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ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF NATIVE FISHES IN THE UPPER COLORADO RiVER BASIN 179 and lower stable flows the remainder of the year. Flow recommendations are developed, imple- mented, and evaluated through scientific investiga- tions (often include test releases from dams) and adaptive management. Flow recommendations have been developed for most reaches in the upper ba- sin, including the Green River (Muth et al. 2000), Yampa River (Modde and Smith 1995; Modde et al. 1999; Roehm 2004), Duchesne River (Modde and Keleher 2003), White River (Irving et al. 2003), and upper Colorado and Gunnison rivers (Osmund- son et al. 1995; McAda 2003). Water for endangered fishes in the upper ba- sin is being managed through a variety of means, including water leases and contracts, coordinated releases from upstream reservoirs, improvements to irrigation systems, and reoperation of federal facili- ties (e.g., Flaming Gorge Dam, Aspinall Unit). Le- gal protection of flows is consistent with state and federal laws related to the Colorado River system (referred to as "Law of the River"), including the ESA, state water laws, and interstate compacts. In the Green River subbasin, the USFWS en- tered into a cooperative agreement in January 2005 with the Colorado River Water Conservation Dis- trict (District) and the states of Colorado and Wyo- ming to implement the Management Plan for En- dangered Fishes in the Yampa River Basin (Roehm 2004). The plan will help ensure that current and future water needs are met for people and endan- gered fishes in the Yampa River basin in northwest Colorado. The UCRRP is funding 5,000 acre-feet (permanent water for endangered fish) of a 12,000 acre-foot enlargement of Elkhead Reservoir in northwest Colorado to make water available to aug- ment late-summer flows in the Yampa River (Modde and Smith 1995; Modde et al. 1999). The District is funding the remaining 7,000 acre-feet, which will help meet future human demands in the Yampa River basin. Construction was initiated in 2005 with completion scheduled for 2007. Local irrigation companies and state and federal agencies formed a work group to implement flow recommendations for the Duchesne River in northeast Utah (Modde and Keleher 2003), and an updated biological opin- ion was completed in 2005. A final environmental impact statement (EIS) and biological opinion on the operation of Utah's Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River to meet flow and temperature rec- ommendations for the endangered fishes (Muth et al. 2000) are slated for completion in 2005. Also, the state of Utah has implemented a policy that pri- oritizes water rights appropriations for endangered fish during certain seasons in the middle Green River (Utah Division of Water Rights 1994). In the upper Colorado River subbasin, coordi- nated reservoir operations allow upstream reservoir owners and operators to voluntarily bypass inflows, without affecting project yield, to enhance spring peaks in habitat occupied by endangered fish. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is near completion of the Grand Valley Water Management Project. This project improves water delivery efficiency and plays a major role in managing water resources to meet human and endangered fish needs recom- mended for the Colorado River (Osmundson et al. 1995; McAda 2003). The Grand Valley Project canal system in western Colorado was retrofitted with internal canal flow control structures and automa- tion, which reduced irrigation diversions by 16% or 45,000 acre-feet in 2002, 12% or 33,000 acre- feet in 2003, and 10% or 29,000 acre-feet in 2004, while meeting all irrigation demands. With comple- tion of the Highline Lake pump station in 2005 and full automation of the seven canal checks, addi- tional water will be saved each year. The state of Colorado has secured two instream flow rights for endangered fish, and continues to evaluate future filing options. An EIS is being developed for releases from the Aspinall Unit to meet flow recommenda- tions for the Gunnison River (McAda 2003). Flow management alone is not sufficient to ensure self- sustaining populations of the endangered fishes and combined flow and non-flow actions are necessary. Habitat development.-Human activities in the upper basin since the mid-1850s have modified, destroyed, or fragmented historic riverine fish habi- tat. Dam construction and reservoir inundation ac- count for the majority of habitat loss. Strategies to improve fish habitat include providing fish passage to restore access to historic habitat and complete life histories, screening canals and water outtakes to minimize loss of fish from the main stem, acquiring and restoring floodplain habitats, and remediating