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<br />U U 1 ~ ~l <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Species Act Section 7 Consultations on water development and management activities affecting <br />endangered fish species in the San Juan River Basin." (Attachment 2) The purpose of this <br />document was to clarify the understandings of the parties to the Program regarding how U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service would evaluate and apply, within its discretionary authorities, actions <br />carried out by the Program to determine compliance ''with the Endangered Species Act . . . for <br />water development and management activities in the basin." <br /> <br />The document was adopted unanimously by Program participants. Those participants included <br />federal agencies (Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs), states of New Mexico and Colorado, Jicarilla Apache Nation, <br />Navajo Nation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and water <br />development interests. The document states that <br /> <br />"The Program is intended to identify and implement actions that assist in the <br />recovery of the species and provide compliance for sections 7 and 9 of the ESA <br />for water development and management activities in the basin." <br /> <br />The document defines procedures for consultation on both existing and new depletions. New <br />depletions are contemplated to occur in the San Juan basin, in compliance with the Endangered <br />Species Act. <br /> <br />Re-operation of Navaio Dam to Benefit Endane:ered Species <br /> <br />As referred to in the comments by Jicarilla Apache Nation and Navajo Nation, the San Juan <br />Recovery Program developed flow recommendations to benefit endangered species. These <br />recommendations call for re-operation of Navajo Reservoir to aid in achieving the flow <br />recommendations. <br /> <br />Re-operation of Navajo Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) requires compliance <br />with the National Environmental Policy Act. Reclamation initiated an EIS to review alternatives <br />for achieving compliance with the Endangered Species Act through re-operation of Navajo Dam <br />and developed a "Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Navajo Reservoir Operations, Navajo <br />Unit - San Juan River New Mexico, Colorado, Utah" (DEIS) (Bureau of Reclamation, <br /> <br />4 <br />