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<br />Hr. Lee J. McQui vey <br />April U., 1994 <br />Page 7 <br /> <br />Significant questions related to enhancing exotic species at the <br />expense of native species and other impacts remain unanswered. We <br />have also described our concerns about the adaptive management <br />process and merely note the failure to properly describe it here <br />also as a failure to properly disclose to the public a significant <br />part of the decisional process and the future decision-making <br />fabric for the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. <br /> <br />i. <br /> <br />As you will see from our detailed comments attached to this letter, <br />the economic analysis for this EIS has been suspect from the outset <br />and leaves much to be desired. For example, we note that one of <br />our members, Salt River Project, has brought to your attention a <br />very significant economic impact which has been virtually ignored <br />by the economic analysis for this draft EIS. Without the proper <br />disclosure of the true economic costs of the preferred alternative <br />and the other alternatives in the EIS, the public is not properly <br />informed and is, thus, robbed of its required opportunity to <br />comment. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~: <br /> <br />'I <br />::' <br /> <br />0'-1 <br /> <br />THE EIS 'l'O'1'ALLY FAIIS TO ANALYZE SIGNIFICANT <br />NON-oPERATIONAL DlPAC'1'S AND OPTIONS <br />TO MINnlIZE THEM <br /> <br />-.;. <br /> <br />~~ <br /> <br />The EIS admits that it does not have the information base to <br />analyze the impacts of any of the alternatives upon exotic fish <br />currently resident in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. <br />since recent studies have shown that native fish recruitment is <br />severely impacted by exotic fish predation, the failure to design <br />experiments and collect data on the resident exotic fish is a <br />significant failure of the EIS process itself. <br /> <br />So too is the late-coming realization that temperature impacts have <br />more to do with humpback chub success in the main stem of the <br />Colorado River than anything else. The fact that it has taken from <br />1982 until now to discover this is hard to explain. Nevertheless, <br />the treatment of temperature impacts in the draft EIS is totally <br />inadequate, given the overriding impact this phenomenon has. <br /> <br />Finally, the impacts of human incursion have been given short <br />shrift. With over 50,000 visitors below Glen Canyon Dam to Lee <br />Ferry and over 20,000 visitors along the Colorado River below Lee <br />Ferry, the entire river area, including Marble Canyon and Grand <br />Canyon, is experiencing unprecedented annual human incursion as a <br />result of the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. Human incursion has <br />had a significant impact in several areas within the Grand Canyon. <br />The most popular places to stop and sights to see are often so <br />crowded that late arrivals cannot even gain access to these areas. <br />During the summer, the opportunity for solitude on a trip down the <br /> <br />~: . <br /> <br />., <br />, <br /> <br />!j <br /> <br />".\' <br />,. <br />r.o <br /> <br />( <br /> <br />.., <br />':\ <br />~ <br /> <br />:,;' <br /> <br />., <br />