Colorado River Interim Surplus Criteria; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

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Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (``Reclamation''), proposes to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (``EIS'') for development of interim implementing criteria pursuant to Article III (3) of the Long-Range Operating Criteria that will be used by the Secretary of the Interior (``Secretary'') to determine surplus conditions for management of the Colorado River. Reclamation previously published Federal Register notices on Tuesday, May 18, 1999 (64 FR 27008) and Friday May 28, 1999 (64 FR 29068) announcing its intention to consider the development of specific criteria that will identify those circumstances under which the Secretary may make Colorado River water available for delivery to the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada (Lower Division States or Lower Basin) in excess of the 7,500,000 acre-foot Lower Basin apportionment. Those notices announced four public scoping meetings and requested oral and written comments on the need for such criteria, the format for the crite