Fry-Ark Excess Capacity Draft EA
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Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Pueblo Reservoir Temporary Excess Capacity Storage and Exchange Contracting Program, and Site Specific Environmental Assessment for Donala Water and Sanitation District 40-Year Excess Capacity Storage and Conveyance Contract and Bureau of Land Management 40-Year Excess Capacity Storage Contract Projects 2015-05 & 2015-028 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Eastern Colorado Area Office Great Plains Region U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation October 2018 MISSION STATEMENTS The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Table of Contents Chapter 1 – Purpose & Need ...................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose and Need ..............................................................................................................2 1.2.1 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Temporary Excess Capacity Storage Contracting Program ...................................................................................................................................2 1.2.2 Donala Water and Sanitation District 40-Year Excess Capacity Storage and Conveyance Contract ............................................................................................................2 1.2.3 Bureau of Land Management-40-Year Excess Capacity Storage Contract .......2 1.3 Background ..........................................................................................................................3 1.3.1 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project .......................................................................................3 1.3.2 Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Temporary Excess Capacity Storage Contracting Program ...................................................................................................................................3 1.3.3 Donala Water and Sanitation District ........................................................................5 1.3.4 Bureau of Land Management ....................................................................................5 1.4 Issues and Concerns ..........................................................................................................6 Chapter 2 - Proposed Action and Alternatives ......................................................................7 2.1 .............................................................................................................. Excess Capacity Storage Contracts .....................................................................................................................................7 2.2 Alternatives ..........................................................................................................................9 2.2.1 No Action Alternative ...................................................................................................9 2.2.3 Proposed Actions .........................................................................................................9 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment & Environmental Consequences ..............................17 3.1 Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ......................................................................17 3.2 Hydrologic Models ............................................................................................................18 Reservoirs .............................................................................................................................20 Effects on Surface Water Resources-Reservoirs ...........................................................22 3.4 Groundwater Resources ..................................................................................................23 3.4.1 Temporary Program Groundwater Uses ................................................................24 3.4.2 Donala Water and Sanitation District’s Groundwater Uses ................................26 3.4.3 BLM Groundwater Uses ...........................................................................................26 3.4.4 Effects to Groundwater Resources .........................................................................27 3.5 Water Rights ......................................................................................................................29 3.5.1 General ........................................................................................................................29 3.5.2 Arkansas River Compact ..........................................................................................29 3.5.3 Effects on Water Rights ............................................................................................30 ii 3.6 Water Quality .....................................................................................................................30 3.6.1 Effects on Water Quality ...........................................................................................32 3.7 Aquatic Life & Recreation ................................................................................................36 3.7.1 Upper Arkansas River ...............................................................................................36 3.7.2 Pueblo Reservoir .......................................................................................................37 3.7.3 Arkansas River through Pueblo ...............................................................................37 3.7.6 Effects to Aquatic Life and Recreation ...................................................................40 3.8 Historic Properties .............................................................................................................46 3.8.2 DeWeese Reservoir ..................................................................................................47 3.8.3 Effects to Historic Properties ....................................................................................48 3.9.1 Least Tern and Piping Plover ..................................................................................50 3.9.2 Greenback Cutthroat Trout ......................................................................................50 3.9.3 Whooping Crane ........................................................................................................50 3.9.4 Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse ..........................................................................50 3.9.6 Ute Ladies’-Tresses ..................................................................................................51 3.9.7 Transbasin Diversions...............................................................................................51 3.10 Socioeconomic Resources ............................................................................................52 3.11 Environmental Justice ....................................................................................................54 3.12 Indian Trust Assets .........................................................................................................55 3.13 Other Resources .............................................................................................................55 3.14 Climate Change ..............................................................................................................56 3.15 Summary of Impacts ......................................................................................................56 3.15 Environmental Commitments & Mitigation Measures ...............................................58 Chapter 4–Consultation & Coordination ..............................................................................59 List of Tables Table 1-Reclamation’s Previous Fry-Ark Project Excess Capacity Storage and Exchange Contract NEPA Compliance Documents .........................................................................................6 Table 2-Types of Reclamation Excess Capacity Storage Contracts ................................................8 Table 3- Temporary Program 2017 Temporary Contracts ............................................................10 Table 4-Temporary Program 2018 Temporary contracts ..............................................................11 Table 5-Current Contracts for Long-Term Excess Capacity Storage ............................................12 Table 6-Donala Excess Capacity Storage Contract Water Supply Sources ..................................14 Table 7-BLM Excess Capacity Storage Contract Water Sources ..................................................16 Table 8- Modeled Existing Long-Term Contract Storage Demand Storage Volumes ..................23 Table 9-2018 CWPDA and AGUA 2018 Approved Rule 14 Plan Summaries .............................25 Table 10- Summary of 303(d) Listed Waters in the Arkansas River Basin ..................................31 iii Table 11-Predicted Changes in Mean Monthly Specific Conductance at the Portland Gage .......33 Table 12- Predicted Changes in Mean Monthly Specific Conductance at the above Pueblo