WSPC12661

• File Number: 8282.300
• Description: Colorado River Operations and Accounting - Lower Basin Administrative Procedures
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 5/16/1997
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: FWS Final Biological and Conference Opinion on Lower Colorado River Operations and Maintenance - Lake Mead to Southerly International Border - Draft for Review - 05-16-97
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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002953
United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
P.O. Box 1306
Albuquerque, New Mexico 871 03

R2/ES-SE
2-21-95-F-216

APR 3 0

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Memorandum

TO:

Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation,
Lower Colorado Regional Office, Boulder City, NV

From:

Regional Director

Subject:

Biological and Conference Opinion on Lower Colorado River Operations and
Maintenance - Lake Mead to Southerly International Boundary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has reviewed your request for consultation and its
attached biological assessment (BA) entitled Description and Assessment of Operations,
Maintenance, and Sensitive Species of the Lower Colorado River (USBR 1996). This operations
and maintenance program occurs along the Lower Colorado River (LCR) through Nevada,
Arizona, and California, from Lake Mead to the Southerly International Boundary with Mexico
and is anticipated to be ongoing for a period up to five years from the date of issuance of the final
biological and conference opinion. Your August 9, 1996, request was received on August 15,
1996, This document represents the Service I s biological and conference opinion on the effects
of that action on the following listed and proposed species: bony tail chub (Gila elegans),
endangered, with critical habitat; razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), endangered, with critical
habitat; southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traUW extimus), endangered; Yuma clapper
rail (Rallus longirostris yumanensis), endangered; and flat-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma
mcallii), proposed threatened; in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA), (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). .

This biological and conference opinion is based on information provided in your August, 1996,
BA; information supplements via memoranda detailed in the Consultation History, below;
telephone conversations among several Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Service offices;
meetings detailed in the Consultation History; field investigations; and other sources. A complete
administrative record of this consultation is on file in this office. Literature cited in this opinion
is not a complete bibliography of all literature available on the species of concern, river or
reservoir management activities and effects, or on other subjects considered in this opinion. Our
review of the literature was extensive; however, literature cited is limited to that necessary to
document the effects of the proposed action.