7961

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7961
• Author: Zallen, M.
• Title: Evolution of ESA Consultations on Western Water Projects.
• USFW Year: 1996
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: YES

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Evolution
ofESA
Consultations
on Western
Water Projects

Margot ZalIen

Water Is a vimJ component or the habitat
of thnc md:lngered Colondo ~r fish and tbr
Plane RJvcr critical mbitat of the cndlngcred
whoopiog Cr.u'lC5. ThuB, contlicts a<<" i~l~c
wilen warer proteaa are proposed .bM m~y
change habitat conditions. Since 1978, 'fVhen
the Endangered Species Act (EM) regulllll0D5
provided that .he "ish and Wildlife Sr;nric;t
(FWS) could requ~ Initiation of ESA. section 7
consultation. me FWS has aaiw:ly cansultcd on
water projeas on the Platk and upper Colorado
1llver 5)'RC1DII. Thla :I~lcl~ explores Ihc: vuious
WlIys in which the consultutioa pl."M~ bas im-
paCted development In the Colorado River and
platte River areas.
Section 7 of tM ESA requires :I f<<:deral
IIIcncy. when authorizina. fum1ina. at canying
Out any project. to COBUrt: that ita aaioaa are
not llkely to Ic:opardJ~ an cndllllgercd or threat-
~nt:d s~cies or adversely modify tMlr Critical
hablt3t. Since nearly all new water development
projects have some Cclkral aw;nq 1lf;X\I(!o. lbi,
requirement taUlts In the ESA becoming :a ma.
jor factO<<' in virtually all new watt:r pco~, To
ensure against Jeop'.I.rdy to ~ndangered or threat-
ened spedes, che .action 1gency muse t;OIl5\1h
with eM FWS and obtain Its b1ologlol opinion,
The actiOn a,i''tIC)' prepareS i biOlOgical assess-
m('nt lor federal ~l'1$truction ptoj<<u that re-
quire :an environmencal impact RMemmt, aod
che informacion io tbe useumem Is used by the
FWS In IUi biological oplnloa. If the I'WS dctn-

Uuo,.'. NOIr: Tbe wnn cqwnsftl hi tills fIrlIr;'~
",.. thou of lb. mdlxJ,. "ruI. '"" 1I'"'1IMI7.
lYNn' 1M o/fidal po,llW" of 1M DeptImIInt of
tIN InmllN'.

ROCKY 1lTN. SOL

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mines that the cffcx:ts of the IIJCn~ action are
1Jkc:ly to Jropardlte 3n rndangercd or thrc;IC'
cnc:cl lIpec:lef, it muSt recommend n:A:iOIIablc
and prudent Alll!'tIl8live courses of action, if
av:dlahle.

Project Diversions Altered by

Habitat Requirements

Th~ tit'll ~5lefI\ 'WIlIer dev~lopmeDr/FSA
conflict to reach the courts involved rhe Gray-
rock5 Project. a 'WyoJoing pQ\Verplant aAd dam
which would deplcte: Platte 1Uva- flows up.
tuea", ofwhOopiD' crane criti4;:al habi~t in Ne.
brasb. The FWS bt:1~ thai depk'tJon 01 flows
would aUK Increased vegetation on sandba1'5
used by the C::~ for JOO6ting. Our to in6uf'.
flclcnt Information, io 197' the FWS declln~d
to &i~ . biolOaiC21 Opinion 00 tbe impact of
'ftgetative encroechmcnt: uUlIl ongoing Depatt-
men( ot the Intl;rior PlBttr River 5tUdi<;i were
ftnil!lbm. N~nheless, a section 404 permit foe
the activity was approved. Although the Army
CotpI of Eft8ineetl (Corps) IUerved me ri8ht
to ~ the permit 5hould the uudiC$ $how
jeopacdy. ttv: (:OlIn ruled that the lIgc:nclC5 vi.
olaEed the ESA. by incvcnilbly and Irrctrlc:wbly
r;omrnitting mKKu"cai brt'crt fi1'lishing (:mq;ul.
ration. N"brtuu v. RllA, t 2 H.R.C. 1156 (0.
Nc:b. 1978).
In tbe late' 1970., t~ FWS aLto waa c(fn-
duetlDI CORIulllltiOUon ButeaU of Rec1amadon
(BR) proJects In the upper CoIOl2do River Basin.
Both agc:n<:1c5 n:cognizcd there 'W35 a lai;k of
data On tht: endangued COlorado Riftr fi&h.
Fxed with. the BIl', oeed Cor opinions and lim-
ited biological <faa, the fU'S ISSued a series of
opinJOM which Mated that the prolc:a.s would
jeopllfdi:ce th4; fi~. but if tlM; 8R ~'O",ld main-
tain the SI3lU8 quo by rtleaslDg Oows at least.
wpuillO tbe amount of each project's deple::.
tiQl't, jc:opardy would be precluded. 1ft 1978,
the 1geacies agreed to oooper.ue in an intensive
thtee-year study to dewrruiIJc- dIe nOM neces-
sary to pnxIudc jeopardy of the: fish.
In 1980, ",bile 1M stUdy was h~ progre&li.
the dry of Cheyenne. Wyoming. and the Stare
01 UQh were ptC-Nlng for blologlC21 opinions
101 their proJects. Their projects would also de.
plete flows, but w sponSCX'S, un1i~ the sR,
did ftO( .ha~ tM ablllry to releast 'Watel' from
od1c'r reservoiQ to ~nt ;copardy. N a result,
tbe FWS In Au..- 1980 rc2l1zcd 1hx a conser-
vation pbn ~d upon the ongoing study would
be ueetk:d. Tbt: new plan WIll tQ provide for dle
ptCSCIVAtloa and recovery of the fish and de-
5Cl"i~ tIw jW)iut criteria, including tlows, Wt

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(UUJrn9 witb ~ U.S.
Dcpm'tment ~/tlJt
171twrlor. QU'k. oJ lb.
Solicitor, Rodq
Mou",.ht Rflglo". I.
Denwr, CQlrp-&dq.

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