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<br />7G8 <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Purpose and Need <br /> <br />This draft environmental assessment (EA) is prepared in compliance with the National <br />Environmental Policy Act (NEP A) of 1969 (Public Law 91-190) to evaluate test flows from <br />Navajo Dam into the San Juan River. <br /> <br />The underlying need for this proposed test is to allow resource specialists to evaluate the effect of <br />low summer flows on various resources. The information obtained will be used in preparation of <br />an environmental impact statement (EIS) on operating Navajo Reservoir to mimic a natural <br />hydro graph in critical habitat of the San Juan River for the benefit of downstream endangered <br />fish. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />In October 1999 Reclamation published a Notice ofIntent in the Federal Register announcing it <br />would prepare an EIS on the operation of Navajo Dam and Reservoir to implement flows <br />recommended by the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program (SJRBRIP) to <br />assist in the recovery of the endangered Colorado pikeminnow (Ptvchocheilus lucius) and <br />razorback sucker (Xvrauchen texanus). <br /> <br />The flow recommendations may result in Navajo Dam releases being reduced to 250 cubic feet <br />per second (cfs) potentially in any season, but especially in the summer and winter. In some <br />years, during significant portions of the summer, releases would remain at 250 cfs. Reducing <br />minimum releases from Navajo Dam from 500 cfs to 250 cfs would result in saving water in <br />Navajo Reservoir for large spring releases as described in the flow recommendations and for <br />current and future water development. Another reason for the 250 cfs minimum release is to <br />attempt to keep the flow within designated endangered fish habitat downstream of Farmington <br />between 500 and 1,000 cfs, in order to maximize nursery habitat for fish. Reclamation proposes <br />to implement the flow recommendations, or reasonable alternatives to them, resulting from <br />consultation under the Endangered Species Act. <br /> <br />Reclamation would implement the proposed action by modifying the operations decision criteria <br />of Navajo Dam to provide sufficient releases of water at times, quantities and durations necessary <br />to protect endangered fish and their designated critical habitat while maintaining the authorized <br />purposes of the Navajo Unit, Colorado River Storage Project. <br />