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132 Swimming Against the Current ion in May 1990 concluding that the project was likely to jeopardize the continued exis- tence of the species. Furthermore, the USFWS concluded that no reasonable or prudent al- ternatives were available to avoid jeopardy and recommended additional study to develop a more complete data base, especially on stream-flow needs for the fish in the San juan River. The USFWS opinion placed the project on hold and evoked a major outcry from Colo- rado and New Mexico congressional delega- tions, the governor of Colorado, a variety of state and local officials, Indian tribes, and other project supporters. Even Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan suggested that the ESA was too restrictive and recommended that Congress amend it to allow consideration of economic factors in the section 7 consultation process. As a result of the draft biological opinion, th~ Animas-La Plata project was reexamined. A revised draft opinion was issued by the ser- vice in May 1991 that would approve devel- opment of a scaled-down version of the proj- ect subject to several condit:ons, including: I. Operation of Navajo Reservoir to provide releases that mimic a natural hydrograph in the San Juan River; 2. Conducting a seven year research program to better assess the habitat requirements of the endangered fishes in the Sanjuan River; 3. Implementing a long term recovery pro- gram for the endangered fishes in the San juan River basin. Whether this opinion will ultimately be ac- cepted and the Animas-La Plata project con- structed remains to be determined. However, it now appears that the San juan River will become a major focal point for recovery ef- forts in the next decade. Coordination and Cooperation between Agencies Colorado River Fishes Recovery Team (CRFRT) The ESA directs the secretary of the interior to develop and implement recovery plans for threatened and endangered species with the aid of appropriate public and private agen- cies, institutions, and qualified individuals. By this authority the USFWS invited various agen- cies interested in management of th-i Colo- rado River fishes to participate on the CRFRT. Formed in December 1975 as the Colorado Squawfish Recovery Team, the effort was ex- panded in 1976 to include all endangered Col- orado River fishes in the upper basin (K. D. Miller 1982). The recovery team included rep- resentatives from the states of Arizona, Cali- fornia, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, and from the USBR, USNPS, and USFWS. Team members have written recovery plans for bony tail, humpback chub, and Colorado squawfish. The humpback chub and bony tail plans were revised and approved in 1990. The Colorado squaw fish plan is expected to be ap- proved in 1991. Colorado River Endangered Fishes Researchers Meetings Since 1983, fishery biologists and other re- searchers from state and federal agencies, uni- versities, and private consulting firms in the upper basin have held an annual meeting sponsored by the states of Colorado and Utah. The open communication and coordination provided by this meeting have been effective at integrating research efforts among biolo- gists. Communication among biologists from the upper and lower basins has been enhanced as well through annual meetings of the Desert Fishes Council and through meetings of the CRFRT.