Albuquerque, N.M. - The Bureau of Reclamation has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for continued implementation of the Rio Grande Project’s 2008 Operating Agreement. The FEIS analyzes environmental impacts associated with continued implementation of the 2008 Operating Agreement through 2050. The Operating Agreement describes how Reclamation will allocate, release and deliver Rio Grande Project water to the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in New Mexico, the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 in Texas, and to Mexico. The FEIS also evaluates environmental effects of a proposal to renew a contract to store San Juan-Chama Project water in Elephant Butte Reservoir.
The FEIS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and is a step toward resolving longstanding legal disputes over Rio Grande Project operation. It describes five alternatives that vary in inclusion or exclusion of carryover water accounting provisions, diversion ratios and storage of San Juan-Chama Project water. Of those five, the first alternative is preferred and includes continued implementation of the 2008 Operating Agreement and San Juan-Chama storage contract through 2050.
The FEIS Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on Friday September 30. Reclamation will issue a final Record of Decision at least 30 days following publication. The Record of Decision will select the alternative that will be implemented and discuss all factors leading to that decision.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement is available online at: http://www.usbr.gov/uc/envdocs/eis.html.
Copies of the document are also available at the following locations:
• Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office
o 555 Broadway NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.
• Bureau of Reclamation, El Paso Field Division
o 10737 Gateway West, Suite 350, El Paso, Texas 79935.
• Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office
o 125 South State Street, Room 8100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138.
• New Mexico State University - Branson Library
o 1305 Frenger Street, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003.
• University of Texas at El Paso Library
o 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
