On April 11, 2023, DOI released a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (“SEIS”) on potential revisions to existing interim operating guidelines for near-term operations of the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams. The SEIS facilitates IRA section 50233 implementation by providing entities within the Colorado River Basin System clarity about measures to address potential water shortages. Section 50233 provides the DOI Secretary $4 billion, through the Commissioner of Reclamation, for grants and other funding for public entities and Indian tribes to conduct drought mitigation activities.
The draft SEIS analyzes measures to address potential shortages to protect Glen Canyon and Hoover Dam operations, system integrity, and public health and safety through 2026, after which the current operating guidelines expire. It is meant to ensure that Reclamation will be able to protect deliveries and hydropower production from the Colorado River.
The draft SEIS process was initiated in October 2022 and involved discussions and collaboration with Basin states, water commissioners, the 30 Basin Tribes, water managers, farmers and irrigators, municipalities, and other stakeholders.
The draft SEIS will be available for public comment for 45 calendar days, or until June 13, 2023.