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<br />Ii .fjiTy ~~Oh. - Comments on Draft EAfor Morrowl'oint Trash RackClea6ingF'roj~c! <br /> <br />~ ::.....==~=-:J'agej I <br /> <br />000783 <br /> <br />From: <br />To: <br />Date: <br />Subject: <br /> <br />"Shane Collins" <COLLlNS@wapa.gov> <br /><tstroh@uc.usbr.gov> <br />7/15/023:31PM <br />Comments on Draft EA for Morrow Point Trash Rack CleaningProject <br /> <br />Terry. <br /> <br />Following are Western's comments on the Morrow Point Trash Rack <br />Cleaning Project Draft EA. Please call me if you have any questions <br />about them. <br /> <br />1. Perhaps the greatest concern raised in the EA is the possibility <br />of <br />increasing sediment loads in the river downstream of Crystal Dam, both <br />suspended sediment and deposited sediment. In several places, the EA <br />identifies actions to be taken if sediment loads become excessive or <br />If <br />water quality changes. This includes restricting Blue Mesa to uniform <br />releases if sediment loads become excessive (p. 7. 1 st paragraph); <br />adjusting releases from Blue Mesa as needed to reduce potential for <br />transporting sediments exposed in Morrow POint Reservoir (p. 15, 4th <br />paragraph); using nushing nows to remove sediment deposits (p. 15, <br />6th <br />paragraph); adjusting Blue Mesa and Morrow Point releases as needed to <br />protect water quality (p. 17, 2nd paragraph); and temporarily stopping <br />trash <br />rack cleaning and reservoir refill if turbidity readings below Crystal <br />exceed deSired conditions (p. 17. 2nd paragraph. It IS also Identified <br />in <br />the Summary and Environmental Commitments section that rates of draw <br />down <br />and refill and releases from Morrow Point Dam would be adjusted as <br />needed to <br />protect water quality downstream of Crystal Reservoir. We agree that <br />excessive suspended sediment or changes in water quality could affect <br />trout <br />and related resources in the Gunnison River downstream of Aspinall. <br />However. the EA should better identify the criteria that will be used <br />to <br />determine when sediment levels or changes in water quality are <br />excessive. Western would like to work with Reclamation to determine at <br />what point sediment suspension becomes a significant problem. <br /> <br />2. DUring the scheduled trash-rack cleaning described in this EA. <br />Reclamation will be (with approval from the Secretary) conducting test <br />releases at Glen Canyon Dam. During this test, if sediment becomes a <br />concern in the Gunnison River and Reclamation halts releases at Blue <br />Mesa and/or Morrow Point. or reduces releases significantly. this will <br />cause an immediate and significant impact to the operation of the CRSP <br />power system. <br /> <br />Shane Collins <br /> <br />cc: <br /> <br />"CLAYTON PALMER" <CSPALMER@wapa.gov> <br />