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o -.J c.c 00 Fish and wildlife Service Colorado River Salinity Control Program Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 1992 Planning assistance for the uncompahgre System Optimization and Joint Use Study (East Side Laterals), Hammond Unit (San Juan), and Price San-Rafael Rivers Unit was completed in 1992. Most of the necessary Coordination Act reporting and Endangered Species Act compliance has also been completed for all three projects except for East Side Laterals. National Environmental policy Act compliance for those projects is now being completed by Reclamation and SCS. FWS'S Reno Field Office commented on SCS's notice of intent to prepare an EIS for the Moapa Valley Unit, and on the March 1992 review draft of the EIS. The draft EIS was prepared and submitted to the public for review in July 1992. The Reno Field Office provided draft comments to FWS's Region 1 Office for submittal to the Office of Environmental Affairs. The document was found to be inadequate in its discussion of the potential for impacts to wetlands and waters of the United States under jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers. There also was no assurance that compensation would be provided for impacts to wetlands lost as a result of the project. FWS recommended that the section on ~ cumulative impacts be expanded to include a discussion of overall wetland losses in the Moapa Valley through past actions, including filling of wetlands, water diversions, capping of springs, ground- water pumping, and agricultural practices that have altered wetlands. Reclamation's 3-year feasibility study of the Lower Virgin River Unit project for salinity control and water resource development involves a cooperative effort between the Las Vegas Valley District (District) and Reclamation to divert water from the Virgin River basin to the Las Vegas Valley area. The project is a portion of a larger plan by the District to import water from throughout southeastern Nevada to the Las Vegas Valley. FWS, BLM, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs are working cooperatively on studies to assess the impact of the proposed withdrawals on resources managed by the Department of the Interior (DOl). FWS's Reno Field Office has been designated to coordinate with Reclamation and to serve on the Water Supply Work Group, an ad hoc committee of technical representatives formed by Reclamation's planning branch for the project. Both the District and Reclamation have contacted several resource agencies, as well as the Virgin River Fishes Recovery Team, in an effort to identify potential environmental impacts. The Reno Field Office will begin to prepare a Coordination Act Report for this project during 1993. FWS'S concerns generally remain focused on wetland losses and the voluntary replacement of wildlife habitat values foregone. FWS's concerns over the lack of progress on the 1,200-acre SCS obligation on the Grand Valley Unit were made known to Reclamation, which had agreed to underwrite the SCS replacement effort. Following a February 1992 meeting, FWS agreed to allow extra time for the voluntary replace-ment program to work, provided appropriate 9