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<br />18:) (Pitts: Endangered Fish Recovery, cont. <br /> <br />Cominued from Page 4 <br />continue at a high level for the next eight 10 ten years. <br />Program aCfivilies will be adjusted based on the results of <br />the moniloring program. Afterwards. monitoring will be <br />more focused on determining populations of endangered <br />fish and movement of populations towards allainmenl of <br />recovery goals. <br /> <br />HAhltot dpVl'lnnmp.nt. Aooded bonomlands are part <br />of the habitat needed by endangered fish. Restoration of <br />flooded bonomlands is a component of the Program. <br />Aooded bonomlands are being leased or purchased to <br />ensure their availability to endangered fish. lnaddition, <br />some lands that have been diked off are being leased,and <br />levies are being breached to allow access by endangered <br />fish. This program element is under reevaluation. but is <br />likely to continue for some time 10 come. <br /> <br />Nonnallvp l'onrrol' Nonnative fish control effons <br />are expanding and will likely continue for several years. <br />The objective is not to remove all nonnatives. as that is <br />infeasible. but to reduce nonnative populations to a level <br />where recovered endangered fish populations can co- <br />exist. <br />Nonnative fish control will likely include selective <br />removal of some species. such as northern pike. on certain <br />river reaches. including the Yampa and Green rivers. <br />Installation of fish screens will continue on privately <br />owned small reservoirs that are stocked with competing <br />non-native species. Benns are required on small reser- <br />voirs stocked with non-native warm water species to <br />reduce the frequency of release of these fish during flood <br />events. Fish screens are being instailed to prevent escape- <br />ment of non-native fish from large reservoirs used as <br />recreational fisheries. A fish screen has already been <br />installed on the Highline Reservoir near Grand Junction. <br />A screen will be installed at the reconstructed Elkhead <br />Reservoir in the Yampa River Basin. <br />Colorado. Utah. and Wyoming have prohibited <br />stocking of nonnative fishes in the riversegmenL~ occu- <br />pied by endangered fish. Large slreamside ponds will <br />continue to be "reclaimed" (poisoned) and restocked with <br />mote compatible species to prevent escapemem of hann- <br />ful non-native species inlothe habitat of endangered fish. <br /> <br />RecoveryGoaIs <br /> <br />Since early 1999. USFWS and Recovery Program <br />staff have been developing specific recovery goals for the <br />four endangered fish species. Numerous drafts have been <br />produced by USFWS. Upper Basin Water Users and <br />other parties have had significant input through the <br />process. Almost all of the comments and concerns sub- <br />mitted by the Upper Basin Water Users representative <br />have been satisfaclorily addressed. <br />In September 2001, the final draft recovery goals <br />were made available for general public review. The final <br />draft recovery goals specify Ihe number of adult fish for <br />each species that have to be maintained to downlist the <br />species from endangered to threatened and Ihen to delisl <br />the fish. Generally, this occurs over one generation time, <br />or mean age, of the adult fish. For example. for Colorado <br />pikemiMow with a l2-year meaJI adull age downlisling <br />can occur in five years anddelisting seven years beyond <br />downliSling, after populations at an adequate level are <br />achieved. In addition to popUlations. the recovery goals <br />identify management actions that are needed to ensure a <br />cOnlinued maintenance of recovered populations. These <br />managementactionsgenerallyindude: <br /> <br />providing and legally protecting habitat. <br />including flow regimes necessary to restore <br />and maintain required environmental condi- <br />tions, <br /> <br />providing passage over barriers within occu- <br />pied habitat. <br /> <br />installation offish screens to prevent entrain. <br />mentat certain locations, <br /> <br />regulating noMative fish releases and escape- <br />ment into the habitat and control of problem- <br />atic nonnatives. as needed to sustain injured <br />fish populations, <br /> <br />Colorado Water Rt bts <br /> <br />minimization of risk ofhuardous spills in <br />critical habitat. <br /> <br />remediating water quality probiems. and <br /> <br />providing for the long tenn managemenl <br />projection of populations and their habi- <br />tats beyonddeiisting through state conser- <br />vation plans that will ensure that condi- <br />tions that led to delisting are maintained. <br />includingmaintenanceoffaciJities. <br /> <br />Given the present nurnbers and distribution of hump- <br />back chub and Colorado pikeminnow. these species will <br />likely be the first to be downlisted and delisted (see Boll. 5). <br />Ruorback sucker were almost extinct in the Upper Basin. <br />Bony tail were completely extinct in the Upper Basin. <br />Those populalions have to be rebuilt through stocking and <br />habitat development 10 recovery goal levels and then main- <br />tained for a period of eight years prior to delisting. <br />Recovery goals are expected to be adopted in final <br />fonn in early 10 mid-2002. These goals will help funher <br />Recovery Program effortS on those activities which are <br />most imponant for downlisting and delisting of the <br />endangered fish. <br /> <br />CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />The Upper Basin Endangered Fish Recovery <br />Program is a success story. It works because it works for <br />all the participanls. including water users. the states. fed- <br /> <br />era! agencies. environmentalists. and power users. <br />The Program is likely to continue at a high level of <br />activity over the next seven years. After that, Pro~ram <br />activities will diminish in tenns of consnuction ami fish <br />stocking. However. cenain maimenance acti\'iltes "ill <br />continue. These will include maintenance of the con- <br />stntcted facililies {fish screens. fish passages. hatcheries). <br />continued water management activities to benefit the <br />endangered fish in accordance with state water law. con- <br />tinued control of nonnative fish species. and muniwrmJ; <br />of the fish populations to detennine if pwgress is bemJ; <br />made towards meeling recovery goals. <br />Based on current estimates. the humpback chub and <br />Colorado pikeminnow may be delisted as eariy as 2010 <br />and 2013 respectlvely. However. given the exisllng 10\\ <br />populations, razorback sucker and banylail arc nnt <br />expecled to be delisted until 2023. <br />Continued involvement in the Program 1'1)" the <br />Colorado Water Congress is likely 10 be a need for some <br />years to come. However. that need should diminish from <br />currenl levels of involvement after the five to eight year <br />period of continuing highly aClive Recovery Progr.tm <br />activities. Colorado Water Congress priorilies for the <br />Program are I) 10 improve ProgntI1l perfonnance so that <br />recovery goals are achieved at the earliest possible daw <br />and Ihat Ihe Program cominues to provide ESA compli- <br />ance for water depletions. and 2) to ensure conlinued <br />appropriations to the Program by Congress and the st:lles. <br /> <br />Tom Pius is principal. Warcr COII.mh. En,~incj'rin.~ <br />and Planning allll CO/lSll/rcmls. LOl'l!hmd. CO. <br /> <br />~ <br />Estimated Downlisting and Delisting Dates for Endangered Fish Species <br /> Downlist Delist <br />Humpback chub 2007 2010 <br />Colorado pikeminnow 2006 2013 <br />Razorback sucker 2020 2023 <br />Bony tail 2020 2023 <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Internet Information Links to <br />Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program <br /> <br />huo://www.r6.fws.l!ov/coloradoriver (general) <br />hlto:/fwww ro fws.l!ov/crrio (more specifics) <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />-.-.$ <br />