BOARD00038 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/20/2006
• Description: WSP Section - San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program Document Revisions
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Russell George
Executive Director

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm #'
Chief, Water Supply Protection

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE:

September 9, 2006

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 20, September 19-20, 2006 Board Meeting - San Juan River
Recovery Implementation Program Document Revisions

Backeround

At the last Board meeting the Board approved the extension of the November 1, 1992
"Cooperative Agreement" (Agreement) for San Juan Recovery Implementation Program
(SJRIP), which was signed by the U.S. Department of Interior, State of Colorado, State of New
Mexico, Jicarilla Apache Tribe, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
The State of Utah and the Navajo Nation elected not to participate in the Agreement at the time
of signing; however, the Navajo Nation has since become a participant. The San Juan River
Basin Recovery Implementation Program (SJRIP) was initiated to conserve and recover
populations of two endangered fish species in the San Juan River Basin while allowing water
development to proceed in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws. The SJRIP is
intended to provide the measures for compliance with the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C.
1531 et. seq.) for water development and water management activities in the basin. Endangered
fish species in the Basin are the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker. It is anticipated that
actions taken under the SJRIP will provide benefits to other native fishes in the basin as well.

Following the execution of the Cooperative Agreement, a set of "Program Documents"
(the Documents) were adopted to guide the SJRIP. The Documents have not been revised or
updated since they were originally adopted in 1995. Given the need to extend the Cooperative
Agreement and the appointment of a full time program coordinator by the U.S. fish and Wildlife
Service, the participants agreed it was time to update and revise the Documents.

The SJRIP operates through a committee process to identify and implement the actions
needed to attain the recovery goals. The SJRIP uses as its foundation the "Cooperative
Agreement," which is incorporated by reference and attached hereto.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning