WSPC179 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

DJ1536 Background Information power at the dam site; and recreational use of the river. Actions taken should also protect use of the river canyon as a transportation corridor. . The choice among alternatives should ensure costs to the Recovery Program are as low as possible. Background Information Endangered Fishes - Appendix A to the GVIC EA summarized information from many studies completed on the fish, their habitat, their behavior, and factors that led to the decline and listing of the species under the Endangered Species Act. These studies have increased our understanding of actions needed to recover the fish (establish self-sustaining populations) throughout the Upper Colorado River basin. Critical habitat (critical to survival of a listed species) has been designated for the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker and includes the 100-year floodplain of the Colorado River from Lake Powell in Utah to Rifle, Colorado. The Colorado pikeminnow is now absent from its historic range in the river from the Price-Stubb Dam upstream to Rifle, and razorback suckers are now extremely rare throughout the Upper Colorado River basin. Providing upstream access past all three man-made diversion dams is needed to restore use of historical habitat to endangered fish species. r t Habitat Availability Upstream - One factor that has led to the decline of native fish is loss of their historic habitat. In 1997, the Colorado Division of Wildlife assessed the aquatic habitat available to endangered fish species in about 50 miles of river upstream from the diversion dams (Palisade to Rifle). Runs (deep, moving water) and pools are excellent feeding and wintering areas for both Colorado pikeminnow and razorback suckers, and comprise 49 to 70 percent of the available habitat in various sections of the river. Seventy-six pools larger than 80 square feet were documented in Anderson's fall survey (Anderson, 1997). Providing passage at the Price-Stubb Dam, and the Grand Valley Project Diversion Dam, will open approximately 50 miles of suitable habitat upstream to help recover these endangered fish species. Pending Hydropower License - In 1990, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted a license to develop a hydroelectric power generation project at the dam site (the Jacobson Hydro No.1 Project). The project was put on hold in 1994, and has not yet been constructed. FERC is now considering a proposed amendment to the license, and released a Draft Environmental Assessment on April 14, 1999. The licensee's proposed amendment includes installation of a fish ladder by Reclamation. Reclamation's implementation offish passage at the Price-Stubb Dam is dependent on FERC's decision on the amendment and/or the licensee's decision to proceed l-vith hydropower development. 3