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The Service analyzed a number of alternatives to the proposed action to enlarge Elkhead Reservoir <br />(see Yampa Plan, beginning on page 44), to include the following: <br />No Action <br />Alternative 1: No provisions would be made to protect existing instream flows or provide a firm <br />water supply to augment instream flows in the future. <br />Non-structural options <br />Alternative 2— Su�plv interruption contracts: These contracts would compensate major water users, <br />such as agricultural ditch companies, in exchange for these users bypassing flows they would <br />otherwise be entitled to divert, in priority. However, to satisfy the entire instream flow <br />augmentation need, large tracts of agricultural lands would have to be taken out of irrigation. <br />Alternative 3— Instream flow water ri�hts: This alternative would rely solely on adjudicating an <br />instream flow water right for the Yampa River within the critical habitat reach for Colorado <br />pikeminnow (from Craig, Colorado, downstream to the confluence of the Green River). It would <br />maintain the status quo, but would not increase instream flows in the future over current flows. <br />Structural options <br />Alternatives 4, 7— Leasin� water from existin� reservoirs: Several options were considered that do <br />not require building new reservoirs or expanding existing reservoirs. They would utilize existing, <br />unused storage capacity in existing reservoirs to meet the full instream flow augmentation need, <br />from either Steamboat Lake (4) or Stagecoach Reservoir (7). <br />Alternative 6— Reservoir Expansion: Only one option was considered that relied entirely on the <br />expansion of an existing reservoir (Elkhead) to meet the full instream flow augmentation need. <br />Alternatives 5, 8-12, 14, and the Proposed Action: Several options were considered that involved <br />additional storage (either a new or expanded reservoir) in combination with leases from existing <br />storage. One alternative relied entirely on Elkhead (5), whereas others relied on multiple reservoirs <br />such as Steamboat and Elkhead (8, 10), Steamboat and Stagecoach (9), Steamboat, Stagecoach and <br />Elkhead (11), or Steamboat, Elkhead, and a new tributary reservoir (12, 14). New tributary reservoir <br />sites were not specifically evaluated, although several candidate sites were identified in the Colorado <br />River Water Conservation District's (CRWCD) small reservoir study (Montgomery Watson 2000). <br />Combination of structural and non-structural options <br />Alternative 13 — Water leases combined with su�plv interruption contracts: An option to lease water <br />from Steamboat Lake and Stagecoach Reservoir was considered in combination with supply <br />interruption contracts. <br />Finding of No Significant Impact 2 <br />