WSP06879

• File Number: 8200.400
• Description: Colorado River Basin Briefing Documents-History-Correspondence
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 10/1/1999
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Programmatic Environmental Assessment-Rulemaking-Offstream Storage Colorado River Water - Development-Release Intentionally Created Unused Apportionment-Lower Division States - Appendix H-Section III
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Ob;)S~2

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Tom Myers, Ph,D.
Hydrologic Consultant
200 Bartlett St.
Reno, NV 89512
[phone]
tom.{tV,black-rock.reno.Dv.us

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Marcb 24, 1998

Mr. Dale Ensminger
Boulder Canyon Operations Office
Bureau ofRecJamation
P.O. Bex 6!470
Boulder City, NY 89006-1470

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15 OfHC~ FlU': cOpy
RECEIVED MAR 27 199B

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Re; Proposed Rule for Off stream Storage of Colorado River Water and Draft Programmatic
En\ironmental Assessment.

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Dear Mr. Ensminger:

On behalf oftbe Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club. for whom I am filing these
comments, thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed rule.

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We do not oppose the proposed rule, but we do not endorse it either. We require
additional information. This is the most significant change in operations on the Lower Colorado
River since the last of the structures were added to the system (the Southern Nevada Water
Project, I believe). As aU of the basin states increase their C{)nsumptive use of water, flows in the
river decrease. This means less water for environmental purposes. The Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) assens that this rule 'will increase efficiency in the operations of the river.
Unfortunately, efficiency to an engineer means less water for the riparian and aquatic ecosystems
of the river, including the river and delta region in Mexico. Statements like '1a]rrangements that
facilitate more efficient use of the limited Colorado River water resource are beneficial to aU
'..:ater users"] are incorrect because ecosystems also depend on the water resources and they lose.

However, efficiency may anow the water users to earmark water for environmental uses
or restore pans of the Colorado River system As you know, the national Sierra Club bas
endors.ed draining tbe reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam Using Reclamation's CRSSEZ

'Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 250, December 3J, 1997 at 68493.

Water ResourcCJ Research and CO,..su[lIng