- Reclamation
- Colorado River Basin
- Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Near-term Colorado River Operations
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Near-term Colorado River Operations
The Secretary of the Interior has directed Reclamation to prepare a SEIS to the December 2007 Record of Decision associated with the Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, referred to as the 2007 Interim Guidelines.
The announcement is contained in the agency's Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for December 2007 Record of Decision Entitled Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations For Lake Powell and Lake Mead and includes additional information about the purpose and need for the SEIS, alternatives, and public involvement opportunities.
Purpose and Need
Through this Notice , Reclamation is initiating efforts to revise operating guidelines for the operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams in 2023-24 operating years in order to address the potential for continued low-runoff conditions in the Colorado River Basin. Reclamation has concluded that the potential impacts of low runoff conditions in the coming winter (2022-2023) pose unacceptable risks to routine operations of Glen Canyon and Hoover dams during the interim period (prior to Jan. 1, 2027) and accordingly, modified operating guidelines need to be expeditiously developed.
Public Involvement
Reclamation hosted two public webinars to summarize the content and purpose of this Federal Register notice and provide additional information about the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
The webinars took place:
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Friday, Dec. 2, 2022
The SEIS scoping comment period closed on December 20, 2022. Written comments that were submitted by December 20, 2022, will be reviewed and posted on this website.
The draft supplemental EIS is anticipated to be available for public review in Spring 2023 and the final supplemental EIS is anticipated to be available for with a Record of Decision, as appropriate, in late Summer 2023. This schedule will allow decisions to become effective for 2023-2024 operations.
The draft SEIS will be posted here when it is available for public review.
Summary of SEIS Scoping Input Received
Reclamation received comment letters in response to the Notice of Intent to prepare the SEIS for the Dec. 2007 Record of Decision entitled Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Links to submissions are available in alphabetical order below:
- Alan Molasky
- Alena Callimanis
- Alex Cunningham
- Alex Walker
- Ak-Chin Indian Community
- Ak-Chin Indian Community
- American Whitewater
- Analise Heaton
- Andrea Walker
- Andy Freeman
- Andy Freeman
- Apollo Logan
- April Johnson
- Arizona Collective Water Agencies
- Arizona Daily Star
- Arizona Municipal Water Users Association
- Ashley Goffstein
- Aspen Kunisch
- Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies
- Aubrey Harris
- Audubon
- Ayman Mho
- Barry Lindermann
- Benjamin Cirillo
- Bert Millett
- Bill Guyton
- Bill Lock
- Bill Persons
- Bill Persons
- Bill Persons
- Bill Tilden
- BlueRibbon Coalition
- Brent Philip
- Brian Essex
- Brianna Samson
- Bureau of Land Management
- California Department of Water Resources
- Cameron Walker
- Canalis Engineering Solutions
- Candice Hayes
- Candice Hayes - Gripentog Enterprises
- CAWCD, SNWA, & Metropolitan
- Chad Smith
- Chastin Thompson
- Chris Heinrich
- Christopher Pelt
- City of Goodyear
- City of Henderson
- City of Peoria Water Services Department
- City of Phoenix
- Claudia Hobson
- Coachella Valley Water District
- Coachella Valley Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Cody Woods
- Colorado River Authority of Utah
- Colorado River Basin State Representatives of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
- Colorado River Board of California
- Colorado River Board of California
- Colorado River Energy Distributors Association
- Colorado River Indian Tribes
- Colorado School of Mines
- Colorado Water Conservation Board
- Connor Mobley
- Conserve Southwest Utah
- Courtney Craig
- Courtney Craig
- Daniel Child
- Daniel Washburn
- Daniel Yuan
- Dan Polhemus
- Dave Showalter
- David Coops
- David Jovin
- David Konie
- David Kruljac
- David Lutz
- David Starr
- David Starr
- David Zack
- Debra Carley
- Deborah Teague
- Derek Johnson
- Derue Walker
- Devin Holy
- Dolores Water Conservancy District
- Don Rodriguez
- Elaine Bennett
- Elena Hancock
- Emma Suchard
- Erik Skramstad
- Erik Steinman
- Erik Sudberg
- Erin Charlesworth
- Form Letter
- Frank Skaw
- Gary Allred
- Gary Papke
- Genyne Malin
- Gerry Martinez
- Gila River Indian Community
- Gina Neuman
- Glen Canyon Institute
- Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association
- Grand Canyon Trust
- Greg Tiedeman
- Griffin Kartchner
- Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners
- Havasupai Tribal Council
- Hopi Tribe
- Hualapai Tribe
- Hugh Bassewitz
- Imperial Irrigation District
- Irrigation & Electrical Districts' Association of Arizona
- Jacklyn Neuman
- James Bagley
- James Brockett
- James Hughes
- James Long
- James Nalley
- James Tibbetts
- Jason Douglas
- Jason Meyer
- Jed Wheeler
- Jeff Linford
- Jennifer Brown
- Jennifer Travers
- Jenny Pelt
- Jeremy Byrom
- Jerry Barnard
- Jessica Crawford Delong
- Jill Stone
- Jim Strogen
- Joe Blyman
- Joe Currie
- John Bronstein
- John Feighner
- John Price
- John Rickenbach
- John Weisheit
- Joint Central Arizona Districts
- Joint Colorado Districts Response
- Joint Non-Gov. Organizations
- Jon Broholm
- Joseph Bradley
- Joseph Christensen
- J. Shock
- Justin Park
- Kara Jarrett
- Karli Walsh
- Karl W. Flessa
- Kelli Millett
- Ken Freeman
- Kenneth Shields
- Kim Davis
- Kim Hutchings
- Kim Kelsey
- Kim Lawrence
- Kim Venhuizen
- Kim Venhuizen
- Kory Hearn
- Kristian Prestholm
- KUNC NPR for Northen Colorado
- Landon Lounsbury
- Lar Derie
- Laura Freeman
- Laura Nagaro
- Laura Welch
- Laurie Glavin
- Laurie Sutton
- Leia Brown
- Linda Nelson
- Linsey Page
- Lisa Avei
- Lisa Christensen
- Living Rivers & Colorado Riverkeeper
- Lois Denaut
- Marcus Kunda
- Mark Scharfenaker
- Mark Scharfenaker
- Mark Wallace
- Marshall Kinnison
- Mary Mitchell
- Mary Mitchell
- Matthew McNulty
- Megan McKernan
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Michael Budagher
- Michael Lampe
- Mike Malano
- Morgan Sjogren
- Move the Water!
- Naomi
- Namoi Mantz
- National Park Service
- Navajo Nation
- New Mexico
- New Water Group
- Nick Zarras
- Pacific Energy Policy Center
- Pacific Institute
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe
- Patricia Gripentog
- Paul Belden
- Paul Wilks
- P. Brian McNeece
- Platte River Power Authority
- Quechan Indian Tribe
- Rail Chew
- Randy Dorn
- Renee Gutierrez
- Rhiannon Cruz
- Richard Baker
- Roberts
- Robin Bradley
- Rob Morgan
- Roger Olack
- Ronald Finkler
- Russ Cauley
- Ryan Robinson
- Ryder Freeman
- Salt River Project
- Samantha Miller
- San Diego County Water Authority
- Sandy Spotofora
- Save the Colorado
- Sawyer Longson
- Scott C.
- Scottsdale Water
- Scott Taylor
- Shannon Hagman
- Shared Interest Group Members of the Arizona Re-consultation Committee
- Shawn Murray
- Sierra Club Colorado River Task Force
- Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter
- Exhibit 1
- Exhibit 3
- Exhibit 4
- Exhibit 5
- Exhibit 6
- Exhibit 7
- Exhibit 8
- Exhibit 9
- Exhibit 10
- Exhibit 11
- Exhibit 12
- Exhibit 13
- Exhibit 15
- Exhibit 16
- Exhibit 17
- Exhibit 18
- Exhibit 19
- Exhibit 20
- Exhibit 21
- Exhibit 23
- Skyler Stapleton
- Skyler Tolman
- Sonoran Institute
- Southern Nevada Water Authority
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
- Staci Walters
- Steven Abel
- Stratecon Inc.
- Susan Wren Lawrence
- Sydney James
- Tammy Shearer
- Terri Hedden
- The EcoMedia Compass
- Thomas Bradley
- Thomas Havens - American Water Resources, Inc.
- Thomas Welch
- Tiana Grenier
- Tohono O'Odham Nation
- Tom and Connie Goodwin
- Tom Sephton
- Town of Gilbert
- Travis Lawrence
- Tribes Collective Response
- Troy Brian
- Tubular Rail Inc.
- University of New Mexico School of Law, Utton Center
- Upper Colorado River Commission
- Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems
- Ute Indian Tribe
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
- Victor Petersen
- Vineetha Kartha
- Vineetha Kartha
- Warren Klain
- Washington County Water Conservancy District
- Western Watersheds Project
- Will Hayes
- Wyoming State Engineer
- Yavapai-Apache Nation
- Yuma County Agriculture Water Coalition
- Zachary Halls
Additional Information
As noted in its Federal Register notice published in June 2022, Reclamation anticipates initiating a NEPA process for development of operating guidelines for Post-2026 Operational Strategies through a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in early 2023. Nothing in this notice modifies Reclamation's efforts in that upcoming process.
The need for a SEIS and modified operating guidelines for the period prior to 2026 is a recognition that the risks facing the Colorado River Basin are unacceptably high and cannot wait until post-2026 operational strategies are thoroughly identified, analyzed and ultimately adopted. In addressing operations for 2023-2024, Reclamation is committed to using the best available information to develop near-term operating guidelines while longer term approaches are developed. Reclamation anticipates utilizing the work of this DEIS to also inform operating guidelines for the 2025-26 period, which will also undergo NEPA analysis in the near future.
QUESTIONS?
Questions regarding the SEIS for potential modifications to near-term Colorado River operations may be directed to:
Dedina Williams, dfwilliams@usbr.gov
Marcie Bainson, mbainson@usbr.gov