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<br />evaluated; and until they are evaluated, the EA is incomplete. Another individual suggested that <br />the passageway, since it is experimental and will need to be modified, be constructed from wood <br />to save considerable expense. Additional information was requested on how the structure relates <br />to the city of Grand Junction's pumping station. <br /> <br />Some of these ideas-such as jellies or other bank work to deepen critically shallow reaches in <br />the lower Gunnison River or power purchases to essentially conserve water--have merit. (Power <br />purchases mean that Redlands Diversion Dam would reduce their hydropower diversions and <br />would be repaidfor lost revenues). During the period of the interim water agreement and in the <br />first years of the passageway operation, the effects on the endangeredfish and on water uses will <br />be monitored. More detailed flow recommendations will be made and ideas such as power <br />purchases (see later discussion on Interim Water Supply Agreement) will become imponant ideas <br />to consider in meeting the recommendations for a long-tenn water contract. <br /> <br />Concerning the idea to use wooden construction, approximately 23 percent of the contract costs <br />will involve eanhwork and dewatering which would have to be duplicated if the structure were <br />initially built with wood and then concrete. Another 26 percent of the contract costs are <br />comprised of piping, valves, and metalwork where practical wood alternatives do not exist. This <br />leaves approximately 51 percent of the costs in concrete structures and alumimun bajJIes. Only <br />41 percent of these costs or 21 percent of the total construction costs are for materials. Thus <br />choosing a different construction material such as wood does not mean significant savings could <br />occur. In addition, there are groundwater and lateral eanh pressure considerations that make <br />wood construction difficult and costly and wooden structures have higher maintenance costs. <br />If a wooden structure were built and then later replaced by a concrete one, the total construction <br />costs would be very high due to duplication of effon. In summary, Reclamation believes that <br />the passageway will succeed, and there would be much greater risk of losing investment dollars <br />by initially using wood than concrete. <br /> <br />Additionol infonna1ion has been added to the section of the repon on Fish Passaf!ewav Desi~n <br />to beller explain the relation with the city's facilities. <br /> <br />Land Status (Rights-of-Way) <br /> <br />One comment stressed that there are two related projects--one the fish passageway itself and the <br />other is the resolution of authorization for the portion (west side) of the Redlands Diversion Dam <br />and facilities that occur on BLM land. A possible land exchange was cited as being very related <br />to safety and recreation issues. <br /> <br />Chapter 2 of the draft EA mentioned that "The proposed passageway will be constructed on land <br />owned by the Redlands Water and Power Company. Property interests (such as an easement or <br />exchange) will be acquired by the United States." The passageway is now planned to be built <br />on a perpetual easement acquiredfrom Redlands. It is possible, and desirable, that in thefuture <br />the BLM land on the west side of the river will be exchanged for land on the east side; hawever, <br />the fish passageway is not dependent on this exchange. The exchange is not related to the <br /> <br />46 <br />