9417

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9417
• Author: U.S. Department of the Interior.
• Title: Final Environmental Assessment
• USFW Year: 1998.
• USFW - Doc Type: Acquisition and Enhancement of Floodplain Habitats along the Upper Colorado, Green, and Gunnison Rivers as part of the Recovery Program for Endangered Colorado River Fishes.
• Copyright Material: NO

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Henry Maddux
Director,
Recovery Program

Ralph Morgenweck
Chalnnan.
Implementation Committee

UPPER COIORAID RIVER
ENDANGERED FISH
RECOVERY PRffiRAM

u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service · P.O. Box 25486 . Denver Federal Center . Denver, CO 80225 · [phone] · Fax [phone]

COIKSINFJUT -CR 98
Mail Stop 65115

FEB 1 3 1998

Memorandum

To:

Interested Individuals, Organizations, and Agencies

Subject:

Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Proposed Acquisition and
Enhancement of Floodplain Habitats Along the Upper Colorado, Green, and
Gunnison Rivers

Enclosed for your review and comment is the subject draft environmental assessment on the
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program's proposal to acquire and enhance
floodplain habitats to support recovery of endangered fishes within select segments of the Green,
Colorado, and Gunnison rivers. In most cases, this would entail entering into agreements and/or
acquiring rights from willing landowners to:

1) protect existing floodplain habitat qualities;
2) prevent future flood control measures;
3) enhance the habitat qualities of the property, where warranted, to benefit endangered fishes;
and
4) allow access to the property for scientific study and monitoring.

Following are some key points of the proposed project:

1. The project will work only with willing sellers. Landowners are under no obligation to
participate. Landowners would be compensated at fair market value for property rights
they choose to sell.

2. Wherever possible, the project would seek to purchase easements, so that the title would
continue to be held by the original landowner. Floodplain activities that do not adversely
affect the endangered fishes or their habitats would be allowed.

3. The project would make the best use of available water; it would not call for acquisition of
water or management of flows to induce flooding.

u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service . U.S. Bureau of Reclamation . Westem Area Power Administration · Colorado · Utah · Wyoming
Environmental Defense Fund . National Audubon Society · Colorado Wildlife Federation · Wyoming Wildlife Federation
Colorado Water Congress . Utah Water Users Association · Wyoming Water Development Association . Colorado River Energy Distributors Association