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<br />,..... <br />~. <br /> <br />C) <br />0') <br />C'-' <br />c: <br />c <br /> <br />this alternative describes the actions most likely to occur in the absence <br />of CAP. It is the Bureau of Reclamation's assumption that municipal and <br />domestic needs would be met, to the extent possible, by local entities <br />acquiring existing water rights, surface and/or groundwater, as they are <br />needed and become available. Costs for the acquisition of rights and <br />conveyance systems, where needed, will be displayed in the EIS. This <br />alternative carries with it a considerable risk that water supplies would be <br />inadequate to meet current and future needs in the Silver City area. The <br />possible impacts of such a water shortage will be discussed in the EIS. <br /> <br />Conner Dam and Reservoir - Size 1 <br /> <br />Conner Dam would be constructed to develop IB,OOO acre-feet per year with a <br />net annual yield of 12,000 acre-feet. It would be located on the Gila River <br />immediately above the Red Rock Valley within the Gila Middle Box. The <br />reservoir pool would back water about 18 miles to the vicinity of the mouth <br />of Mangas Creek, about 8 miles south of Riverside. The dam would capture <br />water only during times of high flows and store it for future use. During <br />low flows, however, water entering the reservoir would be released to meet <br />downstream water rights. <br /> <br />Conner Dam and Reservoir would affect important riparian and upland <br />habitats, the U.S. Forest Service Gila River Bird Habitat Management Unit <br />and Research Natural Area, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Gila Middle <br />Box Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and critical habitat for the <br />spikedace and loach minnow (special status species). <br /> <br />Conner Dam and Reservoir - Size 2 <br /> <br />This alternative is identical in all aspects to Conner Dam and Reservoir - <br />Size 1 except in two regards: <br /> <br />1. The dam would be slightly smaller (280' high instead of 290') and <br />provide a net yield of 10,000 acre-feet while Size 1 would provide 12,000 <br />acre-feet. The alternative is sized this way because the municipal and <br />domestic needs over the 50-year planning period are projected to be up to <br />10,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />2. The construction of this alternative would occur when the municipal <br />water users have a need for a replacement supply. <br /> <br />Small Hooker Dam with Offstream Storage at Mangas Creek <br /> <br />With this plan, two dams would be constructed: Hooker Dam on the Gila River <br />above the Cliff-Gila Valley and Mangas Creek Dam on Mangas Creek about 2 <br />miles upstream from the Gila River. Hooker Dam would be used to temporarily <br />impound water during periods of high river flows. This impounded water <br />would be released from Hooker Dam into the Gila River and then recaptured <br />near the mouth of Mangas Creek where it would be pumped into Mangas Creek <br />Reservoir for permanent storage. It is possible that this alternative could <br />be built under a staged construction program. That is, the Mangas Creek Dam <br /> <br />4 <br />