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, 33 major tributaries contribute significantly to the flows of the Green River, especially during the spring. Ultimately, tributary inflows necessary to satisfy the flow requirements of the endangered fish in the Green River also will need to be legally protected. Pratection of tributary flows will be pursued through the Recovery Program and not as a requirement of this bialogical opinion. The Service believes that the legal protection of releases from Flaming Gorge to benefit the endangered fish in the Green River can best be accomplished by working through the Recovery Pragram. Within the Recovery Program, a Water Acquisition Committee was formed to coordinate and facilitate acquisition and legal pratection of water and water rights necessary to recover the endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Many of the parties wha are instrumental to or have an interest in legal pratectian of instream flows in the Green River are represented on this committee, including Reclamation; the Service; Western Power; the States of Utah, Colarada, and Wyoming; the environmental community; and private water-user groups. Reclamatian, as the lead Federal Agency far carrying out the reasonable and prudent alternative in this biological opinion, will work through the Water Acquisition Committee to develop and/or implement a legal mechanism to protect releases from Flaming Garge. In addition, the Northern Ute Tribe will be invited to participate in the process because .of its unique status and interest in water in the Green River basin. The Service believes that the initial focus should be on providing for legal protection .of flaws in the Green River from Flaming Gorge Dam to the confluence of the Duchesne River far the July through October period, because there has been general acceptance of the Service's flow recommendations for this section of the Green River for this time period. Furthermore, the Service believes that development of a legal mechanism to protect releases fram Flaming Gorge Dam to the confluence of the Duchesne River for July through October should be completed within 2 years fallowing finalization of this biological opinion. If this is not accomplished, the Service may request reinitiation of Section 7 consultation for units .of the Central Utah Project described above and other projects which rely upon Flaming Gorge to offset their depletion impacts. The Service recognizes that there is uncertainty about the flow requirements of the fish during the spring and winter periods in the upper Green River. In additian, the flow requirements in the ~ower Green River have not been precisely quantified. It is anticipated that the 5-year research program identified in this reasonable and prudent alternative will address these uncertainties and provide a basis for identifying more precisely the quantities of water that require legal protection. Upon completion of the 5-year research program, Reclamation will work within the Recovery Program to develop a mechanism to provide for legal protection of flows for other seasons and other sectians of the Green River. If legal protection is not accomplished, reinitiation of Section 7 consultation will be required. .