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<br />OGLJS1 <br /> <br />FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT <br /> <br />GRYSTAL DAM, RESERVOIR, AND POWERPLANT <br />Curecanti Unit, Colorado River Storage Project <br /> <br />Prepared by <br /> <br />The Department of the Interior <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br />Region 4 <br /> <br />r. GENERAL <br /> <br />This Environmental Statement for Crystal Dam, Reservoir, and Power- <br />plant is being submitted in accordance with P,L. 91-190, the <br />National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The purpose of the <br />Statement is to evaluate the environmental impact of the construc- <br />tion of Crystal Dam and Powerplant and creation of the Crystal <br />Reservoir. The Statement is being submitted in preparation for <br />the awarding of contracts for construction of the dam and <br />powerplant. <br /> <br />This Environmental Statement is a revision of the original state- <br />ment which was filed with the Council on Environmental Quality on <br />March 11, 1971, and was based on an earthfill dam. Upon receiving <br />excessive bids for the earthfi11 structure, the Bureau of Reclamation <br />reevaluated the costs involved and for economic reasons elected not <br />to award the contract, but to readvertise the structure as a doub1e- <br />curvature, thin~arch concrete darn. <br /> <br />The Curecanti Unit was one of four initial units of the Colorado <br />River Storage Project authorized by the Act of April 11, 1956, <br />(70 Stat. 105). Authorization of the unit was made subject to the <br />provision that construction not be undertaken until the Secretary <br />of the Interior reexamined the economic justification of the unit <br />and certified to the Congress and President that, in his judgment, <br />the benefits of such unit would exceed its cost. On the basis of <br />an 1959 Economic Justification Report, the Secretary certified on <br />July 14, 1959, that Blue Mesa and Morrow Point features of the <br />unit would be feasible. On March 4, 1963, he further certified <br />that the Crystal feature should be included in the unit. <br />