BOARD00944

• Board Meeting Date: 3/26/2001
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program - Funding Report and Policy Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLOMD

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX, [phone] MEMORANDUM
www.cwcb.srate.co.us

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich, Director R /C:..
Randy Seaholm, Chi~f, Water Supply Protection

FROM:

DATE: March 16, 2001

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 25g, March 26-27,2001 Board Meeting-
Colorado River Basin Issues - Glen Canyon Adaptive Management
Program - Flll1ding Report and Policy Resolution

Background

Glen Canyon Dam was authorized by the Colorado River Storage Project Act of April 11,
1956 (CRSPA) and construction was completed in 1964. The reservoir filled for the first
time in 1980. Glen Canyon Dam is operated in accord with the 1970 Criteria for
Coordinated Long-Range Operation of Colorado River Reservoirs. While CRSP A makes
the generation of hydropower an incidental purpose, Section 7 of CRSP A also directs that
CRSP A reservoirs be operated "so as to produce the greatest practicable amount of power
and energy." Up lll1til 1982, when the Glen Canyon uprating studies began, dam
operations basically met compact deliveries to the Lower Basin and generated power.
During the environmental studies that followed, it became apparent that the operations of
Glen Canyon Dam were affecting certain resources in Grand Canyon National Park. This
eVentually led to passage of the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act.

The 1992 Act required the Secretary of Interior to conduct an EIS on the operations of
Glen Canyon Dam and to consult with the Colorado River Basin States and the general
public during the process. The Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Glen Canyon
Dam BIS included an environmental commitment to an adaptive management program
and the establishment of an Adaptive Management Workgroup (AMWG) chartered
pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

The preferred alternative (Modified Low Fluctuating Flow) in the ROD was not selected
to maximize benefits for the most resources, but rather to find an alternative dam
operating plan that would pennit recovery and long-tenn sustainability of downstream
resources while limiting hydropower capability and flexibility only to the extent
necessary to achieve recovery and long-tenn sustainability. Flll1ding for implementation
and monitoring of the preferred alternative was to be provided by power revenues.
Monitoring and research was to be conducted on resources downstream of the dam

BrHOwens
Governor
Creg E. Walcher
Executive Direct
Rod Kuharleh
CWCB Director
Dan McAllliffe
Deputy Director