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'i 'I "1 ! OJ ":"1 ..,'~ ,: -.:~ ,'. " ~l!~: ';'( .:.".:; :i.) Uj r--. ,-. C) ,....... ..........' INTRODUCTION The San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program (SJRRIP) was initiated in 1992 with the following two goals: 1. To conserve populations of Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker in the Basin consistent with the recovery goals established under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. To proceed with water development in the Basin in compliance with federal and state laws, interstate compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and federal trust responsibilities to the Southern Utes, Ute Mountain Utes, Jicarillas, and the Navajos. 2. The SJRRIP Program Document identifies actions and objectives needed to attain these goals and to implement fish population recovery within 15 years. Many of the actions identified in the document involve research on the endangered fish and their habitat. Recent research on the San Juan River system includes a 3-year effort initiated in 1987 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Rec1amation (Bureau), New Mexico Department of, Game and Fish (NMGF), and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Utah). That study found that two endangered fish species, the Colorado squawfish (squawfish) and razorback sucker (razorback), inhabited the San Juan River. This finding prompted reinitiation of Section 7 Consultation on major proposed water projects on the San Juan River. Section 7 Consultation on the Animas-La Plata Proj ect (ALP) in 1991 resulted in the Bureau agreeing to fund 7 years of research studies on the river. Following Consultation on the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP) in 1991 the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agreed to assist with funding and participate in the 7-year research effort. This 7-year research effort was incorporated into the research requirements of the SJRRlP when it was formed, and the research has been carried out by a multiagency group that includes the USFWS, NMGF, Bureau, BIA, Utah, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, Southern Ute Tribe, University of New Mexico, and others. Under the SJRRIP, a multiagency Coordination Committee is responsible for assuring that the goals are achieved in a timely manner. A multiagency Biology Committee directs and manages the research effort through annual work plans and budgets, and reports annually on the,progress of the research to the Coordination Committee. The research that has been conducted involves a variety of different studies, including studies on fish distribution and abundance, reproduction and recruitment, genetic integrity, habitat quantity and quality, water quality, and nonnative-native fish interactions. The Biology Committee was also responsible for preparing a Long Range Plan (LRP) for the SJRRIP, which was completed in January 1995. This plan outlines in detail the proposed recovery effort for the IS-year period, as well as proposed timelines, budgets, and milestones of the program. The LRP includes use of adaptive management strategies so future research is directed by the results of past research. The 7-year research plan developed as part of the ALP and NIIP consultations was used as a basis of the LRP to assure that conditions of the consultations were met. San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program Summary Report 1 17 January 1997 PR-576-2