Bureau of Reclamation September 30, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to conduct public scoping meetings and prepare an EIS for the development of Lower Colorado River Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies for Operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead Under Low Reservoir Conditions. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) has directed Reclamation to develop additional Colorado River management strategies to address operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead under low reservoir conditions. The proposed action is to develop these guidelines and strategies. Through the NEPA process initiated by this Federal Register notice, Reclamation is considering development of: (1) Specific guidelines that will identify those circumstances under which the Department of the Interior (Department) would reduce annual water deliveries from Lake Mead to the Lower Basin States below the 7.5 million acre-feet (maf) Lower Basin apportionment and the manner in which those deliveries would be reduced, and (2) coordinated management strategies for the operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS have not been developed at this time and will be developed through the NEPA process, including through the upcoming EIS scoping meetings.