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<br />Executive Summary <br />DEIS - Navajo Reservoir Operations <br /> <br />5-19 <br /> <br /> <br />Tht: ]karilla APdCht: N.aii(.III'~ illirJ-pdriy l:Unrfact with Pubiic Service of r~ew Iviexico <br />(PNM) for the San Juan Power Plant Diversion of 16,200 acre-feet and other Navajo <br />Reservoir Supply Contracts serviced by the Jicarilla Apache Nation (840 acre-feet) would <br />also be jeopardized. <br /> <br />In addition, the current depletion allowance of 3,000 acre-feet for small unspecified water <br />uses could no longer be valid and each minor use would need a separate ESA consultation. <br />Future water delivery and associated renewal of existing water contracts from Lemon, <br />Vallecito, and Jackson Gulch Reservoirs and the San Juan-Chama Project also could be at <br />risk since there have been no ESA consultations on the operations of these projects. <br /> <br />250/5000 Alternative (Flow Recommendations) <br /> <br />Operations under this alternative would best meet the purpose of and need for the proposed <br />action. It would allow water projects that have completed ESA consultations and NEP A <br />compliance-including NIIP completion, the ALP Project, the Jicarilla Apache contract with <br />PNM, and 3,000 acre-feet for minor unspecified depletions-to proceed, and would meet <br />the Flow Recommendations. Since this alternative meets Flow Recommendations, it also <br />removes the risk of impact to the other water uses listed under the No Action Alternative. <br /> <br />Reclamation would modify Navajo Dam operations to provide sufficient releases of water at <br />times, quantities, and durations necessary to assist in conserving endangered fish and their <br />designated critical habitat. Reclamation would maintain the authorized purposes of the <br />Navajo Unit, enabling water development to occur in compliance with applicable laws, <br />compacts, decrees, and Indian trust responsibilities. <br /> <br />Under this alternative, releases would range from 250 cfs to 5,000 cfs. The spring peak <br />release would meet the Flow Recommendations criteria. The summer, fall, and winter <br />releases as low as 250 cfs are intended to meet the Flow Recommendations downstream of <br />Farmington and to provide water storage in Navajo Reservoir. These releases would also <br />help maintain a minimum 500 cfs flow downstream of Bluff, Utah, benefitting river raftinglO. <br />All releases would be made within the operational limitations/constraints of Navajo Dam. <br /> <br />10 Flow Recommendations call for the average of two of four gages (Farmington, Shiprock, Four Comers, Bluff) <br />to be SOD cfs; thus, flows are not always above SOD cfs at all locations. However. in luly 2002, the SJRBRIP Biology <br />Committee wrote a discussion that base flows be monitored in a different manner: "Use the lesser of the average <br />of Bluff, Four Comers and Shiprock and the average of Farmington, Shiprock and Four Comers. If one or more <br />of the gages is missing or is obviously providing incorrect data, use the remaining gages in the set. Extreme <br />conditions (low or high flows) identified by the Bureau of Reclamation will be handled on a case-by-case basis <br />with recommendations of the Biology Committee." Reclamation is currently evaluating this method of <br />monitoring. <br /> <br />00581 <br />