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<br /> <br />, Section 2 <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />reduced from 1,288 MW to 852 MW, and average animal energy would remain unchanged <br />at 6,010,000 MWh, but redistributed throughout the months of the year, <br /> <br />The endangered fish research flows remain as an element of the reasonable and prudent <br />alternative identified in the final Biological Opinion issued by the USFWS in December <br />1994,6 as a result of Section 7 consultations with Re~lamation on the preferred alternative <br />(MLFF). The reasonable and prudent alternative palls for high steady releases in the <br />spring, and low steady releases in the summer and fall, for low water release years in order <br />to study effects on endangered and native fish. The e:(fects of the endangered fish research <br />flows were not evaluated in the GCD-EIS.7 <br /> <br />Section 1803 of the GCP Act specifies that, followiri~ implementation of the ROD based <br />on the final GCD-EIS, Glen Canyon Dam shall be ,operated consistent with section 1802 <br />of the GCP Act. Reclamation's GCD-EIS change~ the long-term operating criteria at <br />GCD, which will affect the magnitude and timing of electric power available under a range <br />of possible hydrological conditions. The ROD was signed by the Secretary of the Interior <br />, <br />on October 9, 1996.8 In addition, further operational changes could be made in response to <br />conclusions from adaptive management research and loog-term monitoring. <br /> <br />2.2.7 SLCAlIP ELECTRIC POWER MARKETING EIS <br /> <br />In accordance with the provisions of the National iEnvironmenta1 Policy Act of 1969 <br />(NEPA), Western began an EIS process to deterzhine the environmental impacts of <br />Western's proposed changes to the level' of long-ter/n firm electric capacity and energy <br />sales from the SLCNIP. Western produced a final EIS entitled the Salt Lake City Area <br />Integrated Projects Electric Power Marketing Environmental Impact Statement (EPM- <br />EIS).9 <br /> <br />The economic and natural resource assessments in j:his EIS were based on a range of <br />commitment-level alternatives forthe SLCNIP, whic~ were combinations of capacity and <br />energy that could feasibly fulfill Western's firm-power marketing responsibilities. The <br />capacity commitment levels studied ranged from 550 MW to 1,449 MW, and the range of <br />annual energy commitment vitried from 3,300,000 to 6,200,000 MWh per year. <br /> <br />In addition, the EPM-EIS studied a range of operational scenarios for GCD, ranging from <br />no fluctuation in water release volume, to high fluc~tions. The modified operations at <br />Flaming Gorge due to the USFWS Final Biological opinion were reflected in the analyses <br />conducted within the El>M-EIS. A range of operation~1 release volumes were also studied <br />for the Flaming Gorge and Aspinall Unit. Finally, v~ous supply options were assessed, <br />including combinations of electrical power purcQases and hydropower operational <br />scenarios, The EPM-EIS evaluated the impact 011 this range of commitment levels, <br />operational scenarios and supply options on air resources, ecological resources, land use, <br />recreation, socio-economics, visual resources, and water resources. <br /> <br />2-8 <br /> <br />Western Area Power Administration <br /> <br />March 1998 <br />