9552

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9552
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Management Plan for the Big-River Fishes of the Lower Colorado River Basin
• USFW Year: 2004.
• USFW - Doc Type: amendment and supplement to the Bonytail, Humpback chub, Colorado pikeminnow, and Razorback sucker Recovery Plans.
• Copyright Material: NO

1 ,

INTRODUCTION
1
The Lower Colorado River Basin Management Plan (LCRMP) identifies
strategies necessary to achieve the Recovery-Goals (USFWS 2002a, b, d) for
the federally endangered bonytail (Gila elegans), humpback chub (G. cypha),
and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) in the lower basin. There are
' currently no Recovery Goals outlined for Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus
lucius) in the lower basin; however, we do address the provisional recovery goals
for this species for the lower basin (2002c). These species are collectively known
' as the "big-river fishes." The pertinent Recovery Goals are listed in Appendix I.
The LCRMP identifies management strategies at the programmatic level. It is not
' intended to provide the level of detail needed to implement specific actions under
the management strategies. Implementation of the LCRMP will be guided
through the voluntary efforts of Federal and State agencies and interested
' Tribes, local groups and private cooperators. When a specific action is proposed
for implementation, acomprehensive planning process will involve cooperating

' agencies, interested stakeholders and resource groups to design the proposed
action to meet the needs of the LCRMP and avoid effects to significant
environmental resources.
' This document was prepared by the Recovery Implementation
Planning/Scientific Work Group, a team appointed in 1999 by the Regional
Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Region 2. It is currently
' comprised of personnel from Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGED),
California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), Nevada Department of
Wildlife (NDOW), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Arizona State University
(ASU), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Service, and the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
' ~ COLORADO RIVER BASIN
' -The entire Colorado River basin drains 650,000 km2 of western North America
(Carlson and Carlson 1982; Carlson and Muth 1989). The basin is divided for
administrative purposes into the upper and lower basins at Lees Ferry, Arizona.
The lower basin consists of portions of Arizona, California, and Nevada and
includes the mainstem Colorado River and its tributaries, from Lees Ferry to the