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DRAFT 2 3) are economically and technologically feasible; and 4) would, the Service believes, avoid the likelihood of jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species or resulting in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. On January 21-22, 1988, the Secretary of the Interior; the Governors of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah; and the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration were cosigners of a Cooperative Agreement to implement the "Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin" (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1987). An objective of the Recovery Program was to recover the listed species while providing for new water development in the Upper Basin. The following excerpts from the Recovery Program are pertinent to this consultation because they summarize portions of the Recovery Program that address depletion impacts, section 7 consultation, and project proponent responsibilities: ". . . it is necessary to protect and manage sufficient habitat to support self-sustaining populations of these species. One way to accomplish this is to provide long term protection of the habitat by acquiring or appropriating water rights to ensure Instream flows. . .. Since this Program sets in place a mechanism and a commitment to assure that the instream flows are protected under State law, the Service will consider these elements under section 7 consultation as offqettini prQject dE:Pletion impacts. " The Recovery Program's Recovery Action Plan discusses the important role Ruedi Reservoir plays in the recovery of endangered fish. Ruedi Reservoir has long been considered as an interim source of water until other permanent sources of water could be secured for endangered fish. In order to offset the depletion impacts created by Round n water sales of 17,000 af and to further the Recovery Program in attaining its goal of ensuring sufficient instream flows, the following reasonable and prudent alternative has been developed. 1. Maintain Current Environmental Commitments Reclamation will continue to honor its environmental commitments made in the Round n Final Supplemental EIS for Ruedi Round n water sales and the Service's 1987 Round n biological opinion. This includes the provision of 5,000 af of water annually to be delivered through the I5-Mile Reach of the Colorado River on a schedule determined by the Service and another 5,000 afofwater through the 15-Mile Reach in 4 years out of5. Environmental commitments are listed in detail in chapter 6 of the 1989 Final Supplemental EIS for Ruedi Round n water sales (EIS# FSES 89-19) and the Record of Decision signed January 16, 1990.