Ruedi Reservoir Round II Water Marketing Program Repayment Contract – Colorado River Water Conservation District
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EA No. EC-1300-07-01 Ruedi Reservoir Round II Water Marketing Program Repayment Contract – Colorado River Water Conservation District Environmental Assessment U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Great Plains Region Eastern Colorado Area Office April 2007 ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS 15-Mile Reach portion of the Colorado River that extends from the confluence of the Gunnison River upstream 15 miles to the Grand Valley Irrigation Company diversion dam near Palisade, Colorado ac-ft acre-feet anchor ice results when a river is allowed to freeze over entirely or in large part cfs cubic feet per second contract Ruedi Reservoir Round II Water Marketing Program Repayment Contract CRO Coordinated Reservoir Operations CRWCD Colorado River Water Conservation District CWCB Colorado Water Conservation Board drought restriction U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service waives Colorado River Water Conservation District’s obligation to provide West Slope water users’ commitment from Wolford Mountain Reservoir under the Programmatic Biological Opinion EA Environmental Assessment Fry-Ark Project Fryingpan-Arkansas Project mi2 square miles NEPA National Environmental Policy Act Operating Principals Operating Principals for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project as described in House Document Number 130 PBO Programmatic Biological Opinion regarding endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin issued by the Denver Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1999 Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation Recovery Program Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fishes in the Upper Colorado River Ruedi Ruedi Reservoir third party entity who subcontracts Ruedi Reservoir Round II Water Marketing Program Repayment Contract water from the Colorado River Water Conservation District USFS United States Forest Service USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service Wolford Mountain Wolford Mountain Reservoir Front cover graphics: Colorado River Water Conservancy District Service Area i TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE – PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION ...........................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................1 PURPOSE AND NEED ..........................................................................................................................................................1 FIGURE 1.1 - AREA MAP......................................................................................................................................................... 2 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................................................2 Reclamation and Ruedi Reservoir......................................................................................................................................2 Colorado River Water Conservation District.....................................................................................................................3 ISSUES AND IMPACT TOPICS ...........................................................................................................................................4 Issues and Impact Topics Included for Further Evaluation ...............................................................................................4 Ruedi Reservoir Operations.............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Threatened and Endangered Species................................................................................................................................................. 4 Other Aquatic Resources .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Farmland........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Recreation......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Socioeconomics ................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Hydroelectric Production.................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Issues and Impact Topics Considered but Excluded from Further Evaluation..................................................................5 Floodplains, Wetlands, Water Quality and River Physical Properties .............................................................................................. 5 Cultural Resources............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Indian Trust Resources ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Environmental Justice....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT..........................................................................................................................................6 CHAPTER TWO – ALTERNATIVES....................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................7 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ..............................................................................................................................................7 PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVE................................................................................................................................7 TABLE 2.1 – PROJECTED MARKETING DEMANDS ........................................................................................................... 8 TABLE 2.2 – PROJECTED RUEDI RESERVOIR WINTER RELEASES ABOVE CURRENT CONDITIONS .................... 9 TABLE 2.3 – POTENTIAL ALLOCATION OF PROPOSED CONTRACT WATER............................................................ 10 CHAPTER THREE – AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .......................11 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................11 Impact Thresholds............................................................................................................................................................11 RUEDI RESERVOIR OPERATIONS..................................................................................................................................12 Affected Environment .......................................................................................................................................................12 TABLE 3.1 –RUEDI RESERVOIR POOL VOLUMES........................................................................................................... 13 Environmental Consequences ..........................................................................................................................................13 No Action Alternative..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Proposed Alternative....................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 3.2 – Simulated Fryingpan River FLows......................................................................................................................... 14 FIGURE 3.1 - SIMULATED FLOWS IN THE FRYINGPAN RIVER.................................................................................... 17 TABLE 3.3 – SIMULATED Average Monthly RUEDI RESERVOIR STORAGE LEVELS (ac-ft)....................................... 18 FIGURE 3.2 - SIMULATED RUEDI RESERVOIR STORAGE LEVELS.............................................................................. 19 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES...............................................................................................................20 Affected Environment .......................................................................................................................................................20 Environmental Consequences ..........................................................................................................................................20 No Action Alternative....................................................................................................................................................................