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<br />APR-27-9~ THU 1~:41 UPPER CO~ORADO RtVER COMM <br /> <br />P.02 <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />April 27, 1995 <br /> <br />Mr, Charles A. Calhoun <br />Recionsl Director <br />Upper Colorado Recion <br />U.S. Bureau of Reclamation <br />125 South State Street, Room 6107 <br />Salt Lake City, UT 84138-1102 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Calhoun: <br /> <br />rbe Upper Colorado River Commission, on behalf of its ~mb.r States. <br />appreciates the opportunity to provide written comment. on the Final Environ- <br />mental Impact State~nt (BIS) on the operations of Glen Canyon Dam. <br /> <br />The Commi..ion is an interstate co~act administrative aaency created by <br />the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948. The member Statea of the <br />Commission are: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah:and Wyomina. Since it. inception <br />over 45 year. aco, the Commiaaion has actively participated in the develop- <br />~nt, utilization, protaction and conservation of the water resourcea of. the <br />Upper Colorado River Basin. These activities have included 10nastandina <br />observation of the Glen Canyon Bnvironmenta1 Studies and preparation of the <br />Glen Canyon Pinal lIS. Although not a participant.. . Cooperatin. ~ency, we <br />have obaerved with keen intereat the ranse of alternatives included for study <br />aa well as those items susaeated ae common e1ementa to all the a1ternativea. <br /> <br />We were consulted in the. proces. of deve10pina interim flow recommenda- <br />tion. and made atrona note of the extremely conservative nature of the flow <br />recommendations ultimately implemented. We likewise have been involved in tha <br />process of reviewins the impacts of interim flow criteria on the conditione of <br />the environment downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. The culmination of thie <br />process recommended chansee in the maximum normal upper limits of flows (from <br />20,000 cfs to 25,000 cfs) and an increase in uprampins rates (from 2.500 <br />cfs/hour to 4,000 cfa/hour). These chanses would better facilitate the <br />releaae of laree monthly volumes required durina years of hieh equalization <br />releases and restore 80me of the power plant flexibility so necessary to <br />provide load-followinc electrical enercy production. <br />