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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />000120 <br /> <br />No Action Alternative <br /> <br />Under this alternative the Rule would not be implemented and there would not be an action that <br />would trigger coordination under the FWCA. However, it is possible that California and Nevada <br />could enter into a SIRA to provide for off stream storage and development and release ofICUA <br />without the Rule, Appropriate coordination with the Service would be carried out to comply with <br />the act on a case-by-case basis. <br /> <br />3, Rioarian Habitat <br /> <br />Preferred and No Action Alternatives <br /> <br />Reclamation has considered the potential for impacts on the riparian habitat located along the <br />Colorado River. The movement of water under the Rule falls within the current and projected <br />routine operational criteria for the LCR and is consistent with the BCP A and the Decree. <br />Reclamation modeled the effects, for most likely and low probability scenarios, of storage of <br />Colorado River water and development and release ofICUA on water surface elevations in <br />reservoirs and river reaches, Under the Preferred Alternative, the off stream storage of Colorado <br />River water and release ofICUA under the Rule would result in very small increases or decreases <br />in water surface elevations, These very small changes will not cause significant impacts on <br />riparian and marsh habitats in the LCR (see BA for discussion), This conclusion includes <br />potential impacts to Indian trust assets along the Colorado River. <br /> <br />Riparian vegetation on the Colorado River mainstream is most prevalent in the T opock Marsh <br />area above Lake Havasu and downstream from Parker Dam for approximately 185 miles to the <br />southerly international boundary with Mexico, With the preferred alternative, a SIRA between <br />authorized entities in the Lower Division States would not change the volume of water delivered <br />downstream of Parker Dam, The Topock reach above Lake Havasu would continue to be <br />affected by similar flows under the No Action Alternative because diversions to either California <br />or Arizona would continue to be made at either the CAP aqueduct system or the MWD aqueduct <br />system from Lake Havasu, As mentioned earlier in the description of operations these two <br />systems are located within a short distance of each other and draw from the same sOUl'ce. <br /> <br />Riparian and marsh vegetation around Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu is extremely restricted <br />because of the desert terrain that extends directly to the water's edge, In addition, operations of <br />Lakes Mohave and Havasu will not change with implementation of the Preferred Alternative or <br />under the No Action Alternative. Very small fluctuations in water surface elevations in Lake <br />Mead and riverine reaches of the LCR mainstream will not result in significant impacts on riparian <br />and marsh vegetation from operations under the Rule, <br /> <br />20 <br />