Aspinall EIS - Scoping Report May 2007

• Basin Roundtable: Gunnison
• Title: Scoping Report - Scoping Report
• Date: 5/1/2007
• Author: Bureau of Reclamation
• Basin Roundtables - Doc Type: General Resources

Programmatic Biological Opinion:
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A PBO is very important to water users in the Gunnison Basin and should be part
of or coordinated with the Aspinall EIS process.
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A PBO would benefit both federal and private interests.
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A PBO would replace or supercede the Dallas and Dolores biological opinions.

General:

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Improve notification of the public; present public inf ormation in a manner that
lets the public know how they may be affected; need to keep the process,
including water modeling , an open process.
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Reoperation offers the opportunity to sustainably support both the ecology and
biota of the Gunnison Basin as well as the needs of the people in the region.

Input from agencies and organizations
4.

Agencies and organizations provided comments and are summarized in the following
paragraphs:

Senator Allard:
Operation of the Aspinall Unit is critical to irrigation ,
recreation , drinkin g water supplies, and protection of Colorado’s interests in Compacts.
Alternatives should protect historic hydropower capacity and water storage for multiple
uses. Alternatives that use “spill” water can meet many needs, including en dangered fish
needs and Black Canyon National Park needs.

Fish and Wildlife Service:
The Service recommends that the proposed action
clearly go beyond “avoid jeopardy” and should provide flows to achieve species
recovery. An essential element of the Re covery Program is to provide and protect
instream flows and providing adequate flows from the CRSP system is essential to the
overall recovery of the endangered fish. Existing and future water uses rely on the
success of the Recovery Program.

Section 7 ( a)(1) of the ESA requires Federal agencies to utilize their authorities for the
conservation of endangered species and this section applies to other agencies with
interests in the Aspinall Unit operations, for example the Western Area Power
Administration and the National Park Service.

Reclamation should examine alternatives that increase water temperatures in the
Gunnison River . The flooding issue at Delta should be carefully investigated; risks
determined; and solutions investigated with the goal of ha ving adequate flows for
floodplain habitat to function. Reclamation should review Blue Mesa “icing targets” to
allow additional fall/winter water storage. Nonnative fish escapement from reservoirs
should be investigated and effects on listed fishes pres ented.
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