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<br />002331. <br /> <br />September 4, 2002. The completion of the final EIS is scheduled to occur in March 2005 with the <br />ROD to follow a minimum of 30 days later. <br /> <br />In March 2004, a contract was awarded to Gracon Corporation for the repair of the 4' x 4' tandem <br />outlet gates at Navajo Dam. The work is expected to be completed in November 2004, <br /> <br />Navajo Reservoir is not expected to fill in 2005 under the minimum probable, most probable or <br />maximum probable inflow scenario. Releases from the reservoir will likely be 250 cfs (7 cms) <br />through the fall and winter, subject to NEP A compliance, Under most probable inflow conditions in <br />2005, a large spring release as provided for in the Flow Recommendations is likely in 2005. <br /> <br />Lake Powell <br /> <br />Five years of drought in the Colorado River Basin has significantly reduced water storage in Lake <br />Powell. When drought conditions began in the autumn of 1999, Lake Powell was nearly full <br />(95 percent of capacity on September 30, 1999), <br /> <br />Lake Powell began water year 2004 with 12.1 maf(14,900 mcm) of water in storage (50 percent of <br />capacity), 3.51 maf (4,330 mcm) lower than that of Lake Mead. As water year 2004 ended on <br />September 30, 2004, Lake Powell storage had been reduced to 9,169 maf (11 ,310 mcm) or <br />38 percent of capacity. Because of reduced storage, and Lake Powell storage being less than Lake <br />Mead storage at the beginning of water year 2004, releases from Glen Canyon Dam were scheduled <br />to maintain the minimum release objective from Lake Powell of 8.23 maf (10,150 mcm) in <br />accordance with Article ll(2) ofthe Operating Criteria. Forecasted inflow to Lake Powell was below <br />average throughout water year 2004, and storage equalization releases between Lake Mead and Lake <br />Powell were not required. The total release from Lake Powell in water year 2004 was 8,23 maf <br />(10,150 mcm). <br /> <br />April through July unregulated inflow into Lake Powell in water year 2004 was 3.64 maf <br />(4,490 mcm), or 46 percent of average. Water year 2004 unregulated inflow was 6,13 maf <br />(7,560 mcm), or 51 percent of average, Lake Powell reached a seasonal peak elevation of <br />3,587.4 feet (1,093.4 meters), 112.6 feet from full, on June 14,2004. The elevation of Lake Powell <br />on September 30, 2004, was 3,570.8 feet (1,088.4 meters), 129.2 feet from full, The water surface of <br />Lake Powell had not been this low since 1970, prior to the reservoir's first filling in 1980. <br /> <br />In 2003 and 2004, Reclamation conducted a NEP A process to study the effects of implementing an <br />interim 602(a) storage guideline to assist in the determination of the quantity of water considered <br />necessary to be in storage as of September 30 of each year as required by Section 602(a) of the <br />Colorado River Basin Project Act. The guideline was originally proposed by the Colorado River <br />Basin States (65 Federal Register 48537, August 8, 2000). A Final Environmental Assessment titled <br />"Adoption ofan Interim 602(a) Storage Guideline" was completed in March 2004. A Finding of No <br />Significant Impact was approved by the Regional Directors of Reclamation's Upper and Lower <br />Colorado Regions in March 2004, Under the Interim 602(a) Guideline, 602(a) storage requirements <br /> <br />14 <br />