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Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement

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Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement PUBLIC DRAFT Volume 1—Chapters 1-8 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region National Park Service, Intermountain Region December 2015 Cover photo credits: Title bar: Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon: Grand Canyon National Park Glen Canyon Dam: T.R. Reeve High-flow experimental release: T.R. Reeve Fisherman: T. Gunn Humpback chub: Arizona Game and Fish Department Rafters: Grand Canyon National Park Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan December 2015 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 1 GLEN CANYON DAM LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTAL AND MANAGEMENT PLAN 2 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 3 4 5 Joint-Lead Agencies 6 Bureau of Reclamation 7 National Park Service 8 9 Cooperating Agencies Department of the Interior Havasupai Tribe Bureau of Indian Affairs Hopi Tribe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hualapai Tribe U.S. Department of Energy Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Western Area Power Administration Navajo Nation Arizona Game and Fish Department Pueblo of Zuni Colorado River Board of California Salt River Project Colorado River Commission of Nevada Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems Upper Colorado River Commission 10 11 12 ABSTRACT 13 14 15 The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), through the Bureau of Reclamation and 16 National Park Service (NPS), proposes to develop and implement a Long-Term Experimental 17 and Management Plan (LTEMP) for operations of Glen Canyon Dam. The LTEMP would 18 provide a framework for adaptively managing Glen Canyon Dam operations over the next 19 20 years, consistent with the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (GCPA) and other provisions 20 of applicable federal law. The LTEMP would determine specific options for dam operations, 21 non-flow actions, and appropriate experimental and management actions that will meet the 22 GCPA’s requirements and minimize impacts on resources within the area impacted by dam 23 operations, including those of importance to American Indian Tribes. 24 25 The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) draws on the scientific information 26 that has been collected under the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program over the 27 last 20 years to identify the potential environmental effects associated with taking no action, as 28 well as a reasonable range of alternatives to no action for implementing the proposed federal 29 action. The alternatives addressed in this DEIS include a broad range of operations and actions 30 that would meet the purpose, need, and objectives of the proposed federal action. The primary 31 resources that could be affected by the proposed action include sediment resources, aquatic and 32 terrestrial ecological resources, recreational resources, socioeconomic resources, hydropower 33 resources, resources of importance to American Indian Tribes, and historic and cultural resources 34 in the vicinity of the Glen and Grand Canyons. The DEIS has been developed in accordance with 35 the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and follows the 36 implementing regulations developed by the President’s Council on Environmental Quality in 37 Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1500 to 1508 and DOI regulations iii Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan December 2015 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 1 implementing NEPA in 43 CFR Part 46. Based on the impact analyses conducted, DOI has 2 chosen Alternative D as the preferred alternative. 3 4 The review period for this DEIS will end 90 days after publication of the 5 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. During 6 the 90-day comment period, comments will be accepted electronically through the NPS 7 Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/LTEMPEIS) 8 and in hard copy delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service. Written 9 comments will also be accepted during public meetings on the DEIS. Comments will not be 10 accepted by fax, by e-mail, or in any format other than those specified above. Bulk comments in 11 any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will also not be accepted. 12 13 For additional information, visit http://ltempeis.anl.gov or contact: 14 15 Glen Canyon Dam LTEMP Draft EIS 16 Argonne National Laboratory 17 9700 S. Cass Avenue—EVS/240 18 Argonne, IL 60439 19 Phone: 630-252-3169 20 22 iv Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan December 2015 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 1 CONTENTS 2 3 4 ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... iii 5 6 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................. lxiii 7 8 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 9 10 1.1 Description of the Proposed Action ...................................................................... 1-4 11 1.2 Purpose of and Need for Action ............................................................................ 1-5 12 1.3 Lead and Cooperating Agencies and Consulting Tribes ....................................... 1-9 13 1.3.1 Lead Agencies .......................................................................................... 1-9 14 1.3.2 Cooperating Agencies and Consulting Tribes ......................................... 1-9 15 1.4 Objectives and Resource Goals of the LTEMP ..................................................... 1-10 16 1.5 Scope of the DEIS ................................................................................................. 1-12 17 1.5.1 Affected Region and Resources ............................................................... 1-13 18 1.5.2 Impact Topics Selected for Detailed Analysis ......................................... 1-14 19 1.5.3 Impact Topics Dismissed from Detailed Analysis ................................... 1-15 20 1.6 Role of Adaptive Management.............................................................................. 1-16 21 1.6.1 History of the Existing Adaptive Management Program ......................... 1-16 22 1.6.2 Relationship of Adaptive Management to NEPA and Changes 23 to Operations ............................................................................................ 1-17 24 1.7 Role of Decision Analysis in the DEIS Process .................................................... 1-17 25 1.8 History, Location, and Setting ............................................................................... 1-18 26 1.8.1 History and Purpose of Glen Canyon Dam.............................................. 1-18 27 1.8.2 Location of Glen Canyon Dam and LTEMP Affected Area ................... 1-19 28 1.8.3 Operation of the Glen Canyon Dam ........................................................ 1-20 29 1.8.4 History, Purpose, and Significance of the National Park System 30 Units ......................................................................................................... 1-22 31 1.8.4.1 Grand Canyon National Park .................................................. 1-22 32 1.8.4.2 Glen Canyon National Recreation Area .................................. 1-24 33 1.8.4.3 Lake Mead National Recreation Area ..................................... 1-24 34 1.8.5 Tribal Lands ............................................................................................. 1-25 35 1.8.5.1 Navajo Nation .......................................................................... 1-26 36 1.8.5.2 Hualapai ................................................................................... 1-26 37 1.8.5.3 Havasupai ................................................................................ 1-26 38 1.8.5.4 Southern Paiute Tribes ............................................................ 1-27 39 1.8.5.5 Hopi ......................................................................................... 1-28 40 1.8.5.6 Pueblo of Zuni ......................................................................... 1-28 41 1.8.5.7 Fort Mojave ............................................................................. 1-29 42 1.9 Laws and Regulations Related to Operations of Glen Canyon Dam and 43 Park Management .................................................................................................. 1-29 44 1.9.1 Environmental Laws and Executive Orders ............................................ 1-29 45 1.9.2 Cultural/Historical Laws and Executive Orders ...................................... 1-30 46 v Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan December 2015 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 1 CONTENTS (Cont.) 2 3 4 1.9.3 American Indian and Tribal Consultation Laws and Executive 5 Orders ....................................................................................................... 1-30 6 1.9.4 Law of the River ...................................................................................... 1-31 7 1.10 Related Actions ..................................................................................................... 1-31 8 1.10.1 Biological Opinions ................................................................................. 1-31 9 1.10.2 Environmental Impact Statements and Related Documents .................... 1-31 10 1.10.3 Environmental Assessments and Related
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