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, OJ~100.) .LOD... Navajo Dam and Reservoir Update U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation December 1999 Navajo Dam and Reservoir Background The Navajo Unit consists of a dam and reservoir that are owned, operated and maintained by the Bureau of Reclamation. Located on the San Juan River in New Mexico and Colorado, the facility provides an irrigation and municipal and indus- trial water supply, flood control, recreation, hydropower, and fish and wildlife benefits. Year-round Flow Recommendations In May 1999, after a 7-year research period, the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program's biology committee recommended flow patterns for the San Juan River. The flows are only one element necessary for the recovery of the endangered Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. It is anticipatedimplementa- tion of these flows, or a reasonable alternative to them, will help protect the existing populations and habitat of these two fish species while maintaining the authorized purposes of the Navajo Unit. I ' Draft Environmental Impact Statement Reclamation will prepare a draft EIS describing the environmental impacts of alternatives for operating the dam and reservoir to implement the Recovery Program's flow recommendations. The draft EIS is scheduled for release for public review in October 2000. November 1999 Scoping Meetings Scoping meetings were held November 3 and 4 in Farmington, New Mexico, and Durango, Colorado, and on November 9 and lOin Albu- querque, New Mexico, and Pagosa Springs, Colorado, respectively. The meetings were held to obtain the public's concerns regarding imple- menting the flow recommendations. Approxi- mately 100 individuals attended three of the meetings (no one attended the Pagosa Springs meeting). Some of the issues raised at the meetings are included in the following list.