Department of the Interior to Present Summary of Public Input Received on a Long-Term Plan for Glen Canyon Dam Operations

Department of the Interior to Present Summary of Public Input Received on a Long-Term Plan for Glen Canyon Dam Operations
Date: March 21, 2012
Contact: Maureen Oltrogge, NPS, 928-638-7779
Contact: Barry Wirth, BOR, 801-524-3774

The public is invited to participate in web-based presentations, to be held on March 27 that will summarize public comments on the scope of the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement for Glen Canyon Dam operations.

Two web-based meetings will be held that day from 1 to 3 p.m. MDT and again from 6 to 8 p.m. MDT. Instructions on how to join those meetings will be provided at http://ltempeis.anl.gov. Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service staff will present an overview of the public scoping report and answer questions.

More information on these meetings and other project news will be announced through social media (Reclamation, the NPS Intermountain Region, and the Grand Canyon Twitter feeds [#gcltemp] and Facebook pages) and on the project website: http://ltempeis.anl.gov.

The LTEMP could determine changes in water release patterns from Glen Canyon Dam and also define a framework for continued experimentation leading to an improved knowledge base and protection of resources. Dam operations and related actions being considered have the potential to affect hydroelectricity production, beaches for river recreation, native fish and other aspects of the Colorado River ecosystem including plants, animals, and archeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Possible changes to dam operations and other actions proposed by the Department of the Interior will be evaluated as alternatives in the LTEMP EIS being prepared by Reclamation and the NPS. The EIS will document and evaluate the impacts of the alternatives.

The plan will ensure that releases from the dam and other actions being considered meet the goals of protecting the resources of the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon while continuing to supply water and power for communities, agriculture and industry.

In a series of public scoping meetings held in November 2011, Reclamation and the NPS provided the public with information about the LTEMP EIS, opportunities to meet with technical experts and ask questions. Public comments were received up to the close of the scoping period on January 31, 2012. Reclamation and the NPS reviewed and evaluated the comments received and developed a "scoping report," which is now available on the LTEMP EIS website (http://ltempeis.anl.gov).

To have your name added to the mailing list for future information, visit the Glen Canyon LTEMP EIS website (http://ltempeis.anl.gov). For questions about the process, please contact Beverley Heffernan, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Attention: UC-700, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84138-1147; 801-524-3712 or Rob Billerbeck, National Park Service, Environmental Quality Division, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80225, 303-987-6789.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2012 02:59PM by eeek.