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<br /> <br />01/28/99 THU 09:51 FAX 1 50541j76188 <br /> <br />STATE ENGINEER OFFICE <br /> <br />141001 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />a <br />o <br />,~ The Implementation Program has two goals: recover populations <br />(" <br />..J <br />~ of endangered fish in the San Juan River; and proceed with water <br /> <br />development in the San Juan Basin in accordance with applicable <br /> <br />laws and Indian trust responsibilities_ The states of Colorado and <br /> <br />New Mexico have a keen interest in water development within their <br /> <br />apportionments of the use of water under the Upper Colorado River <br /> <br />Compact. Further water development in the Basin, which is largely <br /> <br />Indian project development, may be dependent on modeling of water <br /> <br />depletions and ,their impact on river flows as compared to the flow <br /> <br />recommendations for the San Juan River below Farmington. <br /> <br />The states of Colorado and New Mexico, the Bureaus of <br /> <br />Reclamation and Indian Affairs, Indian tribes and water development <br /> <br />interests have not agreed on. the determination of baseline and <br /> <br />project depletions for use in hydrologic modeling of the San Juan <br /> <br />River Basin. Nor is it clear how critical differences in depletion <br /> <br />estimates may be to the Section 7 consultation process because the <br /> <br />Fish and Wildlife Service has not stated how it will use the flow <br /> <br />recommendations, hydrologic modeling and depletion figures in the <br /> <br />consultation process or in developing its biological opinions on <br /> <br />water projects. <br /> <br />In any event, a significant issue for any <br /> <br />hydrologic modeling application for the San Juan River Basin is <br /> <br />that of determining water depletions in the Basin. <br /> <br />6 <br />