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Executive Summary FEIS - Navajo Reservoir Operations L their water right at their diversion structures. In addition, it would attempt to minimize impacts to downstream recreation users (trout fishing and rafting) by maintaining higher minimum releases during certain critical times of the year than does the 250/5000 Alternative. However, it would result in insufficient reservoir storage to provide releases to meet spring peak flow criteria. Under the "Proposed Federal Action" section of the NOI, Reclamation stated the following: Reclamation proposes to prepare a DEIS which will describe the effects of operating the Unit to implement the Flow Recommendations, or reasonable alternatives, as contained in the recommendation from the Program's Biological Committee resulting from consultation under the ESA. To further this effort, Reclamation met with the Service on August 8, 2001, in Albuquerque. The meeting focused on discussing the possibility of implementing the 250 Variable/5000 Alternative as a reasonable alternative to operating Navajo Dam to meet the Flow Recommendations. During the course of this discussion, it was determined that the Flow Recommendations contain flexibility, at least in the short term, that might allow for operations similar to those proposed in the 250 Variable/5000 Alternative; therefore, it was determined there was no need for a separate alternative that incorporated variability. This alternative was eliminated because it did not meet the Flow Recommendations in the long term. 250/6000 Alternative Under this alternative, the minimum release from Navajo Dam would be 250 cfs, and the maximum release would increase to 6,000 cfs in the spring. This alternative was considered because it was modeled and discussed in the Flow Recommendations. However, studies completed by the Corps and Reclamation during the summer of 1998 demonstrated that a maximum release of 6,000 cfs is not feasible without performing major structural modifications to the dam's outlet works and to channel and diversion improvements between the dam and the Animas River confluence. As noted earlier, the Corps has determined that the current safe river channel capacity for this reach is 5,000 cfs. The Corps intends to gain approval of the draft Water Control Manual (WCM) to revise the river channel capacity below Navajo Dam to the confluence of the Animas River from the approved flow of 16,000 cfs to 5,000 cfs to reflect current river operations. Further, alternatives with the 6,000-cfs maximum release reduce the active storage of the reservoir to a point where, during extended droughts, the water level would fall below the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP) intake, preventing releases to any Navajo Dam contractors.