitled Glen Canyon Dam/Smallmouth Bass (SMB) Flow
Options was released for public comment on February 24, 2023. Based on
the EA analysis and nearly 7,000 comments received, Reclamation
concluded that additional analysis was warranted.
Additionally, the increased temperatures of water releases,
entrainment of warmwater nonnative fish, and lower Lake Powell
elevations have resulted in the Department deciding to not implement
fall HFEs in 2015, 2021, and 2022, despite reaching input triggers for
sediment HFEs. The absence of spring HFEs during the first 10 years of
the HFE protocol, coupled with analyses documenting reduced transport
of fine sediments in years with low release volumes and low Lake Powell
elevations, have prompted the researchers to reassess aspects of the
scientific information supporting the HFE protocol. Assessment of the
protocol from its use over the past 11 years indicates a need to
evaluate the potential for longer sediment accounting periods and
implementations windows as described in the LTEMP Record of Decision.
The successful implementation of a spring HFE in April 2023 gives
preliminary credence to altering sediment accounting windows.
The LTEMP SEIS will also consider modifying the LTEMP HFE protocol
to incorporate the latest scientific information available. Over the
past 25 years, scientific information on the use and timing of HFEs has
improved understanding of how best to manage tributary-derived sediment
supplies below the dam. Refined evaluation of opportunities and
impediments for HFEs over the past decade under lower Lake Powell
reservoir levels warrants review of the HFE implementation protocols.
The LTEMP SEIS will re-evaluate the HFE sediment accounting period and
implementation window to more fully achieve the LTEMP goals as they
relate to using HFEs.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the LTEMP SEIS is for Reclamation to analyze
additional flow options at Glen Canyon Dam in response to invasive
smallmouth bass and other warmwater nonnatives recently detected
directly below the dam. The need is to prevent the establishment of
smallmouth bass below the Glen Canyon Dam (by preventing additional
spawning), which could threaten core populations of threatened humpback
chub in and around the Little Colorado River and its confluence with
the Colorado River mainstem.
The LTEMP SEIS will also consider the HFE protocol by including the
latest scientific information to improve Reclamation's ability to
implement HFEs as originally intended in the LTEMP EIS. Specifically,
Reclamation is considering adjusting sediment accounting periods and
HFE implementation windows.
Preliminary Proposed Action
Reductions in water temperature combined with changes in flow
velocity may be vital tools that can be used to disrupt smallmouth bass
from successfully spawning and establishing a population. As such,
Reclamation has determined that an SEIS is necessary to pursue
implementation of additional flow options at Glen Canyon Dam. A range
of reservoir releases with temperature and flow velocity combinations
will be analyzed to determine efficacy of their ability to disrupt and
prevent smallmouth bass spawning behavior. Reclamation will also
analyze the sediment accounting periods and implementation windows
associated with the HFE protocol analyzed in LTEMP.
Alternatives To Be Considered
During the EA process, nearly 7,000 public comments were received.
Many of the substantial comments focused on the effects to hydropower
generation and revenues as well as the effects on Tribal resources.
Upon direction from the Secretary of the Interior's Acting Designee,
Reclamation is transitioning to an SEIS analysis.
For the LTEMP SEIS scoping process, Reclamation anticipates the
following preliminary alternatives will be considered:
No Action.
Four actions initially analyzed in the Glen Canyon Dam/
Smallmouth Bass Flow Options Draft Environmental Assessment (February
2023). The Draft EA can be accessed at this web address: https://www.usbr.gov/uc/DocLibrary/EnvironmentalAssessments/20230200-GCDSmallmouthBassFlowOps_Draft%20EA_508.pdf.
Hydropower flow option that does not include the use of
bypass to reduce water temperatures.
Included in all but the No Action alternative will be a
revised annual sediment accounting period and implementation window
associated with the HFE protocol.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The LTEMP SEIS will analyze reasonably foreseeable impacts from the
alternatives considered. An initial analysis of impacts was done as
part of the Glen Canyon Dam/Smallmouth Bass Flow Options Draft
Environmental Assessment (February 2023). This initial analysis and
alternatives considered will be further informed by comments received
during the public EA comment process, the current SEIS scoping process
and analysis of the current hydrology. These analyses will build upon
and utilize information described in the 2016 LTEMP Final EIS and
relevant analyses. The analyses in the SEIS will consider potential
effects on the resources below Glen Canyon Dam, including natural and
cultural resources, endangered species, recreation, water resources,
hydropower resources, and other resources and uses. Reclamation will
use an interdisciplinary approach incorporating expertise in the
relevant resource fields.
Schedule
Reclamation is planning to provide opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 30-day
scoping period and a 45-day public comment period on the draft LTEMP
SEIS. The draft LTEMP SEIS is anticipated to be made available for
public review in the winter of 2023-2024 and the final LTEMP SEIS with
a Record of Decision, as appropriate, is anticipated to be available
during the early summer 2024. The proposed duration of the flow options
would potentially run through 2027. Any decisions regarding revisions
to the HFE protocol are anticipated to run through duration of the
LTEMP Record of Decision.
Cooperating Agencies
Reclamation will be inviting the cooperating and co-lead agencies
that participated in the LTEMP EIS to be cooperating agencies on the
current LTEMP SEIS. Federal agencies with jurisdiction by law or with
specialized expertise include the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service,
[[Page 68669]]
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Western Area Power Administration.
Public Disclosure of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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.
Wayne Pullan,
Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Basin Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-22077 Filed 10-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
