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<br />Water development options to be studied in Vampa River Basin <br /> <br />By Eric Kuhn <br />Assistant Secretary-Engineer <br />Colorado River Water Conservation District <br />Glenwood Springs, Colo. <br />Water development issues in the Yampa River <br />Basin are the subject of a two-year, $300,000 <br />study funded by the Recovery Program, Colorado <br />River Water Conservation District and Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board. The purpose of the <br />study is to examine future water needs for the <br />Yampa River Basin and to explore alternatives that <br />are compatible with the recovery of the endangered <br />fish. <br />Each agency is contributing $100,000. The <br />study is scheduled to begin April 1990 and be <br />completed by April 1992. <br />An advisory committee will be formed, and <br />representatives of the City of Craig, Moffat <br />County, Bureau of Land Management, National <br />Park Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife and <br />other local interest groups will be invited to serve <br />as members., <br />Last year, the Colorado Department of Natural <br /> <br />Water rights, chub taxonomy, <br />Flaming Gorge evaluation <br />top 1990 Recovery Program agenda <br /> <br />By Angela Kantola <br />Assistant Director, Recovery Program <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service <br />Denver <br /> <br />i <br />i <br />, <br />, <br />\ <br />.I <br /> <br />A total of 44 projects have been approved for <br />funding in 1990 by the Recovery Implementation <br />Committee; The total budget is $2.89 million. <br />The 1990 plan stresses completion of the <br />biological opinion on the operation of Flaming <br />Gorge Dam, water rights acquisition, Gila (chub) <br />identification studies and endangered fish <br />propagation and rearing. <br />The committee approved several new projects, <br />including an evaluation of flow effects on <br />availability of backwater nursery habitat and <br />survival of "young-of-the-year" Colorado <br />squawfish. A new study of the Dolores River is to <br />determine if minimum stream flows and improved <br />water quality have created suitable habitat for any <br />of the rare fish. <br />Other new projects will evaluate options for <br />controlling non-native fish that compete with <br />endangered fish, establish a method for setting <br />quantitative recovery goals for the fish and develop <br />a plan that identifies the studies necessary for <br /> <br />Resources began negotiations to acquire several <br />major "conditional" water rights -- those approved <br />but not yet used -- on the lower Yampa River. The <br />rights currently are owned by the Colorado River <br />Water Conservation District. <br />If converted to in-stream flows, these water <br />rights would significantly contribute to the natural <br />flows in the Yampa. <br />Also, the River District is evaluating the <br />feasibility of transferring a portion of the <br />conditional water rights to one or more small <br />, reservoirs that would be built outside the <br />endangered fish habitat. Identifying reservoirs <br />compatible with the needs of the fish could clear <br />the way for the Recovery Program to use the River <br />District's water rights on the lower Yampa. <br />The goal of the Colorado River Water <br />Conservation District is to find solutions to water <br />issues in the Yampa River that will satisfy the <br />future economic needs of the local community as <br />well as the biological needs of native fish in the <br />Colorado River. <br /> <br />1~ Njo"'~""")"'~':"<~fi!f~':. 5 ..i'>~$:l":.j'l-"!l' 00. "t, <br />-~., on-nauve;.~i1'. ~^;B~;:;.:~.~~,. or '.~l\... J', " <br />'t .;-.' ":';":~'h'~,,;. . :",,-.., it"{tj"'~"''''~' ;~;~';1'1..,~.~ "., ..:'41:, ,'\!.' "J '^' " ',: . <br />',.:;:,H,abitat develop' men!::;:;;'"";:.,, i;l .;:", ':,5~ .0'000. ." <br />~..". .:,1"; -;'~":.~~_J." .;,. e. ..'-;'!lt~ ','!-' , ~,~"",,"'/'~ .:1..,:1 J. .. <br />: .:i~r.f;!h~\".~~j"\l"'.,,;-:.~~.'>i..tJk-:r:':.>,_~ .~~~.. .~:t - ':;' i.:f:" ::::''',"}, '::-~'.;: <br />''- ~. t."'."s:i....,~t_'.'":~::-'" ;''-'::2-,:::" ...'J.: :'1~ . -;:.\~ ;~,....(, .'.:;.: .: ......:.:: ',::-'";S ;;';1, i; ~ "t.",:: <br /> <br />"Section 7 consultation" on the operation of the <br />Aspinall Unit, three reservoirs on the Gunnison <br />River used for electrical power, irrigation and flood <br />control. Section 7 is the part of the Endangered <br />Species Act that requires federal agencies to consult <br />with the Fish and Wildlife Service on projects that <br />may affect endangered species. <br />Ongoing projects approved in the plan include <br />standardized monitoring and data management, <br />studies on the competition of rare fishes with warm- <br />water game fish, development of sport fishing for <br />Colorado squawfish in Kenney Reservoir, a public <br />information program and a creel survey on <br />incidental captures ofrare fish by anglers. <br />For a copy of the plan, write the Colorado <br />River Recovery Implementation Program, U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, <br />Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colo., 80225. <br /> <br />5 <br />