WSP11307

• File Number: 8200.300.10.A
• Description: Colorado River Basin Legislation/Law - Interstate Water Transfers
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 12/1/1997
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: Draft: Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Proposed Rule Making for Offstream Storage of Colorado River Water and Interstate Redemption of Storage Credits in the Lower Division States
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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". . .whenever the waters of any stream or other body of water are proposed or authorized
to be impounded, diverted, the channel deepened, or the stream or other body of water
otherwise controlled or modified for any purpose whatever, including navigation and
drainage, by any department or agency of the United States, or by any public or private
agency under Federal permit or license, such department or agency first shall consult
with the United States Fish and wildlife Service. . ."

Preferred A1temative

The conveyance and distribution system for delivering Colorado River water in the Lower Basin
is already established, Delivery of water would be by existing facilities and within
Reclamation's current and projected routine operations consistent with provisions of the BCPA
and the Decree. Once the details of specific proposals are known appropriate coordination with
the Service will be carried out to comply with the FWCA.

No Action Alternative

Under this alternative the proposed rule would not be implemented and there would not be an
action that would trigger coordination under the FWCA. However, it is possible that off stream
storage credits could be developed between California and Nevada for interstate redemption
purposes without the proposed rule, Appropriate coordination with the Service would be carried
out to comply with the act on a case-by-case basis.

3. Riparian Habitat

Preferred and No Action A1tematives

Reclamation has considered the potential for impacts on the riparian habit located along the
Colorado River. Because the movement of water under the rule falls within the current and
projected routine operational criteria for the Lower Colorado River, and is consistent with the
BCP A and the Decree, Reclamation has concluded that there would be no impacts to that habitat.
This conclusion includes potential impacts to Indian trust assets along the Colorado River,

Riparian vegetation on the Colorado River mainstream is most prevalent in the Topock Marsh
area above Lake Havasu and downstream from Parker Dam for approximately 185 miles to the
southemly intemational boundary with Mexico, With the preferred alternative, any interstate
agreements between authorized entities in the Lower Division States would not change the
volume of water delivered downstream of Parker Dam, The Topock reach above Lake Havasu
would continue to be affected by similar flows under the No Action A1temative because
diversions to either California or Arizona would continue to be made at either the CAP aqueduct
system or the MWD aqueduct system from Lake Havasu, As mentioned earlier in the
description of operations these two systems are located within a short distance of each other and
draw from the same source,

LC Region DEAl 1

17

12/97