7282 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Representatives of non-Federal water resource development organizations also ' participated in this process. The water resource organizations participated in a search for a practical and meaningful program to manage and recover these fish species in a manner that does not disrupt State water rights systems, interstate compacts, and court decrees that allocate rights to use Colorado River water among the States. In addition, a number of national and Statewide conservation organizations participated in this process. The conservation organizations were interested both in assuring preservation of the rare and endangered fish species and their habitat and assuring that a realistic recovery program would be ' implemented in an effective and prompt manner. Each of these interests participated extensively in the drafting of this program. Each is committed to the successful implementation of a recovery program that will provide for recovery of the endangered fish species, consistent with Federal law and all applicable State laws and systems for water resource development and use. ' 1.2 BACKGROUND Three fish species that inhabit the Colorado River have been federally listed as endangered: the Colorado squawfish, the bonytail chub, and the humpback chub. The razorback sucker is not listed at this time but has been identified by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) as a candidate for listing. For the purposes of simplifying references, all four species are collectively referred to as rare in this document, and measures to manage the razorback sucker are described generically as conservation or recovery activities. While each of the four species was once abundant in the Upper Colorado River Basin (see Map 1-2), they have been declining in number and are threatened with extinction from their natural habitat (see Map 1-3). A number of factors account for the current status of these species, ranging from habitat reduction or alteration to introduction of nonnative species (see Appendix 6.1). The Fish and Wildlife Service has maintained since 1978 that a jeopardy situation exists because of habitat loss and other factors and because of the declining numbers of the endangered fish due to these factors. It has concluded that actions must be taken to offset these factors. The Service has described this conclusion through Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act in over 100 biological opinions on project impacts on the endangered fishes in the upper basin. Protection and recovery of these species to offset some of these factors will require resolution of a broad set of potentially difficult issues. First, these fish species are found in two States in the upper basin (Colorado and Utah), and at least one, the Colorado squawfish, is migratory. Second, protection of these species' habitat necessitates maintenance of some level of instream flows, yet the relationship between State water rights systems and Federal responsibilities in this area is a sensitive one. Finally, improving the status of these rare fish will require an increase in population abundance and survival, and improvement and maintenance of sufficient habitat to support all four species. 1 1-3