9582 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Volume III - Comments and Responses FEIS - Navajo Reservoir Operations occurring, all existing federally authorized depletions, and future depletions that have completed the NEPA and ESA Section 7 process. The EIS does discuss future water development beyond that included in the EIS depletion table. (i) New Mexico State permits held by Reclamation for reserved rights are in question. Response: Reclamation acknowledges that its reserved rights need to go through the adjudication process. However, discussion on New Mexico State permits held by Reclamation is beyond the scope of and not pertinent to this EIS. (j) There are restrictions on the export of water from one basin to another, and there are limitations on the marketing of water. Response: Water use and diversion restrictions and limitations exist pursuant to State water law and to the interstate compacts that divide the use of the waters of the Colorado River and its tributaries among the Colorado River Basin States. The Navajo Unit is operated in accordance with the various laws and compacts that govern the river. (k) The authorized purposes of the Navajo Unit do not include ESA compliance, recreation, fish and wildlife, and hydropower generation, which are simply incidental benefits. Recreation interests often have relied on hitherto-unused Navajo Unit water, prior to construction of other projects meant to develop the compact apportionment. This is not acceptable at the point in time when doing so would impair Navajo Unit purposes. Response: The Navajo Unit is operated in accordance with the CRSP Act and applicable Reclamation and other Federal laws. The FEIS has added clarifying language. The authorities and functions of the Navajo Unit are listed in chapter I, "VI. Responsibilities and Compliance," of the EIS. It is not the intent or purpose of this EIS to differentiate or define Navajo Unit initial purposes and subsequent uses. It is recognized that recreational users have benefitted from water stored and released by Navajo Reservoir. As this water is used in the future in accordance with the Navajo Unit purposes, these benefits may decline. General Comment 19: For various reasons, a new draft EIS needs to be prepared and circulated to the public. A basin-wide programmatic EIS should have been prepared or cumulative impacts thoroughly assessed. The DEIS only analyzes a small part of a much larger connected action, and the economic and environmental effects from a broader area need to be assessed, including those associated with ITAs. Response: The connected action and cumulative impacts that exist among implementation of the Flow Recommendations, the ALP Project, and other proposed