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UJ3J77 1999 REPORT ON RUEDI DAM AND RESERVOIR OPERATIONS FOR ENDANGERED FISH This document is Reclamation's 1999 report on Ruedi Dam and Reservoir Operations as related to releases for endangered fish pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Among the Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board for Furnishing Water from Ruedi Reservoir for the Benefit of Endangered Fishes (Contract No. 8-07-60- W0722). Background Ruedi Dam and Reservoir (Reservoir) were constructed as features of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (Project) with a primary purpose of providing replacement water for use in western Colorado when the Project is diverting water out of priority for use in eastern Colorado and to provide compensatory storage for water users in western Colorado. Incidental purposes of the Project include recreation, and the conservation and development of fish and wildlife. In June of 1984, Reclamation requested consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) on Ruedi Round II water marketing. Reclamation received an opinion from the Service that implementation of the Ruedi Reservoir Round II water marketing program would not jeopardize the continued existence of the Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, or bonytail chub. This opinion was based, in part, on several conservation measures that had been incorporated into the proposal for the Ruedi Reservoir Round II water marketing program. The conservation measures included providing 5,000 acre-feet (acft) of water annually and 5,000 acft every four out offive years from Ruedi Reservoir to enhance flows in the 15 Mile Reach of the Colorado River. The Final Supplement to the EIS (FSES) and Record of Decision for the Ruedi Reservoir Round II water marketing program were issued in January 1990, and documented Reclamation's commitment to implementing the conservation measures in the June 1987 biological opinion. The razorback sucker was listed as endangered in October of 1991, and by April of 1994 critical habitat for all four Colorado River endangered fish was listed. Critical habitat includes the main stem Colorado River from Rifle downstream; an area affected by the Ruedi Reservoir Round II water marketing program. Due to these two new listings, Reclamation then requested re- initiation of consultation on the Ruedi Reservoir Round II water marketing program. In May of 1995, Reclamation received a "jeopardy" biological opinion that included two reasonable and prudent alternatives to avoid jeopardy: (1) continue the 5,000 and 5,000 acft commitment, and (2) make the remaining uncommitted yield of the regulatory pool, estimated at 21,650 acft, available through an interim agreement with the Service and Colorado Water Conservation Board (Board) for fifteen years to enhance flows in the 15 Mile Reach of the Colorado River. Reclamation attempted unsuccessfully for two years to negotiate a long-term agreement with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Fish and Wildlife Service before initiating a series of one-year agreements as a stopgap measure until a long-term agreement is in place,