Laserfiche WebLink
<br />'-0;-"'-- -'---- <br /> <br />Appendlx vn <br />CommentIJ From the Fi8h and Wildllte <br />Service <br /> <br />GAD's Comments <br /> <br />The following are GAO'S comments on the Fish and Wildlife Service's <br />memorandum dated September 21, 1995. <br /> <br />1. We have not revised the report because we believe the suggested change <br />adds nonessential detail. <br /> <br />2. The Navajo Darn and Reservoir and the Navajo Indian Inigation Project <br />(NllP) were separately authorized as participating units of the Colorado <br />River Storage Project. We have clarified the sentence to state that the <br />Navajo Darn and Reservoir stores the water used by NllP. <br /> <br />3. We disagree that our statement is incorrect. The 1991 final biological <br />opinion issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service explicitly restricts <br />construction of and water depletions for the Animas-La Plata project <br />under the accepted alternative pending the outcome of the fish study <br />(which the Service agreed would require at least 7 yeaxs to complete). We <br />have clarified the sentence to specify that these restrictions apply only to <br />the alternative (not to other water-development projects). <br /> <br />4. We have clarified the sentence. <br /> <br />5. We disagree with the Service's characterization of the Navajo Nation's <br />concerns. The Navajo Nation is concerned about the alternative to the <br />Animas-La Plata project because the Service, in effect, allowed depletions <br />for the alternative at NllP'S expense, and because the Service allowed <br />annual releases of water for the alternative from the Navajo Darn and <br />Reservoir, which stores water for NllP. At the time of the consultations, <br />representatives from the Navajo Nation expressed their concerns about <br />this use of water to which the Navajo Nation has legal claim, but the <br />Service did not respond to their concerns. We have clarified this paragraph <br />to more specifically describe this situation. <br /> <br />Page 35 <br /> <br />GAOIBCED.96-1 AninuuI-La Plata Project <br /> <br />F-,":' <br />,;,~:~ <br />.'i,~' <br />'>l; <br />":cA <br />r~ <br />f1,\,' <br />",J'f- <br />i:'<' <br />~~>: <br /> <br />",,/. <br /> <br />o <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />E:' <br />.-,.., <br /> <br />;:~~/ <br />"".'''' <br />r.:X',7'; <br />t;>~: <br />~~ <br />c;;,~.,~ <br />~~t:,~' <br />\;~ <br /> <br />[.':..;', <br />