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<br />002935 <br /> <br />Fede,.) Realeler I Vol. 51, No" 146 I Wedne.day, July 30, 11186 I NOlice. <br /> <br />27257 <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />( <br /> <br />( <br />I <br /> <br />AOOftaaa: Commf'lnll .hould be <br />addr~..nd 10: RtlRional Direclor. U.S. <br />PI.h .nd Wildlife Service, P,O" Box <br />25486. Denvtlf Fedtlral Ctlnltlf. Denver. <br />CO 60225" <br /> <br />.-oR 1IUInltI:f11 '''.-ofIII... TlOH COMT ACT: <br />BarT)' Muldar, Chief, Office of <br />Endensered Speci... V,S, Flah ond <br />WildlHe Service, P.O. Box 25486. Denver <br />Federal Cenler. Denver. CO 8022S.I3U3} <br />236-7398, fTS 776-7398, <br /> <br />~"QfTAJlty IN'OfIIIIAT1ON: <br /> <br />I. Purpoae and N oed lor Actio. <br /> <br />The purpose of the action ie to prolect <br />and recover four fere filh specie. in the <br />Upper Colorado River Balin in 8 mBnner <br />that ..nowI continued water <br />development and that is conaillent wilh <br />State waler right. .y.tem.. interltate <br />compact I. and court decree. thai <br />allocate the right. to ule Colorado River <br />water among the Slatea. <br />The four n.h .pecies of concern 8fe <br />the COIOfSdo aquawfish (Ptychocheilus <br />luciual. humpbeck chub (Gila cypha). <br />banyt.i1 chub (Gila elegans), and <br />tSl.orbaclc. sucker (Xyrouchen texanusJ. <br />The first r.hree .pede. are lis led BS <br />endangered. and the rourth is a <br />candidate ror Ji.ting under the <br />Endangered Specie. Act of 1973. 8. <br />amended. The ultimate goal or the <br />recovery implementstion program ie to <br />delist the three endangered specie. and <br />to manage the razorback Bucker liD it <br />would not need the proteclion of the <br />Endansered Specie. Act" <br />Though once abundant in the upper <br />balin. the.e fish are now th.restened <br />with exlinction. Their decline i. <br />attributed to 8 number or (actors. <br />ranging from habitalreduction or <br />alteration to introduction of naMative <br />.pe~iea..1)1e Service he. sla,ed that <br />continued water development wilhin the <br />upper buln ielikely to further <br />jeopardize lhele Ii,he,' ex.i.lence unlell8 <br />project implctl are offs.el by menurel <br />that preuorve or improve theae .pecies' <br />CWTt':nt .latu.. <br /> <br /> <br />/. Aft'acle<I Eovtroameal <br /> <br />The proposed action will occur in the <br />Upper Colorado River Balin above Glen <br />Canyon Dam. excluding the San Juan <br />River. 1111. Atea enc\olell the principal <br />I'lI'malning habilat for the four fhhel in <br />(he upper buln. 811 well u (hoa.e watenr <br />{rnaLnlllem and tributarieaJ with <br />potenliallo caulle ,ignificanl <br />down.trt'8m impact. to the n.h or their <br />habitat. The affected area i, locared in <br />Colorado. Utah. and Wyoming. (See <br />map below) <br /> <br />S-...(J7..qqq <br /> <br />0029(01 )(~-JUL-&.o--16'D:n) <br /> <br />i <br />{',f <br />t '. ~ <br />I('!) . <br />I-;~~ .'0.'.' <br />L 0~l.!:f~ 7-~ - - <br />'~/~ , <br />~(~~: <br />""?'0 /{<(,,/\) <br />" ~ 10- \\.,-l-J <br />'~' \ i\) \ <0.0..,0 <br /> <br />Ill, Oeoaiptlo. ollbe Propoaed Actloo <br />and MIJor Altematlv... <br /> <br />We invite public comment on impact. <br />likely to relult from the actionl <br />described below. al well all euggestione <br />on alternative meane to protect and <br />recover the four rare and endangered <br />fish species in 8 manner compatible <br />with continued water development and <br />Stale water allocation Iystems. <br /> <br />A Proposed Action <br /> <br />Preamble, The propolled action WB!l <br />developed by 8 lubcommittee of the <br />Upper Colorado River Basi" <br />Coordinating Committee. The <br />Coordinating Commit lee is compoaed of <br />representatives from the States of <br />Colorado. Utah. and Wyoming; BU."'f!BU <br />or Reclamation; Fish and Wildlife <br />Service; private water development <br />intereltl: and environmental <br />organiz.ations The Department of the <br />lnterior is coni ide ring" adopting their <br />draft propaal for a cooperative Federal/ <br />Srate/priv~~e 'program 811 the preferred <br />meanl (or relolving water uae conflicts <br />involviug rate and endangered fllh and <br />water development action. a. (ollows: <br /> <br />1, Admini.trcrtion. A Recovery <br />Implementation Committee representing <br />Federal. State. private wster <br />development. and conservsHon interel" <br />in the upper balin would overaee . <br />implementation of recovery aclion. (or <br />the four fare and endangered filh <br />Ipedes. Thil committee wouJd make <br />recommendationl to the SeCJ'tltary of the <br />Inferior and lhe Srae.. who would uae <br />lheir independenl 8uthorities to make <br />and Implement flnal ditch ton.. <br />2. Recovuy rims/roml!. 15 years. <br />ellimated, <br />3. Recovery Action'--<J, Habitat <br />7JanQS~menl. <br />II) Determine the locath."'In.. time.. and <br />Quantltlel of In.tream nowI needed 10 <br /> <br />F4703.FMT .,116,30J..,4-15-a6 <br /> <br />prolecl find recover the nlh and. ihrough <br />r:oopertllion. priontlze work in Ihi. tHea. <br />(2) ~YHlule IIhemative melln. tor <br />providing neceuary now., Once <br />f)blaln~d. inllrellm now. would be <br />appropriated. acquired and <br />IIdmlnl.lered under Slele law. Fp.deral <br />condemnallon of water rights would nof <br />occur under the proposed action. <br />Polenta! .ources of waler mey include: <br />(a) Allocating end relea.ing weter <br />(rom Fedcrsl Ilofage projecl.. FOI <br />example. through the section 7 <br />con.ullarion prace... Ihe Bureau of <br />Reclarnallon would withhold from S81~ <br />5.0Cl0 acre-fel.:' of water at Ruedi <br />Relervlor 'j ~I! ''V "er would lentativ~ly <br />be releal d in f. .! 'nths of luly- <br />Septembe', !'fJ r.~~.: t <br />(bl Retil lng O:-'..'ifl .onl at Federal <br />reservlon. ""lr .~.~,. .ple. the Bureau of <br />Reclllmation h ....Jd refin~ operationl at <br />(I) Ruedi Relervoir-wculd release' an <br />additional 5.000 acre-reel in the month <br />of July-September on 8n average of 4 <br />out of 5 year1 (Iupplemenling the 5.000 <br />acre,feer withheld hom lale nOled in <br />A,3,a,(211a) above), <br />Iii} FJami.n8 Gorge Relervoir-until <br />aection 7 consultalion ia completed. haa <br />adopte~ 3n interim now release <br />achedul'" 'ntended to improve rare and <br />endangered filh spawning and survival. <br />Ongoing reaearch would determine a <br />more permanent now releale pattern <br />which would be outlined in the <br />biological opinion planned to be <br />compleled in 1989. <br />(iii) Blue Mesa Reservior--wlti: <br />section 7 conlultation il compleled. will <br />release water to ensUN.: that a 2.OCWJ <br />cubic feet/lecond minimum flow occurs <br />below the confluence of the Gunn.i~on <br />and Colorado Rivers on an average of 9 <br />out of 10 yellrs. Research would <br />determine 8 more pert:lanent now <br />release pattern fo be outlined in the <br />completed biological opinion, <br />(eJ Purchasing or Jearing exiating <br />water rightl. on a willing .~lIer basis. <br />and convertinB theae righta inlo <br />inllream now rights, <br />(d) Investisatins the f.a.ibilily of <br />aCQ,uiring "excelS" water resulting from <br />agncultUI81 water conservation and <br />IIllinity control projects and converting <br />acquired water into in,team nows. <br />[e) InvestisaUns changins the pain' or <br />diversion for senior weIer righla to <br />downslream locations. <br />(f) lnve.tiglltiJl8 aCQuilition of <br />nontrlbutary ground water thaf could be <br />pumped and put tnto .\ream.. <br />(81 Applytns (or Original appropri.'ion <br />of lnltl'eam nowl in .uriace .Ire.m.. <br />PI When lect10n 7 con.ultation is <br />conducted on future ptolKtl, <br />