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<br />laS'i'
<br />Pitts: Endangered Fish Recovery, cont.
<br />
<br />Continued from Page 3
<br />of Congress have said that they appreciate the local effort
<br />to resolve these problems and the progress being made by
<br />the Program. Through FY 200t, Congress appropriated
<br />$52 million for the Program.
<br />In summary, the Program works be<:ause it works for
<br />all of the panicipanls.
<br />
<br />TheFu/ure
<br />
<br />One of the fundamental goals of the Recovery
<br />Program is to recover the four endangered fish species in
<br />the Upper Colorado River Basin. The emphasis is now on
<br />PERFORMANCE. The primary Program activities over
<br />the nexIseveral years will include
<br />
<br />completion of facilities constrUction,
<br />lishslocking,
<br />nonnativefishconrrol,
<br />habital development. and
<br />monitoring lorneasure attainrnent of recovery
<br />goals.
<br />
<br />These activities are largely funded by the federal and
<br />state govemments, and power revenues. Water users pay
<br />a ~ depIction fee on new projects ($15.25fa~re-
<br />fOOl for 2002). Projects existing as of January, 1988 pay
<br />no fees.
<br />
<br />The Recovery Program will conlinue at about its pre-
<br />senllevel of activiry until about 2008. At that point. all
<br />the major habital development and facilities construction
<br />should be compleled. Stocking of bony tail and razorba~k
<br />sucker may conlinue for a few more years. After 2008,
<br />the Program should go into a monitoring and response
<br />mode to measure progress towards achieVing recovery
<br />goals, and to adjust recovery measures based on the
<br />response of the endangered fish. .
<br />
<br />Constrlleilon' Construction of facilities will likely
<br />be finished sometime between 2005 and 2oo8. These
<br />facililies include Elkhead Reservoir modifications/expan-
<br />sions, fish passages, fish screens, and halchery facilities.
<br />Fish passages have been completed at Redlands
<br />Diversion on the Gunnison River and at the Grand Valley
<br />Irrigation Company Diversion near Grand Junction.
<br />Additional fish passages are expected to be constructed at
<br />the Price.st\lbb diversion near Grand Junclion and the
<br />Government Highline (Roller Dam) Diversion at the
<br />upstream terminus of the 15.mile rea~h near Grand
<br />Junction. The need for possible fish passage at the
<br />Hartland Diversion on Ihe Gunnison River is being eval-
<br />uated.
<br />Fish screens are being installed at major diversions to
<br />prevenlentrainmentofendangeredfish. A fish screen is
<br />being insralled al Recovery Program expense at the Grand
<br />Valley-Irrigalion Company Diversion. Fish screens will
<br />likely be required on the Redlands Diversion (Gunnison
<br />River), and Tusher Wash biversion (Green River), and
<br />the Government Highline (Roller Dam) Diversion, as
<br />well as Ihe reconstrucled Elkhead Reservoir on the
<br />Yampa.
<br />
<br />WlIter manDerpmpnt' By 2006, mosl water manage-
<br />mentactivities 10 benefit the endangered species will be
<br />in place. The effectiveness of waler managemenl aClivi-
<br />lies expanding endangered fish populations will continue
<br />10 be evalualed. Continued modification of operations
<br />based on moniloringresults will likely continue through
<br />to al least 2010. After 2010 more slable operations will
<br />conlinue for the indeflOitefuture in order to maintain the
<br />habilatthal is contribUling to recovery.
<br />The Grand Valley Water Managemenl Project is near
<br />complelion. This project includes a series of conlro]
<br />StruCIUreS in the 30-miIe long Grand Valley Canal that
<br />allow more efficient utiliz.ation of water. The water saved
<br />will be slored in Green Mountain ~eservoir and released
<br />for late summer flow enhancement in the IS-mile reach
<br />for the bene!it of endangered !ish.
<br />Federal and non-FedettLl panies are panicipating in
<br />voluntary re-operalion of reservoirs. In 1999, these par-
<br />lies delivered 63,000 acre-feet of water to enhance peak
<br />flows in the lS-mile reach on the Colorado River. with no
<br />impairment of reservoir yields.
<br />Aarning Gorge Reservoir on the Green River in Utah
<br />is being re-operated to benefil the endangered fish. Aow.
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />"The Upper Basin Recovery Plan: The reSlOration of endangered !ish populations in the Upper
<br />Basin is an ongoing success story. On OClober 30th. President Clinton signed legislation selling in
<br />place long-term funding based on cosl-sharing for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Recovery
<br />Implementation Programs."
<br />Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior
<br />(Colorado River Water Users Association,
<br />December 2000)
<br />
<br />"The Upper Basin and San Juan Recovery Programs are not wilhout flaws, but they are aChieving the
<br />goals of the Endangered Species Act while avoiding conflicts with olher federal and state [aw~. This
<br />is truly a remarkable achievement, Indeed. Congress and the federal agencies could benefit by con~id-
<br />eling these programs as examples of how the Endangered Species Act should be implemented."
<br />Representatil'e Jim Hansen (R-Utah)
<br />Chairman, Resources Committee
<br />U.S. House of Representatives
<br />(Forum for Applied Research and Public Poiie)',
<br />Spring, 2001)
<br />
<br />Box 3' R
<br />
<br />Federal Avencil!~
<br />. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />National Park Service
<br />Bureau of Reclamation
<br />Western Area Power Adminislralion
<br />
<br />ec.overv Pro~ram Members:
<br />SJ!ufi
<br />Colo(',l.do
<br />VI"
<br />Wyoming
<br />
<br />Intere~t Grou"~
<br />Water users (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming)
<br />Environmental organizations
<br />Colorado River Energy DislribulOrs Association
<br />
<br />./ Each member has one vole
<br />
<br />./ Program operates by unanimous consemms
<br />
<br />.6!lJL4
<br />
<br />Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program
<br />Summary of Section 7 Consultations by State
<br />(111/1988 through 6/1/2001)
<br />
<br />HISTORIC NEW TOTALS
<br />DEPLETIONS DEPLETIONS
<br />
<br />Number of
<br />Project
<br />Consultations
<br />
<br />Acre-feetfyr
<br />
<br />Acre-feetfyr
<br />
<br />Acre-feetfyr
<br />
<br />State
<br />Colorado 185
<br />Uum 28
<br />Wyoming 32
<br />Basinwide small
<br />
<br />1,024,831.44 134,275.82 1,159,107.26
<br />421,867.74 65,793.95 487.661.69
<br />3,889.73 16,487.68 20,377.41
<br />0.00 6,000.00 6,000.00
<br />1.450.588.91 222,557.45 1,673,146.36
<br />
<br />projects
<br />TOTALS
<br />
<br />382
<br />627
<br />
<br />recommendations for the Gunnison are under discussion.
<br />When the flow recommendations are finalized, the
<br />Aspinall project will be re-operated to benefit endangered
<br />fish, aftet development of an environmental impact sta!C~
<br />ment on re-operation scenarios. The EIS is likely to lake
<br />chreetofouryears.
<br />EIkhead Reservoir will be reconstructed to provide
<br />about 3,700 acre-fee!/year of water for endangered !ish to
<br />meet late summer flows, and aboul 5,000 acre-feet/year
<br />for human needs,
<br />
<br />gre&lerchanceforsurvival. Fi~hslOck.ingwillbefocused
<br />on the bony tail and razorback sucker, as these populations
<br />are depleted in the Upper Basin. Razorback sucker slock-
<br />ing will inc1udeapproximately 100,000 10150,000 fish in
<br />the Colorado, Gunnison, and Green rivers. Bonytail
<br />stocking will likely include. about 300,000 fish in the
<br />Yampa, Colorado, and Green rivers. Major slocking
<br />efforts for the bonYlail and razorback sucker will likely
<br />conlinue to somewhere between 2008 and 2012.
<br />Pikeminnow populations will not need much augmenla-
<br />don. An eslimaled 6,000 to 10,000 Colomdo
<br />pikeminnow will be stocked in the Colorado River and
<br />Gunnison River. Humpback chub populalions will not
<br />need to augmented to achieve recovery.
<br />
<br />Fi~h ~tOl'kin'" Through October 2001, approximate-
<br />ly 210,000 bonytails have been stocked in the Upper
<br />Basin and about 193,000 razorback sucker have been
<br />stocked. Most of these !ish have been slocked in the lasl
<br />three to four years. Hatchery construction is nearing
<br />completion. Major facilities have been developed at
<br />Ouray National Wildlife Refuge near Vemal. Wahweap
<br />insouthelIl Utah,anda!GrandJunction.
<br />Larger endangered fish will be stocked that have a
<br />
<br />Monitorinp' Monitoring programs 10 monilor the
<br />effectiveness of stocking, water management, fish pas_
<br />sages, habitat development, and nonnative conlrol will
<br />
<br />Continued on Page S
<br />Colorado Water Rights
<br />
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