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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002355

BIOLOGICAL OPINION

Tabl e of Con ten ts

T ABLE OF CONTENTS

CONSULTATION HISTORY ....................................... 1

DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction .................................................... 4

Scope of the Proposed Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Actions ................................................. 10

Flood control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Storage and' Delivery of Entitlement Waters ..................... 11
Equalizing Lakes Powell and Mead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Interstate and international waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Annual Operating Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Declaration of surplus .............................. 18
Fulfilling water orders .............................. 18
Water releases and power production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Water Deliveries to Mexico ............................... 26
Power Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Channel Maintenance and Levee System ....................... 27

Dredging ........................................... 27

Yuma Desalting Plant ................................... 28

5-Mile Zone ......................................... 28

Endangered Species Conservation Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Endangered bony tail chub and razorback sucker conservation . . . . . 29
Native riparian plant restoration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Three-Finger Lake project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lower Imperial Division wetland enhancement .............. 31
Flat-tailed horned lizard conservation ..........,......... 31
Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation program . . . . . . 33

STATUS OF THE SPECIES ........................................ 38
Bony tail Chub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Listing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Species Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Life History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Population Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Rangewide Present Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Razorback Sucker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Listing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Species Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Life History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41