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<br /> projects and to contribute toward the conservation of listed fish, <br />' Reclamation, through the consultation process, has agreed to the proposal to <br /> set aside a block of water from sale at Ruedi Reservoir and to refine Ruedi <br /> operations, as described below: <br />' a. Five thousand acre-feet will be withheld from sale at Ruedi Reservoir <br /> and will be made available for rare fish flows, as necessary. The <br /> Service, in discussions with Reclamation, the State, and the <br />' Implementation Committee, will determine when the reserved water will <br /> be needed for endangered fish flows. However, the water withheld for <br /> fish flows will be treated as if it were subject to contract to an <br />' industrial user, including shortages. It will not be subject to <br /> reduction in cases of shortage unless and until Reclamation determines <br /> there exists a delivery demand for 40,000 acre-feet of water under <br /> contract from Ruedi Reservoir. <br /> b. An additional 5,000 acre-feet will be provided in the months of <br /> July-September through refined operations at Ruedi. The release <br />pattern for this water will be determined by the Service (in <br /> discussions with Reclamation, the State, and the Implementation <br /> Committee) and will be established by June 15 of each year for <br /> inclusion in the annual operating plan. Reclamation has agreed that <br /> this 5,000 acre-feet will be provided, through refined operations of <br /> the Ruedi Reservoir, on an average of 4 out of 5 years. <br /> c. It is expected that Reclamation will implement other measures, that <br /> developed jointly with the Service through Section 7 consultation, <br /> that are deemed appropriate to offset project impacts or gather <br /> information that will assist in determining habitat needs (e.g., <br /> studies on winter habitat needs, assistance on developing grow-out <br /> ponds, etc.). <br /> d. Reclamation and the Service will cooperate in establishing an instream <br /> flow right, pursuant to State laws, to guarantee the delivery of any <br /> flow releases through fish habitat (see Section 4.1.3). Due <br /> consideration will be given to the Fryingpan River trout fishery and <br /> Ruedi Reservoir recreation impacts in the development of a release <br /> schedule for the endangered fish flows. <br />' <br /> 4.1.6.2. Flaming Gorge Reservoir <br />Operations of the Flaming Gorge Dam have changed the flow regime in the Upper <br />Green River and have impacted spawning and recruitment of Colorado squawfish. <br />In the summer of 1985 and 1986, releases from Flaming Gorge were managed to <br />provide flow variances no greater than those that occurred in 1980. This was <br />done to determine if 1985 and 1986 recruitment would be comparable to the <br />recruitment levels that occurred under 1980 flows. In 1986-87, Reclamation <br />and the Service studied the attenuation of water flows, velocities, and <br />temperatures between the dam and downstream monitoring locations under <br />different release patterns. The results of these studies will be used by the <br />Service in completing a Section 7 biological opinion on Flaming Gorge <br />' operations. <br />IL? <br />4-9