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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providing recommendations for model improvements and input data updates and
reviewing model applications as appropriate;4

2. review and suggest changes or revisions to the model documentation maintained by
Reclamation to ensure that all assumptions and model operating procedures are fully
documented and up to date;

3. evaluate the physical availability of water and operating rules for San Juan River Basin
reservoirs for the ability to meet the diversion requirements of water right holders and the
authorized purposes of the reservoirs and to provide flows, including releases from
reservoir storage, to benefit endangered fish species in the San Juan River, with the
understanding that decisions on water project operations rest with appropriate agencies;

4. review and comment, in coordination with the Biology Committee, on issues related to
channel morphology and the relationship among flows and geomorphology;

5. provide coordination between Reclamation and the Program in the development of annual
operating plans for Navajo Reservoir, including providing, in consultation with the
Biology Committee and the Coordination Committee, input to Reclamation on Navajo
Dam operations during extreme hydrologic conditions that may not be covered by the
flow recommendations and Navajo Dam operating criteria; and

6. report annually to the Coordination Committee on the status of the Hydrology Model and
the implementation of the flow recommendations.

Because the efforts of the Hydrology Committee relate specifically to the scientific basis for
recovery, each participant on the committee will have expertise that is generally applicable to
hydrology, water rights administration, reservoir operations, water supply management,
hydrologic modeling and water development in the San Juan River Basin. Each of the
participants may nominate one representative to the committee (multiple representatives
representing a single participant will share the single vote allotted to that participant). The
Hydrology Committee shall determine by two-thirds vote of the committee membership that a
nominated representative is technically qualified. If a nominated representative is determined not
to be technically qualified, the technical committee shall report the reasons for rejecting the
nominee to the Coordination Committee; then at the request of the nominating participant, the
Coordination Committee will determine if there are extenuating considerations, other than the

4 While every effort will be made to incorporate the best data and modeling available into the San Juan River Basin
Hydrology Model, use of the hydrologic model in the work of the Hydrology Committee and the San Juan River
Basin Recovery Implementation Program does not necessarily constitute agreement or approval by individual
program participants with the model data, methodologies or assumptions. The model data, methodologies and
assumptions do not under any circumstances constitute evidence of actual water use, water rights or water
availability under compact apportionments and should not be construed as binding on any party. Furthermore, use of
the model, model data, methodologies and assumptions does not change the responsibilities of the respective States
to maintain records of water rights and water use. Official records of water rights and water use are maintained by
the State agencies statutorily charged with that responsibility.

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Recommendations from the Program to the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service to change the
environmental baseline depletions used in ESA Section 7 consultations may be made through the Coordination
Committee with the understanding that the Service has the authority and responsibility under its regulations for
implementing the Endangered Species Act to make the final decision on any changes to the environmental baseline.

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