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Contact: Maureen Oltrogge/NPS, 928-638-7779 Contact: Barry Wirth/BOR, 801-524-3774
Department of the Interior BUREAU OF RECLAMATION-UPPER COLORADO REGION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE-INTERMOUNTAIN REGION
Press Release 10-18-11
Contact: Barry Wirth (Reclamation) 801-524-3774 e-mail us
Public Invited to Open Houses on Plan for Glen Canyon Dam Operations
Beginning Nov. 7, the public will have an opportunity to attend public meetings on the development of a long-term plan that will determine the timing and volume of water flows from Glen Canyon Dam. Those flows affect hydroelectricity production, beach recreation, native fish and other river-related plants and animals, as well as archeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The long-term plan will address routine operations as well as "experimental" flows that provide additional scientific information about how to protect endangered fish and lessen the effects of dam operations on downstream ecology and other resources. The plan will ensure that regulated flows on the Colorado River meet the goals of supplying hydroelectricity and water for communities, agriculture and industry at the same time they protect the ecologies of the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon. The meetings, to be held jointly by the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park Service, will take place in:
Work on the new plan, known as the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP), is the first comprehensive review of Glen Canyon Dam operations in 15 years. The purpose of the LTEMP is to use current and newly developed science to improve and protect resources of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area while also complying with the Law of the River, the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other applicable laws.The LTEMP process will determine the need for future modifications to Glen Canyon Dam operations, and whether to establish an Endangered Species Act Recovery Implementation Program for endangered fish species below Glen Canyon Dam. Changes to dam operations and other actions taken by the Department of the Interior (DOI) will be evaluated as "alternatives" in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will document and evaluate impacts of the alternatives. The public meetings announced today are part of the "public scoping" phase of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Public scoping gives interested individuals and groups the opportunity to comment on a proposed action, recommend alternatives, and to identify and prioritize the issues to be considered in the EIS analyses. Scoping is the earliest, but not the last, opportunity for people to provide input on the Glen Canyon Dam LTEMP EIS. Each public scoping meeting will include a welcome and project overview session (15 minutes) and opportunities for the public to review exhibits, informally discuss issues, and ask questions of technical experts and managers. More information on the meetings will be announced through local media, newsletters, and the project web site: http://ltempeis.anl.gov. The public can submit comments by the following methods:
Reclamation and the NPS will accept comments that are received or postmarked by Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. To have your name added to the mailing list for future information, visit the Glen Canyon LTEMP EIS website listed below or contact Beverley Heffernan, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Attention: UC-700, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84138-1147; facsimile (801) 524-3826. Additional information, including a full copy of the Notice of Intent published yesterday in the Federal Register is available at the project web site: http://ltempeis.anl.gov.
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Last updated: February 24, 2015