Grand V~Lley Water Management

WCN-EA-97-3 Grand V~lley Water Management DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Efficiency Improvements to the Government Highline Canal and Agreement to Deliver Surplus Water from Green Mountain Reservoir to the Grand Valley Power Plant United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation ~~.. --::..;;. --=-~. ~ ..,- Upper Colorado Region ~CF~ Great Plains Region Western Colorado Area Office Eastern Colorado Area Office Grand Junction, Colorado Loveland, Colorado December 1997 fl .., Project Map Grand Valley Water Management N Gov't Highline Canal Badger Wash Spills Decrease .,' Existing Checks from 9700 AF to 1300 AF Decrease spills into Highline Lake from .,' Proposed Checks 10700 AF to 1700 AF Irrigation Districts - Grand Valley Water Users' Association D Orchard Mesa Irrigation District Spills Eliminated into: D Mesa County & Palisade Irrigation Districts East Salt Wash 5400 AF D Grand Valley Irrigation Company Big Salt Wash 1100 AF D Redlands Water & Power Company Uttle Salt Wash 2000 AF Persigo Wash 2500 AF Irrigation Diversions Reduced an Average of 19400 AF Aug-Oct Palisade Pipeline spills into river approx. 9000 A F. Colorado N Glenwood Rine Spnngs DeBequ~'~-Ruedi Res . Grand Junction Aspen t 5 0 5 Miles ~ ---- GRAND VALLEY WATER MANAGEMENT DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ................................................. 1 Need for and Purpose of Action ............................................. 2 Improving Efficiency of Canal Operations .............................. 3 Supplying Conserved Water to the 15-Mile Reach ........................ 3 Delivering Surplus Water . .............................. 4 Related Activities . ...................... ·..... 5 Interactions of Grand Valley Irrigation Entities .......................... 5 The Orchard Mesa Check Case and Green Mountain Reservoir Operation ..... 6 Other Recovery Program Activities . 7 Scoping and Issues . .......................... 8 CHAPl"ER 2 - ALTERNATIVES . ............. 9 No Action .............................................................. 9 Canal Operation . 9 Green Mountain Reservoir and Grand Valley Power Plant Operations ........ 9 Future if No Action is Taken ........................................ 10 Proposed Action . 11 Canal Improvements . 11 Green Mountain Reservoir/Grand Valley Power Plant Agreement ........... 13 Future if Proposed Action Taken ..................................... 14 Alternatives Eliminated from Consideration . 14 Summary Comparison of Alternatives . 17 CHAPl"ER 3- AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ... 19 General ............................................................... 19 Water Resources . 19 Reduce Canal Spills while Protecting Grand Valley Water Users ........... 19 Help Meet FWS Flow Recommendations for the 15-Mile Reach ............ 21 Impacts to Other Water Rights . 23 • Protect Delivery of Conserved Water to the 15-Mile Reach ................ 24 Compliance with the Clean Water Act ................................ 26 Fish and Wildlife . ..................................... 26 Selenium Contamination .............................. ~ ............ 27 Endangered Species ..................................................... 28 Compliance with the Endangered Species Act. .... 28 Endangered Species Act Regulatory Relief for Grand Valley Irrigators ....... 29 Vegetation and Land Use ................................................. 30 i Unique Geographical Features ....................................... 30 Construction Easements and Disturbances ............................. 30 Cultural Resources ...................................................... 31 Modernizing the Historic Canal ...................................... 31 Indian Trust Assets ..................................................... 32 Environmental Justice . 33 Recreation Resources . 33 Impacts at Highline Lake State Park . ............................. 33 Socio-Economic Factors ................................................. 34 Funding ........................................................ 34 Cumulative Impacts . 35 Delivering surplus Green Mountain Reservoir water to the 15-Mile Reach .... 35 Sufficient Progress of the Recovery Program. ................... 36 Coordination with Other Recovery Program Activities .................... 37 CHAPTER 4- CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ........................... 39 Scoping for Draft Environmental Assessment . ........ 39 Consultation with other Agencies .......................................... 39 REFERENCES CITED . 41 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1 -Recovery Program for Endangered Colorado River Fishes ..................... ·...... 2 2 - The Grand Valley Project ..................................................... 3 3 ..; Colorado-Big Thompson Project ............................................... 4 4 - Green Mountain Reservoir HUP Operating Criteria ................................ 7 5 - How Salinity Control Improvements Increased Canal Spills . 15 6 - Priority of Cameo Rights .................................................... 23 7 - Some Important Dates in Ute History . .. 33 . 8 - CWCB' s 1995 Instream Flow Filing ........................................... 3 7 FIGURES • Project Map- Grand Valley Water Management....................... Frontispiece Map Figure 1 - Irrigation and Hydroelectric Power Features near Palisade, Colorado ............ 6 Figure 2 - Typical Canal Check . 12 Figure 3- Late Summer Canal Spills (acre-feet) .................................... 20 ii TABLES Table 1 - Average Volume of Canal Spills ......................................... 11 Table 2- 15-Mile Reach Monthly Flow Recommendations ............................ 21 ;; Table 3- Increase in Water Supply to the 15-Mile Reach ............................. 22 Table 4- CWCB's 1992 and 1994 Instream Flow Filings for the 15-Mile Reach (cfs) ...... 24 Table 5- Estimated Use ofHUP Water in Green Mountain Reservoir (acre-feet) ........... 25 ATIACHMENTS A - Grand Valley Water Management Hydrology Analysis B - Compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and Endangered Species Act C - GVWM Environmental Commitments and Mitigation Measures D - Distribution List iii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION This Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended and other applicable environmental laws, regulations and Department of the Interior policies. It discusses the Grand Valley Water 1 Management (GVWM ) proposal to: ~ make efficiency improvements to the Government Highline Canal of Reclamation's GRAND VALLEYPROJECT,2 located in Mesa County, Colorado, and ~ enter into an agreement for delivery of SURPLUS water from GREEN MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR, in Summit County, Colorado, to the GRAND VALLEY PoWER PLANT near Palisade, Colorado. The GVWM Project Map (frontispiece) shows the location of Green Mountain Reservoir and the Grand Valley Project area in western Colorado, and the sites for proposed canal system improvements within the Grand Valley. These improvements include: adding seven new check structures (adjustable dams) in the Government Highline Canal to control water surface elevation, adding a pump station at Highline Lake, installing a spillway pipeline near Palisade, and installing devices on existing check structures to automate monitoring and operation of the canal system. These improvements are expected to conserve a significant amount of Grand Valley Project water. Development of the surplus Green Mountain Reservoir agreement and delivery of water to the Grand Valley Power Plant would be completed as specified in the settlement for the ORCHARD ~ MESA CHECK CASE (Settlement). The Settlement requires delivery of surplus water under this agreement, even if the canal improvements are not made. Analyses in this EA predict how impacts associated with the surplus water delivery agreement change ifwater is conserved by the canal improvements. Actions proposed by GVWM are expected to enhance flows in the 15-MILE REACH of the v Colorado River to benefit recovery of endangered fish species. High capture rates for two endangered species, the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker, make this reach very important to establishing self-sustaining populations of these species. The 15-Mile Reach extends from the privately-owned diversion dam of the Grand Valley Irrigation Company (GVIC), near the Grand Valley Power Plant, to the confluence of the Gunnison River in Grand Junction . • 1 When abbreviations or acronyms are first used in this EA, they appear in bold text. 2 Terms or concepts for which background or explanatory information is later provided within this EA appear in UPPER CASE text. 1 Reclamation is planning and would implement GVWM in cooperation with the Grand Valley 1 - RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR Water Users' Association (Association) and the ENDANGERED COLORADO RIVER FISHES Upper Colorado River Basin Recovery A number of factors, ranging from habitat Implementation Program for Endangered Fish reduction or alteration to introduction of (Recovery Program). The Association operates non-native species, account for the and maintains irrigation features of the Grand declining numbers of four endangered fish Valley Project, GARFIELD GRAVITY DIVISION. The goal species. Timely action is needed to reverse of the Recovery Program is to establish self the decline of these fish populations. In sustaining populations of endangered

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