WSPC02018

• File Number: 8210.761.09.D
• Description: Colorado River-Federal Agencies-US NPS-Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/21/2004
• Title: 2003 Settlement Agreement-Federal Register Vol 69 No 13-Reservoir Operations to Benefit Endangered Fishes in Gunnison and Colorado Rivers
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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2944

Federal Register/Vol. 69, No. 13/Wednesday, January 21, 2004/Notices

Reclamation, Western Colorado Area
Office, 2764 Compass Drive, Suite 106,
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506;
telephone [phone]; faxogram
[phone]; or e-mail:
[e-mail]. Written
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than March 15, 2004, to be most
effectively considered.

Those not desiring to submit
comments or suggestions at this time,
but who would like to receive a copy of
the draft EIS, should contact Ed Warner
at the above address or send an e-mail
request to [e-mail].
When the draft EIS is complete, its
availability will be announced in the
Federal Register, in the local news
media, and through direct contact with
interested parties. Comments will be
solicited on the draft document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed
Warner, Bureau of Reclamation,
Western Colorado Area Office, 2764
Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand
Junction, Colorado 81506; telephone
[phone]; e-mail:
[e-mail]; or Steve McCall,
Bureau of Reclamation, Western
Colorado Area Office, 2764 Compass
Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction,
Colorado 81505; telephnne (970) 248-
0638; e-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of Reclamation's nroposed
action is to 0 erate t As inall Unit to
avOl eo ard to endan ere s ecies
w I e main essionall
au orized Unit purposes. Alternative
operations will be considered.
Authorized purposes include (1)
Regulating the flow of the Colorado
River, (2) storing water for beneficial
consumptive use, (3) providing for the
reclamation of arid and semi-arid land,
(4) providing for the generation of
hydroelectric power, (5) providing for
fish and wildlife enhancement and
public recreation, (6) providing for the
control of floods, and (7) allowing the
Upper Basin States to develop Colorado
River Compact apportioned waters.
The Aspinall Unit is located on the
Gunnison River in Gunnison and
Montrose Counties, Colorado, and
consists of Blue Mesa, Morrow Point
and Crystal Reservoirs, Dams, and
Powerplants. Blue Mesa Reservoir is the
most upstream reservoir and is the
largest reservoir in Colorado. Blue Mesa
and Morrow Point Reservoirs currently
operate to meet peaking power demands
for the Colorado River Storage Project
(CRSP). Crystal Reservoir, the most
downstream reservoir, is operated to
regulate flows in the Gunnison River.

Flow Recommendations

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) puhlished flow
recommendations entitled..ElmL
Recommp.nrlntinns to Ben~it
&danJ!ered Fishes in the olorodo and
Gunnison ltIvers in uI 2UU3. In
general, the flow recommen ations call
for higher flows in the spring and
moderate baseflows the remainder of the
year. Reclamation will develop
alternativeS-to address the ~ervice's
flow recommendatIOns. 1 hese
alternatives will be the basis of analysis
for this EIS. Copies of the flow
recommendations are available on the
Internet at http://www.r6.fws.gov/crrip/
doc/GunnCoflowrec.pdf

Aspinall Unit and the Colorado River
Storage Project

The Aspinall Unit was authorized in
1955 as part of the CRSP. The CRSP
provides for comprehensive
development of the Upper Colorado
River Basin by furnishing the long-term
water storage needed to permit states in
the Upper Basin to meet their flow
obligation at Lee Ferry, Arizona, as
defined in the Colorado River Compact,
and still utilize their apportioned water.
The CRSP includes four storage units:
Glen Canyon on the Colorado River,
Flaming Gorge on the Green River,
Navajo on the San Juan River, and
Aspinall on the Gunnison River. The
reservoirs formed by the four units of
the CRSP have a total capacity of nearly
34 million acre-feet.
Reclamation is required to comply
with the ESA for operations of CRSP
facilities, including the Aspinall Unit.
Within the exercise of its discretionary
authority, Reclamation must avoid
jeopardizing the continued existence of
listed species and destroying or
adversely modifying designated critical
hahitat.
The Aspinall Unit was constructed
between 1963 and 1977 and consists of
a series of three dams and reservoirs
(Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal)
along a 40-mile reach of the Gunnison
River. Primary water storage occurs in
the uppermost and largest reservoir,
Blue Mesa. Powerplants at Blue Mesa
and Morrow Point are operated on a
peaking basis, while the dam and
powerplant at Crystal are operated to
regulate downstream flows. Since 1965,
recreational development and use of
lands associated with the Aspinall Unit
has been managed by the National Park
Service as the Curecanti Recreation
Area. The Western Area Power
Administration markets hydropower
from the Aspinall Unit. Fish and
wildlife facilities, including wildlife

areas and fishing easements, are
managed by other agencies.
Reclamation operates the Aspinall
Unit within certain sideboards
including annual hydrologic conditions,
senior water rights, minimum
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reservoir elevation targets, fishery
management recommendations, and
others. Some sideboards can be
considered mandates, such as honoring
senior water rights and flood control,
while others, such as reservoir elevation
criteria to reduce landslides, are given a
high priority. To conserve water for later
use, an operational target is to fill Blue
Mesa Reservoir by the end of July.
Another operational target is to draw
Blue Mesa Reservoir down to an
elevation of 7,490 feet by December 31
to provide space for the next spring's
runoff, and to avoid ice damage
upstream. In general, operation of the
Aspinall Unit has reduced downstream
spring peak flows and increased flows
during the remainder of the year.
The Aspinall Unit was largely
completed prior to passage of the
Endangered Species Act in 1973.
Operation of the Unit, which is located
upstream from historical habitat of four
endangered fish species, changed the
flow regime of the lower Gunnison and
Colorado Rivers within what is now
critical habitat for the Colorado
pikeminnow, razorback sucker,
humpback chuh, and honytail. ESA
consultation on the operation of the
Aspinall Unit will be completed
concurrently with the EIS process.

Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish
Recovery Program

Since 1988, Reclamation and the
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish
Recovery Program (Recovery Program)
have worked together to address upper
Colorado River water issues. The
Recovery Program is a partnership
created to recover the endangered
Colorado pikeminnow, razorback
sucker, humpback chub, and bony tail
while allowing for continued and future
water development. The Recovery
Program was initiated in 1988 when a
cooperative agreement was signed by
the Governors of Colorado, Utah, and
Wyoming; the Secretary of the Interior;
and the Administrator of the Western
Area Power Administration. Recovery
Program partners include the Colorado
River Energy Distributors Association,
Colorado Water Congress, Western
Resource Advocates, State of Colorado,
State of Utah, State of Wyoming, The
Nature Conservancy, Reclamation, the
Service, National Park Service, Utah
Water Users Association, Western Area

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