WSP00340

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 8/1/1989
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Final Supplement to the Environmental Statement - Ruedi Reservoir Colorado Round II Water Marketing Program - pg ii - 10.4
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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0444

SUMMARY

DescriDtion of Alternatives

The Bureau of Reclamation anticipates a second round of water sales from
Ruedi Reservoir based on current requests for such sales from municipal and
industrial interests. Sales of water from Ruedi Reservoir meet several
objectives of the Operating Principles (OP) for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
(House Document No. 130). The primary purpose of Ruedi Reservoir is to furnish
water required for the protection of western Colorado water users, including
present water rights and prospective uses of water (paragraph 7, OP). Receipts
from the sale.of water from Ruedi Reservoir are applied to pay for operation and
maintenance costs and to reimburse construction costs in excess of $7.6 million
(paragraph 3, OP).

Publ i c recreat i on on Ruedi Reservoi r anc the Fryi ngpan Ri ver is also
recognized under the Operating Principles for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.
Protection of recreational values on the Fryingpan River (paragraph 10, OP) is
made through a provision of minimum flows below the junction of the Fryingpan
River and Rocky Fork. Also, the lands and surface waters of Ruedi Reservoir are
open for public recreation (paragraph 12, OP).

This Supplemental Environmental Statement is a program-level document which
analyzes three alternatives of water delivery and one mitigation scenario. Th~
first alternative is the No Action Alternative. Under this condition, the
present level of water sales and reservoir operations would be maintained. The
second alternative, called the Preferred Alternative, would yield a marketable
supply of up to 51,500 acre-feet (including both Round 1 and Round 11 sales).
On June 15, 1987 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological
Opinion on proposed combined water sales from both Green Mountain and Ruedi
Reservoirs. The Biological Opinion recommended releases from Ruedi Reservoir
for the conservation of Colorado River endangered species. A third alternative,
called the Preferred with~oILservation Measures Alternative. was formulate~to
meet the Fish and Wildlife Service recommendations for Colorado River endangered
species. This alternative is similar to the Preferred Alternative except that
5,000 acre-feet of water would be withheld from sale and del ivered to the
Colorado River to offset impacts to the endangered fish species. An additional
5,000 acre-feet would be made available for conservation measures through revised
operating procedures in rule curve releases from Ruedi Reservoir.

In order to lessen the effects on Ruedi Reservoir stages and Fryingpan
River flows resulting from the conservation measure releases, a mItigation
scenario is proposed in which a portion of the conservation measures is provided
by Green Mountain Reservoi r. Under th is scenari 0, the exact proport i on of
conservation releases provided by each reservoir would be decided each year
through consultation between Reclamation, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
public.

Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Study

Several alternatives not analyzed in detail herein were considered at some
1 ength in the Envi ronmenta 1 Assessment. El even different a lternat i ves were
initially looked at in detail and the No Action and Preferred Alternatives were
carried forward.

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