Laserfiche WebLink
<br />1 . <br /> <br />applicable requirements of that Act. As provided in the Grand Canyon Protection Act, <br />these Glen Canyon Operating Criteria (and operating plans) are "separate from and in <br />addition to those specified in section 602(b) of the Colorado River Basin Project Act of <br />1968."See Grand Canyon Protection Act at ~ 1804( c)(1 )(A). The reference to section <br />602(b) is the statutory provision which requires preparation of the Colorado River Annual <br />Plan of Operation referenced in Article I(2) of the Operating Criteria. Accordingly, the <br />Department does not believe that it is necessary for the Operating Criteria to be <br />specifically modified to reflect that fact. <br /> <br />Comment No. 11 - (Letters No.4 and 17): The Grand Canyon Protection Act should be <br />specifically mentioned as one of the relevant factors to be considered in the operation of <br />Upper Basin reservoirs (Article lI(3)). <br /> <br />Response: The existing Operating Criteria contain language stating that the Operating <br />Criteria are administered consistent with applicable federal laws, which by definition, <br />includes the Grand Canyon Protection Act. The Grand Canyon Protection Act is not <br />mentioned explicitly in Article 11(3), but is considered in the context that it is an <br />applicable federal law. In addition, see response to Comment No. 10. <br /> <br />Comment No. 12 -(Letters No.4 and 17): With provi~ions now in place for <br />Beach/Habitat- Building Flows from Glen Canyon Dam, Article 11(4) is no longer <br />completely accurate as written. We propose the following rewording: "Annual releases <br />will be made through the powerplant to the extent practicable except when above <br />powerplant capacity releases are determined by the Secretary, after giving consideration <br />to other applicable factors, to be necessary to meet the provisions of the Grand Canyon <br />Protection Act." <br /> <br />Response: The scheduling of Beach/Habitat-Building Flows (BHBFs) from Glen Canyon <br />Dam has been controversial since the mid-1990s. The preferred alternative in the Final <br />Environmental Impact Statement for the Operation of Glen Canyon Dam called for <br />BHBFs to take place when Lake Powell storage was low. The Colorado River Basin <br />States expressed significant reservations with that approach. Subsequently, in the 1996 <br />Record of Decision, the Secretary of the Interior adopted a strategy for scheduling <br />BHBFs that was anticipated to apply during high-reserVoir storage conditions and that <br />was based to a greater extent on spill avoidance and dam safety considerations. Through <br />the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (AMP), BHBF triggering criteria <br />have been further defined based upon spill avoidance and dam safety. These BHBF <br />triggering criteria are workable and consistent with the Operating Criteria. <br /> <br />In 2002, a sequence of experimental flows was recommended by the AMP. This AMP <br />recommendation was forwarded to the Secretary for her consideration and was adopted in <br />November 2002. In this experimental flow sequence, one or more BHBFs may be made <br />outside of the established BHBF triggering criteria. These experimental flows are <br />considered test releases and will be made to advance the scientific knowledge of physical <br />and biological process in the Grand Canyon ecosystem. The long-term implementation <br /> <br />16 <br /> <br />