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Alternative dam operations may result in off-site cumulative impacts. Given the best available information, the magnitude of these impacts will be identified so that the Secretary is informed of the consequences and options available to address these issues. The EIS scoping process was conducted from March 12, 1990 to May 4, 1990. During that period over 18,000 individual written responses were received. Eight public meetings were held in Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Flagstaff, Arizona (two meetings); Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; and Washington DoC, Comments were consolidated and analyzed in a scoping report published in December of 1990. Work on the formulation of alternatives began following the scoping effort. As 1990 ended, the alternatives were nearly ready for public review. A written comment period on the alternatives has been established and meetings are scheduled to take place in late winter of 1991. Starting in June of 1990 and continuing through July of 1991, a va- riety of research flows from Glen Canyon Dam are taking place. The objective of the research flows is to allow the GCES scientists to study specific flow releases, and their effects on the resources of Glen and Grand Canyons, The research releases are built around 17 different flow scenarios. The releases represent different fluctuating flow regimes, steady flow regimes, seasonal flow regimes and normal operations. Research evalu- ation flows are scheduled prior to and after each research flow scenario in order to evaluate the short-term effects of the flows. The flows are co- ordinated among the GCES researchers, Western Area Power Adminis- tration and Reclamation, Reports on the research flows will be completed by March of 1992. b. Recreational Use The extensive recreational use of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which surrounds Lake Powell, is demonstrated by the fact that during 1989 (latest available figures) approximately 3,483,904 people visited the area. The National Park Service has concession-operated facilities at Wahweap, Dangling Rope, Halls Crossing, Hite and Bullfrog Basin on the reservoir and Lees Ferry, 16 miles below the dam on the Colorado River. The San Juan Marina, which was operated on Lake Powell by the Navajo Nation, is now closed due to a flood in 1989. 36