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<br />The concept of improving irrigation efficiency to reduce the salt load <br />(improved water quality) carried by the Colorado River presents a <br />conflict with the environmental values of protecting irrigation-induced <br />fisheries and wetland wildlife habitat. Since P.L. 93-320 established <br />that the purpose of salinity studies is to develop alternative actions <br />to reduce salt load carried by the Colorado River, this document <br />presents the tradeoffs. <br /> <br />Compliance with NEPA Regulations, 40 CFR Part 1502, CEQ, Final Rule, <br />May 27, 1986 <br /> <br />The final amendment to 40 CFR Part 1502 of NEPA requires all federal <br />agencies to disclose the fact of incomplete or unavailable information <br />when evaluating reasonably foreseeable significant adverse impacts on <br />the human environment in an EIS and to obtain that information if the <br />overall costs of doing so are not exorbitant. If the agency is unable <br />to obtain the information because overall costs are exorbitant or because <br />the means to obtain it are not known, the agency must (1) affirmatively <br />disclose the fact that such information is unavailable; (2) explain the <br />relevance of the unavailable information; (3) summarize the existing <br />credible scientific evidence which is relevant to the agency's <br />evaluation of significant adverse impacts on the human environment; and <br />(4) evaluate the impacts based upon theoretical approaches or research <br />methods generally accepted in the scientific community. The amendment <br />also specifies the impacts which have a low probability of occurrence, <br />but catastrophic consequences, if they do occur, should be evaluated if <br />the analysis is supported by credible scientific evidence and is not <br />based on pure conjecture and is within the rule of reason. The <br />requirement to prepare a "worst case analysis" is rescinded. As stated <br />below, this EIS meets the requirements of this NEPA amendment. <br /> <br />Data on the level of fish and wildlife habitat replacements and <br />potential habitat developments are unavailable. This is because of the <br />voluntary nature of program participation and the subsequent voluntary <br />replacement of fish and wildlife habitats. The unavailable data; <br />primarily the location, quality, and acreage of voluntary fish and <br />wildlife replacements and the potential reservoir releases; are relevant <br />to assessing the level of impacts on fish and wildlife habitats. A <br />reader who is familiar with the Colorado River Salinity Control Program <br />may be inclined to recommend the use of voluntary participation and <br />habitat replacement data from other ongoing salinity control projects. <br />However, that data will not be credible for use in the Big Sandy River <br />Unit Selected Plan. <br /> <br />This Selected Plan is the first salinity control plan to use the new <br />criteria authorized by the 1984 amendments to P.L. 93-320. These new <br />criteria provide the following: <br /> <br />(1) Technical and cost-sharing assistance through contracts <br />and agreements with local governments and nongovernmental <br />entities (i.e., state game and fish agencies, <br />environmental organizations, and irrigation districts). <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />F-3 <br /> <br />o (J l: 9 ;) 3 <br />