| OCR Text |
Show Environmental Protection Agency Sierra Club and several inviduals Response: ( a) The Bureau of Reclamation recognizes the desirability of having the Bonneville Unit provide sufficient streamflows for maintaining the existing aquatic ecosystem in the Uinta Basin streams, particularly the fishery resource. At the same time, it is recognized that since the proposed plan of operation would not provide the minimum bypasses at Unit features recommended by the State of Utah, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the Forest Service, there would be significant adverse ecological impacts caused by the reduced flows. The Bureau of Reclamation has reviewed all reasonable alternatives and has accepted the reduced flows as in the proposed plan. The Bureau of Reclamation does not challenge the validity of the minimum flow bypasses presented by the aquatic resource agencies particularly those presented in the Forest Service Report entitled " Stream Habitat Studies in the Uinta and Ashley National Forests," 1972.10^ It is recognized that the method used in making the habitat assessment is one of the best available. 108 During the cooperative planning for the Bonneville Unit by the Bureau of Reclamation, Utah State Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service, Ute Indian Tribe, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, special concern was expressed regarding the proposed dewatering of trout streams in the Uinta Basin. In an effort to preserve some of these streams for fishing downstream from proposed diversions the State of Utah, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and the Forest Service ( if the off- forest Strawberry River requirement is included) recommended minimum fishery bypasses on five streams totalling an average of 37,000 acre- feet of water annually. The recommended fishery bypasses are presented in Section C, Table C- 3. The Bureau of Reclamation evaluated the minimum bypasses recommended by the cooperating agencies and related these demands to the wa^ er supply available to the Bonneville Unit from Uinta Basin streams/ x3^ t was determined that the Unit features could economically divert from\ the Uinta Basin streams an average of 136,600 acre- feet of net divertV ible flow each year. Full implementation of the recommended bypasses into the Bonneville Unit plan would result in an unacceptable net loss in the divertible flow of 62,900 acre- feet of water annually as explained in paragraph H3c. In order to salvage some of the fishery habitat immediately below stream diversions and dams and at the same time preserve Unit feasibility, the storage capacity design of Upper Stillwater Reservoir was increased to allow for downstream releases totalling 6,. 500 acre- feet annually. After consultation between the Bureau of Reclamation and representatives of the State of Utah Division 663 |
