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<br />00J7,j <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Thc '15-tnilc reach' is that poniol) of <br />the Colorado River be\wccn the Grand <br />Valle)' Diversion Dam II Palisade, Colorado <br />and theoonllucncewiththe Gunnison Rivl.'r <br />near downtown Grand Junction (Fig ]) <br />This reach is occupied by lwo endangered <br />fI~h species. lhe Colorado pi~eminnow <br />}>f)~'h<":h"II,,s Iuc/UJ and the razorback <br />sud.er X)T<ludu.'n II'~alIU,f Becau!C lite <br />IS-mile reach is designatcd critical habitat <br />and is sonlctimcs acutdyalTccled by 10ClI1 <br />irrigation withdrawals ofwaler, manage. <br />menl oflhcrcach has received considerable <br />attention Consequenlly,ancedexislsfora <br />docurm'nllhal describes the biological <br />imponance Oflhis reach and provides man- <br />agcrs a comlTlon underslanding from which <br />l.ssues can most cflecti\'cly be addrened <br />This report atlempls 10 me..-t thai need by <br />providing a synthes;sofClJrrent infomlalion <br />penaining 10 the role tha! Ihe IS.milereach <br />play! in pro~'iding habilat critical In the <br />viahility and recovery of Colorado RivCf <br />population.sofendangered Colorado plkc- <br />mlOnow and riL70rnack sucker <br /> <br />BACKGROUr-;D <br /> <br />W<IIeru.... <br /> <br />Water ....,ithdrawals. beginning at the <br />tumofthcccntury. have resulted in major <br />changes 10 thel10w regime ofthc IS-mile <br />reach Ftowsinhoththisrcachandreachcs <br />dOWDstream have diminished because of <br />divrrsions of water used to meet local <br />irrigation needs as well astransbasindiver_ <br />sions llfwater from west slope headwaters <br />to metropolitan areas of Colorado's east <br /> <br />slope The likelihood of additional water <br />depletions upstream of this reach isccnain <br />be<:au5e the State of Colorado has e~- <br />presscd its intem to purslle full utilil.lltionof <br />ilS apponioned share of Colorado River <br />water, as set fof1b in the 1922 Colorado <br />River Compact and lhe 1<;J43lJpperColo_ <br />rado River Compact These mulli-state <br />agreemen1s were funnuJated prior to soci. <br />elal eonccm.' for environmental qualilynr <br />thccnactmenl of the Endangered Species <br />Act. Consequently,lheconOictingdemands <br />of waler developmenl and protection of <br />endemicColoradoRiverlisheshasresuht'J <br />in an instillllionnltug-of_war over watef <br />tlowing through lhe IS-mile reach The <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, recognizing Ihe <br />impof1~eofthe15-milereach,recent]y <br />iswcd i programmatic biological opinion <br />lhatslipulateslheimplcmemalionofvariou$ <br />recoveryacllonsdesignedtoolfsellhe <br />ncgahvecffectsofpa.<! and li.mllt:watef <br />deplt.tions Thus.addilionaldepk1ionswill <br />be in compliance with the Endangcred <br />Species Act. provided thatlhe re<:overy <br />actions are implemented in a timcly manner <br />and a positive lish populalion rt:sponsc is <br />detecled <br /> <br />f:nd''''~ert'J F..ln U.'l' <br /> <br />Ai lhe name implies. tbis 'IlXtion of <br />riverisrOllghly IS mIles (24 km) long and <br />runs through the Uppcl half of lhc Grand <br />Vallcy The Grand Valley. extendmg ap. <br />proxirnately35miles(S6km)froml.omato <br />Palisade, Colorado, is an alluvial valley <br />containing the largt:sl urhan area and one of <br />the largest farming areas in western Colo- <br />rado Ra.1.ornack suckers. though rare, were <br />captured throughout the Grand Valley m <br />thelale1970sandearly19110i.primaril)'in <br />