DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ASPINALL UNIT OPERATIONS ASPINALL UNIT—COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT GUNNISON RIVER, COLORADO VOLUME I U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region Western Colorado Area Office Grand Junction, Colorado January 2009 Mission Statement: 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. ASPINALL UNIT OPERATIONS: ASPINALL UNIT— COLORADO RIVER STORAGE PROJECT GUNNISON RIVER, COLORADO Draft Environmental Impact Statement Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (lead agency) Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service State of Colorado Colorado Department of Natural Resources Colorado Water Conservation Board Colorado Division of Water Resources Colorado Division of Wildlife U.S. Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration Colorado River Water Conservation District Southwestern Water Conservation District Platte River Power Authority Abstract: The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, proposes to implement a plan to avoid jeopardy to four endangered fish in the Gunnison and Colorado rivers downstream from the Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, a Colorado River Storage Project facility in western Colorado. The plan focuses on modifying the operation of the Aspinall Unit to provide sufficient releases of water at times, quantities, and duration necessary to avoid jeopardy and adverse modification to designated critical habitat, while maintaining authorized purposes of the Aspinall Unit. Four action alternatives are presented to address Flow Recommendations developed by the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program for downstream endangered fish and are compared to the No Action Alternative. A preferred alternative is identified. This draft environmental impact statement has been prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. For Further Information Contact: Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office 2764 Compass Drive, Suite 106 Grand Junction, CO 81506 Telephone: 970-248-0600 Faxogram: 970-248-0601 Email: [email protected] File Number: ___DES_09-02_____ Comments Due: __April 24, 2009__ (Blank Page) (Blank Page) Acronyms 07-02 Update A ACOE Army Corps of Engineers af acre foot Aspinall Unit Wayne N. Aspinall Unit B BA biological assessment Black Canyon NP Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nation Park BLM Bureau of Land Management BO Biological Opinion C CDOW Colorado Division of Wildlife CDPHE Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment CDWR Colorado Division of Water Resource CFR Code of Federal Regulations cfs cubic feet per second CRSP Colorado River Storage Project Curecanti NRA Curecanti National Recreation Area D dB decibel db(A) daily average decibel level DEIS draft environmental impact statement E EIS environmental impact statement EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act F FEIS final environmental impact statement Flow Flow Recommendations to Benefit the Endangered Fishes in Recommendations the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers i ft feet I IMPLAN an economic computer-based modeling program Indian American Indian ITAs Indian Trust Assets K kW kilowatt kWh kilowatthour M M&I municipal and industrial mg/l milligrams per liter MOA memorandum of agreement MOU memorandum of understanding MW megawatt MWh megawatt-hour N NCA National Conversation Area NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NEV Net Economic Value NIWQP National Irrigation Water Quality Program NOA notice of availability NOI notice of intent NP National Park NPS National Park Service NRA National Recreation Area O O&M operation and maintenance P P.L. Public Law PM particulate matter Ppb parts per billion ppm parts per million ii R Reclamation U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Recovery Program Upper Colorado River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Program RM river mile RV recreational vehicle RWCP Redlands Water and Power Company S Secretary Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SLCA/IP Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects T TCWCD Tri-County Water Conservancy District U UGRWCD Upper Gunnison River Conservancy District USC United States Code USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USGS U.S. Geological Survey UVWUA Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association W Western Western Area Power Administration Symbols μg/g micrograms per gram μg/l micrograms per liter iii Table of Contents CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE ACTION ... 1-1 1.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................1-1 1.1.1 General...................................................................................................1-1 1.1.2 Proposed Action .....................................................................................1-1 1.1.3 Scope of the Proposed Action ................................................................1-2 1.1.4 Purpose of and Need for the Proposed Action........................................1-2 1.1.5 Authority..................................................................................................1-2 1.2 Background....................................................................................................1-4 1.2.1 Aspinall Unit............................................................................................1-4 1.2.2 Initial Operation.......................................................................................1-6 1.2.3 Previous ESA Consultations ...................................................................1-6 1.2.3.1 Dallas Creek Project........................................................................ 1-7 1.2.3.2 Dolores Project................................................................................ 1-8 1.2.3.3 Upper Gunnison Subordination Agreement..................................... 1-9 1.2.3.4 Redlands Diversion Dam Fish Ladder and Contract Consultation. 1-10 1.2.3.5 Redlands Canal Fish Screen Consultation ........................................ 1-11 1.2.3.6 Other Reclamation Aspinall Unit Consultations ................................. 1-11 1.2.4 Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program ................1-12 1.2.5 Flow Recommendations .......................................................................1-12 1.3 Issues of Concern ........................................................................................1-17 1.4 Cooperating Agencies..................................................................................1-17 1.5 Connected and Related Actions...................................................................1-18 1.6 Responsibilities and Compliance .................................................................1-18 1.6.1 Environmental.......................................................................................1-19 1.6.2 Cultural Preservation ............................................................................1-19 1.6.3 American Indian....................................................................................1-19 1.6.4 Other.....................................................................................................1-20 1.7 Document Review........................................................................................1-20 1.8 Document Organization ...............................................................................1-20 CHAPTER 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES .................................... 2-1 2.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Alternative Formulation ..................................................................................2-1 2.2.1 Formulation and Evaluation Criteria........................................................2-1 2.3 Selected Alternatives .....................................................................................2-2 2.3.1 No Action Alternative ..............................................................................2-2 2.3.2 Risk of Spill Alternative-Alternative A......................................................2-4 2.3.2.1 May-June Time Frame ...................................................................... 2-4 2.3.2.2 Ramping Rates.................................................................................. 2-5 2.3.2.3 Base Flows........................................................................................ 2-5 2.3.3 Fish Peak w/ Duration Alternative-Alternative B .....................................2-6 2.3.3.1 January-March Time Frame .............................................................. 2-6 2.3.3.2 April-July Time Frame ....................................................................... 2-7 2.3.3.3 August-December Time Frame ......................................................... 2-8 2.3.3.4 Ramping Rates.................................................................................. 2-8 iv 2.3.3.5 Base Flows........................................................................................ 2-8 2.3.4 Fish Peak— w/ Increased Duration-Alternative C...................................2-8 2.3.5 Fish Peak –w/ Revised Target Alternative-Alternative D.........................2-9 2.3.6 Characteristics Common to all Selected Alternatives ...........................2-10 2.3.6.1