WSP10862

• File Number: 8240.300.02
• Description: San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program - Recovery Plans & Information
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/14/1994
• Title: draft Long Range Implementation Plan for the San Juan River RIP
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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DRAIT AND PRECISIONAL DOCUMENT - FOR COORDINATION COMMmEE REVIEW ONLY

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address speci fic waler quality impacts and necessary remedial actions,

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Historical physical and chemical water quality of the San Juan River will be characterized using
data from various sources, primarily thaI collected by the V,S, Geological Survey, Data gaps
and in formational needs regarding the type and source of water quality degradation and
contamination will be emphasized,

Recent water quality studies have indicated that elevated levels of constituent elements and
contaminants occur in the water and biota of the San Juan River. These pollutants are primarily
related to agricultural, petrochemical/industrial, and municipal activities, but include a variety
of other potential sources,

The biological effects of elevated constituent levels and contaminants on the endangered fish
species will be delermined by laboratory studies of hatchery-reared surrogates and, when
possible, tissue analysis of wild specimens, Determination of the importance of the relative
sensitivities of endangered fish species at different life stages will enable integration of this
information with other factors which effect survival.

The comparative effects of unregulated Animas River and reservoir-controlled flows on selected
physical-chemical water parameters in downstream reaches occupied by endangered and other
native fish species will be evaluated. Water quality changes relative to hydrologic cycle and
origin (i,e" main stem San Juan River versus tributaries) will be qualified and quantified and
related to known life history stage sensitivities. These data will assist in the selection of flow
criteria designed to satisfy native fish requirements and to evaluate the efficacy of reservoir-
controlled releases in providing needed environmental conditions.

4.6. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
PROGRAM TO INCREASE PUBLIC A W ARENFSS OF ENDANGERED
FISH SPECIES AND THREATS TO HABITATS.

Without fait, every recovery planning document has identified the need for an increase in public
awareness concerning resource protection, conservation (implying a certain degree of use), and,
in some cases, preservation, The simple fact that intelligent use and management of natural
resources, particularly lhose related to aquatic environments of the Southwestern United States,
can accommodate maintenance of native fauna and flora and consumptive use (often ill-defined)
is not well understood or perceived by the general public, This misunderstanding or
misperception has been fostered by previous efforts to focus on the plight of a particular species
or a small group of species rather than addressing the ecosystem that the species and,
coincidentally, the general public depend upon, Thus, it is 'necessary to pursue appropriate
public outreach programs that emphasize the similarity of needs of endangered species and the
general public; both depend upon the same basic resource, That resource, simply put, is water;
without that resource neither the endangered fish species nor the general public can exist in the
San Juan River basin in perpetuity,

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