BOARD00148 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/12/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River - DEIS - Development of Lower Basin Shortage Guidelines and Coordinated Management Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Particularly Under Low Reservoir Conditions
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Executive Summary

Environmental Consequences

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ES.1.3 Geographic Scope
The geographic region that could potentially be affected by the proposed federal action
begins with Lake Powell and extends downstream along the Colorado River floodplain to the
Southerly International Boundary (SIB) with Mexico. In addition to the potential impacts that
may occur within the river corridor, the alternatives may also affect the water supply that is
available to specific Colorado River water users in the Lower Basin. The following water
agency service areas are also included in the appropriate affected environment discussions:

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8 . Arizona water users, particularly the lower priority water users located in the Central
9 Arizona Project service area;

10 . The Southern Nevada Water Authority service area; and

11 . The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California service area.

12 Figure ES-l shows the geographic scope for the Draft EIS.

13 ES.1.4 Alternatives
14 Five alternatives are considered and analyzed in the Draft EIS. The alternatives consist
15 of a No Action Alternative and four action alternatives. The four action alternatives are:
16 Basin States Alternative, Conservation Before Shortage Alternative, Water Supply
17 Alternative, and Reservoir Storage Alternative. The action alternatives reflect input from
18 Reclamation staff, the cooperating agencies, stakeholders, and other interested parties.

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Reclamation received two written proposals for alternatives that met the purpose and
need of the proposed federal action, one from the seven Colorado River Basin States (Basin
States) and another from a consortium of environmental non-governmental organizations
(NGO). These proposals were used by Reclamation to formulate two of the alternatives
considered and analyzed in the Draft EIS (Basin States Alternative and Conservation Before
Shortage Alternative, respectively). A third alternative (Water Supply Alternative) was
developed by Reclamation and a fourth alternative (Reservoir Storage Alternative) was
developed by Reclamation in coordination with the NPS and Western. The alternatives were
posted on Reclamation's website (http://www.usbr.gov/lc/ree:ionlorograms/strategies.html)
on June 30, 2006.

29 Reclamation has not identified a preferred alternative in the Draft EIS. The preferred
30 alternative will be identified following public comments on the Draft EIS and will be
31 expressed in the Final EIS. The preferred alternative may be one of the specific alternatives
32 described below or it may incorporate elements or variations ofthese alternatives.

33 Summary descriptions of the No Action Alternative and the four action alternatives
34 considered in the Draft EIS are provided below and in Table ES-I.

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Draft EIS - Colorado RIver Interim Guidelines for
Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for
Lake Powell and Lake Mead

ES-3

February 2007