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The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to operate Navajo Dam and Reservoir to implement Endangered Species Act-related flow recommendations on the San Juan River, or a reasonable alternative to those recommendations, in a manner which allows for both current and certain future water depletions to proceed.

This change in reservoir operation would assist in conserving endangered fish in the San Juan River downstream from Farmington, New Mexico, and in enabling water development to proceed in the San Juan River Basin in compliance with applicable laws, compacts, court decrees, and American Indian trust responsibilities. To accomplish this action, Reclamation would continue to operate Navajo Dam to meet the authorized project purposes while modifying reservoir release patterns to meet flow recommendations designed to maintain or improve habitat for the razorback sucker and Colorado pikeminnow (formerly Colorado squawfish).

This navajo Reservoir Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) describes and analyzes environmental effects resulting from the proposed changes to Navajo Dam and Reservoir. The DEIS has been prepared according to provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other laws and mandates.