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94 96 9V 98 99 Relationship to Replacement:Resources Process: .The SLCA's commit- ment level decision, together Iwith Interior's decision on the GCD EIS, will help define the amount of el~ctrical power resources the SLCA may need to acquire to meet its contractual obligations through September 2004. Glen Canyon Dam EIS i The Bureau of Reclamation ~ublished its draft EI5 (DEI5) in January 1994 that recommended changing the operations of Glen Canyon Dam to minimize adverse impacts or the downstream environmental and cultural resources within the Grand Canyon. The DEIS presented and analyzed the potential impacts of nine alt~rnatives that covered a range of possible operations of the dam. The ~ine possible operation alternatives included three that would provide st~ady releases and six that would provide various levels of fluctuating Ireleases. A 90-day public comment ~eriod followed the release of the DEI5. During this time period, Reflamation received more than 33,000 com- ments from interested pub lips on the DEIS and the preferred alternative. The Preferred Alternative (the Modified Low Fluctuating Flow Alternative) identified in the DEIS was similar to the Interim Operating Criteria that have been in effect since A;ugust 1991. It included limiting daily fluctua- tions to between 5,000 cfs [(185 MW)' and 8,000 cfs (296 MW), limiting maximum flows to 20,000)cfs (740 MW),and limiting up and down ramps to 2,500 cfs (93 Mvyl per hour and 1,500 cfs (56 MWl per hour, respectively. The Preferre<;l Alternative also included elements of the draft Biological Opinion, incluqing endangered fish research releases. As a result of public commentsireceived by Reclamation, the Preferred Alterna- tive has been modified increasing the maximum flow to 25,000 cfs (925 MW), the upramp rate to ~,OOO cfs (148 MW), and to remove the endan- gered fish research flows. r Another element ofthe D~15 was an Adaptive Management Program. Adaptive management is pefined as a process by which refinements to dam operations could be iimplemented as more is learned about the effects of the selected optrations on downstream resources. Following a review and ~nalysis of public comments, the final EI5 is scheduled to be released; in February 1995 and the ROD after an audit by the Comptroller Generallas required by the GCP Act. , 1 Assuming 37 MW per) ,000 cfs release. r , , , i · NOTE: Yvestern estimates that the Benefit/Cost Audit by the Comptroller General will require one year to complete.