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<br />000285 <br /> <br />To address theses concerns the Department is proposing a two pronged approach: <br />rfV:~',Initiation of forbearance agreements and other measures to rePlace, ,the on, -gOin"g bypass, <br />Q ~ ,v/ , while at the same time preparing the YDP for potential operation,! F il-~ <br />~/ L\~i ! "","ou\\'\;>I';,.? <br />To a~dress the on-going bypass th~ Department proposes ~~mbination ofmeas~res. <br />StudIes by the Bureau of ReclamatIOn show that the on-gomg'releases of reservOIr water <br />related to the bypass could be offset by a combination of measures including executing <br />temporary year to year forbearance agreements with willing participants, investing in <br />advanced irrigation techniques to reduce water use, or obtaining non-system water supplies <br />from groundwater and other sources. Provided that the necessary institutional <br />arrangements can be effectuated, fiscal analysis further suggests that such measures could <br />likely be implemented at substantially less cost than would be incurred had the bypass been <br />recovered through operating the YDP. Such measures would require the completion of <br />necessary environmental documentation. <br /> <br />The second part of this approach would be to bring the state of readiness of the YDP to an <br />operational state. Since the plant has not operated in ten years, several actions will be <br />required prior to plant operation. First, the design deficiencies, identified when the plant <br />operated, will have to be corrected. Next, two environmental issues related to the plant <br />would need to be addressed: Obtaining a discharge permit; an~ initiating an environmental 2 <br />review. - . &' <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />At the time of the initial statfup operation in 1992, there was not a clear requirement to <br />have a permit to discharge the desalted product water from the plant into the Colorado <br />River. A discharge permit under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act is now required for <br />the plant discharge water and will be obtained. <br /> <br />The potential environmental impact ofYDP and other actions approved by the Act was <br />documented in the June 18, 1975 Environmental Impact Statement (original EIS). <br />However, the EIS anticipated the period of construction and related time of a full scale <br />bypass to be .about 3 years. With the full bypass. conti~uing for ov.er 25 years, a wetlands \ <br />area and habItat of about 11,000 acres has establIshed Itself (the CIenega). / ' <br /> <br />The Cienega, a complex wetlands of open water and tulles, now provides habitat for <br />migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and other species. This isolated wetland area of the <br />Colorado River Delta in Mexico has attracted the interest and support of interests in both <br />the United States and Mexico. Operation ofthe YDP would decrease the volume and <br />increase the salinity of bypass water reaching the Cienega and ~ de~e its ecological <br />value. Operation ofYDP would be met with substantial controversy, and additional <br />"Scientific debate. To assure that the YDP could be operated, Reclamation will conduct <br />thorough environmental review of the original EIS and~ appropriate environmental <br />compliance. . ~:r:;~ .,;(' <br />/'h P e Q... <br />Correction of the design deficiencies, securing the required discharge permit, and <br />conducting an environmental review of YDP operation would assure the operational <br />integrity of the Plant. <br /> <br />J <br />~~~ <br /> <br /> <br />3 <br />