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Show The WDPP was designed to mitigate flood damage occurring at a lake level above 4207 feet; therefore development below 4217 feet should not be discouraged. Development on trust lands could be adversely affected in regard to potential development and also result in flood damage to existing improvements. The team should adopt a policy to commence pumping ofGSL waters at 4205 feet. The SCCTis misleading. The 1995 plan recommends pumping south arm brine at 4205 feet. The SCCT should describe what if any action has occurred on the 1995 plan regarding WDPP recommendations. DWRe should have a plan for operation of WDPP based on projected lake level. The minimum operating level of WDPP is not 4208 feet, as the SCCT states. There should be a plan for action in the event the lake level rises again. It should be initiated at 4203 feet and continue forward as lake level increases. Funding and resources should be identified and included in this planning procedure before a crisis occurs. The SCCT incorrectly states a loss of 400 to 600 million tons of salt. This figure is also not substantiated. The claim that 180 million tons were dissolved from the West Desert and returned to the lake is also not substantiated and is incorrect. Any modifications to the intake or discharge channels of the WDPP which would traverse trust lands or return of brines should not interfere with development on trust lands and would require prior approval. Pumping should not be allowed below 4208 feet since that would drastically constrain the dynamic processes that are essential to sustain the ecosystem. WDPP operation criteria should follow basic resource planning objectives that have been established and consider ecological impacts and the associated economic costs and benefits. The value of pumping at 4205 feet is misrepresented by classifying it as an alternative that favors development. Such a designation ignores the tremendous loss of waterfowl habitat from flooding state WMAs. At 4208 feet, damage can be expected to many private and public facilities. No economic ( infrastructure, etc.) or ecological assessment of the beneficial impact of lake level management is mentioned. It is economically wise to invest the resources today to insure that all permitting and approvals are in place so that the pumps can operate at a lake level of 4205 feet. There is some conjecture among citizens of the state that the WDPP is no longer operable. It is, but there are certain expenditures that must be made to enable lake brine to reach the pumps and some permitting is also necessary to formalize previous agreements. In the event that the WDPP is utilized again, the salts in the West Desert should be returned to the lake. The WDPP should not be seen as a " preventative measure * to flooding. It should not be utilized to protect property. Who would pay for this? How effective are the pumps in 277 |
