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<br />Agenda Item 32 <br />March 22 - 23, 2005 Board Meeting <br />Page 2 of 13 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />General EIS Schedule <br />Scoping Results <br />Hydrologic Modeling <br />Public Involvement <br />Discussion ofEIS No Action Altemative and ESA environmental baseline <br />Initial Ideas on alternatives <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Recent discussions have focused on the No Action Alternative, its definition, and which current or <br />future Aspinall operations should be included. It is clear from these discussions that several <br />fundamental and potentially controversial issues must be addressed prior to development of the No <br />Action Alternative and reasonable Action Alternatives. <br /> <br />The most recent draft description of the No Action Alternative from the USBR is included as <br />attachment A at the end ofthis memo. Suggested changes bv CWCB staff are highlighted in red. <br />CWeB staff wishes to inform the Board of key issues and requests their consideration of these matters. <br /> <br />Discussion of Significant Issues <br /> <br />1. Authorized uuruoses of the AsuinaIl Unit <br /> <br />The Aspinall Unit was authorized by the 1956 Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act. The <br />1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act (the "CRSP") provides: . <br /> <br />In order to initiate the comprehensive development of the water resources of the Upper <br />Colorado River Basin, for the purposes, among others, of regulating the flow of the <br />Colorado River, storing water for beneficial consumptive use, making it possible for the <br />States of the Upper Basin to utilize, consistently with the provisions of the Colorado River <br />Compact, the apportionments made to and among them in the Colorado River Compact <br />and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, respectively, providing for the reclamation <br />of arid and semiarid land, for the control of floods, and for the generation of hydroelectric <br />power, as an incident of the foregoing purposes, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized <br />(1) to construct, operate, and maintain the following initial units of the Colorado River <br />storage project, consisting of dams, reservoirs, powerplants, transmission facilities and <br />appurtenant works: Wayne N Aspinall, Flaming Gorge, Navajo (dam and reservoir only), <br />and Glen Canyon. . . . <br /> <br />The 1956 CRSP ACt also provides in Section 8: <br /> <br />In connection with the development of the Colorado River storage project and of <br />participating projects, the Secretary is authorized and directed to investigate, plan, <br />construct, operate and maintain (1) public recreational facilities on lands withdrawn or <br />acquired .... by such means as are consistent with the primary purposes of said projects; and <br />(2) facilities to mitigate losses of. and improve conditions, the propagation offish and <br />wildlife.... All costs incurred pursuant to this section shall be.nonreimbursable and <br />nonreturnable. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning <br />