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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chub? This floodplain habitat restoration program is directed at recovering
razorback suckers and should be stated in the text.

2.

Page 1-2, D - Recovery Program. Figure 1-2 is not referenced in the text. Text
should be modified to include figure 1-2.

3.

Page 1-2, E - Overview of Upper Colorado River Basin. "Changes in the natural
hydro graph have altered aquatic habitats, particularly backwaters and
floodplains,... .". It is not just changes in the hydro graph that caused alterations in
these habitats. Landowners and communities have built levees to reduce or
eliminate the possibility of flooding from Upper Basin rivers. These levees do not
allow the current hydro graph to inundate certain habitats and provide resources
for the survival of larvae.

4.

Page 1-3, F - Endangered Fish. The first paragraph under this section reads as if
the loss of floodplains due to changes in the hydro graph is the reason for decline
in native fish in the Upper Basin. Change in physical habitat is believed to be one
factor contributing to decline in endangered fish. There are a number of other
factors contributing to their decline (e.g., nonnative fish, flows, water quality, and
water development). This paragraph should reflect these other factors and
eliminate any implied conclusion that changes in the hydro graph are the sole
reason for the listing of these four native fish.

The last paragraph under this section states that restoration of floodplain habitats
will enhance the chance for larvae to survive and be recruited into the population.
We have no evidence of such survival to adult from such action. If nonnative fish
are not controlled when larvae are present, then restoration of these habitats will
not increase the chance for these fish to survive. It should be stated in the text
that management actions to reduce nonnative fish as well as other management
actions will occur prior, during, and after larvae are present in the system.

5.

Page 1-3, G - Importance of Floodplain Habitat to the Recovery of Endangered
Fishes. Not everyone who reads this document will know the length of larvae
fishes "critical period". The text should be modified to include the length of
"critical period".

6.

Page 1-4, H - Distribution of Floodplain Habitat. The first paragraph under this
section has figure 1-5 first, then figure 1-3. These figures should be placed in
order and the text should include figure 1-4 that is missing.

7.

Page 1-5 The text says "Approximately 15% of the 132 potential bottomland sites
along the Green River are isolated from the river by levees, preventing
approximately 20 miles of the Green River floodplains from connecting to the
river during high stream flows (Irving and Burdick 1995)". If only 20 miles of
the Green River floodplains are unable to be connected to the river during high
flows, then is the remaining 60 miles flooded during high flows? This is

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