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\ The preferred alternative recommended in today's study provides for a number of immediate benefits. Special dam flows would rebuild sandbars, deposit nutrients, restore backwater channels, prevent return channels from becoming overgrown with vegetation, and help restore some of the dynamics of the natural river system. Cultural resources, including archeological sites and traditional cultural properties important to Native Americans, would be protected. Flows would favor river runners while protecting the beaches necessary for camp sites. Today's study recommends significant changes over the historical operation of the Glen Canyon Dam. Large daily changes in river flows would be evened out, with small daily or houriy changes provided for. The amount of flow change in any 24-hour period is also constrained. While the ability to meet rapidly fluctuating hydropower demands will be reduced, the total amount of energy produced by the dam's hydropower generation in any given year will not change. However, the value of the generation will be reduced since the highest valued power is that which meets peak hour demands. "It was clear that there would be a for protecting the Canyon," Beard said. very small price to pay." cost in power generation "Frankly, I think it's a Beard noted that the public has been involved in this process since it began. "Public involvement is an important component of the EIS process, and our efforts went far beyond the norm to get all interests actively participating. As a result, we witnessed a coming together of extremely diverse interests all working for a common goal, the protection of the Grand Canyon's resources." He noted that Federal and State agencies, Native American Tribes, power users, environmentalists, recreation industry interests, and private individuals have all worked to achieve a balanced FEIS. In addition to that, more than 33,000 persons participated by commenting on the draft EIS in 1994, identifying 2,300 issues for consideration by the EIS Team in preparing the FEIS. The alternatives in the FEIS are grouped into three broad categories: . Unrestricted Fluctuating Flows, including the No Action and Maximum Powerplant Capacity Alternatives; . Restricted Fluctuating Flows, including High, Moderate, Modified Low, and Interim Low Fluctuating Flow Alternatives; and