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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Tom Myers, Ph.D.
Hvdrologic Consultant
. -
200 Bartlett St.
Reno, NY 89512
[phone]
lom,'lz:'black.rock.reno.nv.us

March 24, 1998

1\1r. Dale Ensminger
Boulder Canyon Operations Office
Bureau of Reclamation
P.O. Bex 61470
Boulder City, NY 89006-1470

e OFFICiAl.. FILE ...;OPY
RECEIVE" MAR 27 1998

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Re: Proposed Rule for Offstream Storage of Colorado River Water and Draft Programmatic
Environmental Assessment.

Dear Mr. Ensminger:

On bebalfoftbe Toiyabe Chapler o/the Sierra Club, for wbom I am filing these
comments, thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed rule.

We do not oppose the proposed rule. but we do Dot 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 consumptive use of water, flows in the
river decrease. This means less water for emironmental purposes. The Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) asserts that this rule "ill increase efficiency in the operations of the river.
Unfortunately, efficiency to an engineer means less ,vater for the riparian and aquatic ecosystems
of the river, including the river and delta region in Mexico. Statements like <la]rrangements that
facilitate more efficient use of the limited Colorado River water resource are beneficial to aU
,vater users.,l are incorrect because ecosystems also depend on the water resources and they lose.

However, efficiency may allow the water users to earmark ,vater for environmental uses
or restore pans of the Colorado River system As you kno,\!, the national Sierra Club has
endorsed draining the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam Using Reclamation's CRSSEZ

lFederal Register, Vol. 62. No. 250, December 31.1997 at 68493.

Water Resources Research and C01lSu!rmg