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<br />\'-1'11, <br /> <br />INFORMATION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FROM THE <br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION <br />UPPER COLORADO REGIONAL OFFICE <br />PROPOSALS BY GROUPS TO DRAIN LAKE POWELL <br />DATA ON POSSIBLE IMPACTS & TECHNICAL INFORMATION <br /> <br />* <br /> <br />Is such an action technically feasible? <br /> <br />The action is technically feasible. but would cost a signiticanl amount of money, <br />Reclamation has not studied how that could best be done, and does not intent to spend <br />funds to conduct such a study unless directed by Congress or the Secretary, In the <br />absence of authority to undertake such an action (following question), it would be <br />inappropriate to spend money on sllch a study, <br /> <br />The proposal would obviously require an Environmental Impact Statement to comply with <br />NEPA and consultation to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Impacts related to <br />the Clean Water Act and other legislation would also have to be studied, <br /> <br />Such a proposal would also require legislation to allow Lake Powell to be drained, either <br />for the Brower proposal to completely drain or for the Glen Canyon Institute to drain to <br />minimum power head, Current operation is in compliance with the Colorado River Basin <br />Project Act of 1968 (PL 90-537), Also, draining the reservoir would make it difficult to <br />comply with the Colorado River Project Act of 1956 (PL 87-485), <br /> <br />* <br /> <br />Can Lake Mead handle the storage which would be necessary if Lake Powell were <br />drained? <br /> <br />The long-term answer is no, Lake Mead probably cannot handle the consumptive uses of <br />the Colorado Basin, even for the scenario of present Upper Basin storage, The inability <br />to meet this need will especially be the case when the Upper Basin of the Colorado River <br />is at full development. per the Colorado River Compact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado <br />River Basin Compact of 1948, <br /> <br />By the terms of the 1922 Compact. the Upper Basin States guaranteed delivery of75 maf <br />in any ten-year period, Drought periods during the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's <br />recorded annual flows at Lee Ferry ofless than 7,5 mafwith a low of 4.4 mafin 1934, <br />Without the carry-over storage in Lake Powell available during such times, existin~ uses in <br />the Upper Basin might be curtailed in similar droughts, Without Lake Powell storage, <br />dependance on the Colorado River to sustain nlture growth and economic viability would <br />subject such growth to great risk of drought and economic hardship, Essentially, the four <br />Upper Basin States would be subject to a water call on the river by the Lower Basin <br />States, <br /> <br />General Information Concerning Glen Canyon Dam Values and Benefits <br />