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S.6 OPERATIONAL DECISIONMAKING PROCESS AT <br />FLAMING GORGE DAM <br />The process of developing an operational plan for Flaming Gorge Dam takes into <br />consideration all resources associated with Flaming Gorge Dam identified by the Flaming <br />Gorge Working Group. The Flaming Gorge Working Group was formed in 1993 to <br />provide interested parties with an open forum to express their views and interests in the <br />operation of Flaming Gorge Dam. Among others, these interests include power <br />marketing, sport fisheries, endangered species, white water rafting, farming, land <br />ownership, reservoir recreation, national park resources, land management, and wildlife <br />refuge management. <br />The Flaming Gorge Working Group generally meets twice a year (April and August/ <br />September). These meetings are open to the public, and participants are encouraged to <br />comment. Operational decisions are not made during the Flaming Gorge Working Group <br />meetings; rather, these meetings are a forum for information exchange about past, <br />current, and proposed operations at Flaming Gorge Dam. They also serve as a forum <br />through which stakeholders can share information about specific resources of interest and <br />the relationship between the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam and these resources. The <br />Flaming Gorge Working Group provides input to Reclamation as well as educating <br />various constituencies on operations at Flaming Gorge Dam. <br />Reclamation has sole responsibility for operations at Flaming Gorge, although the needs <br />and expectations of stakeholders are considered in operational planning. Reclamation's <br />priorities are first, dam safety and, second, meeting project purposes in compliance with <br />ESA. When conflicts in operations arise, Reclamation's approach to conflict resolution <br />and decisionmaking includes accepting input from all stakeholders and formulating a <br />strategy that meets the most needs possible consistent with these established priorities. <br />Operational decisions for Flaming Gorge Dam are made through the Colorado River <br />Annual Operating Plan process. A document, called the 24-Month Study, is produced <br />monthly and contains planned monthly releases from all CRSP reservoirs. In the <br />24-month study, reservoir inflows are revised to reflect forecasted inflow from the <br />National Weather Service. These forecasted inflows are input into the 24-Month <br />Planning Model. Planned releases from Flaming Gorge are adjusted monthly to reflect <br />changing hydrology, to meet the requirements of the ESA, and to meet CRSP authorized <br />purposes. <br />Operational details and changes are coordinated as necessary with other agencies <br />including Western, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Utah Division of Wildlife <br />Resources. Generally, a variety of requests for short-term, temporary modifications in <br />operations are often received and such requests are accommodated if they are reasonable, <br />necessary, and do not interfere with dam safety, other authorized project purposes, or <br />operations for ESA compliance. <br />S-8 4• Operation of Flaming Gorge Dam Draft EIS