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the endangered fish nor water users and developments. This EA has been prepared for the Recovery Program by Reclamation and the Service. The Recovery Program consists of 5 major elements (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1987a and 1987b): 1. Provision of in-stream flows for habitat 2. Habitat development and maintenance 3. Native fish stocking 4. Management of non-native species and sport fishing 5. Research, monitoring, and data management Colorado River From high in the Colorado mountains, the Colorado River and its tributaries flow 1,440 miles to the Gulf of California. It serves millions of people with drinking, irrigation, and industrial water, hydropower, and recreation. These water uses have lowered natural spring-time flows as well as led to channelization of the river, water quality changes, and other habitat changes. In the immediate project area, irrigation diversion dams, including the GVIC Diversion, provide irrigation to thousands of acres. In the project area, three low-head, irrigation diversions are barriers to migratory endangered fish. The first downstream barrier occurs at the GVIC Diversion. The Price-Stubb Dam, located 3 miles upstream, presents the second barrier. The third occurs at the Government Highline Diversion Dam, 5.4 miles upstream of the Price-Stubb Dam. Presently, the Colorado squawfish is absent from its historic range from the Price-Stubb Dam upstream to Rifle and the razorback suckers are extremely rare upstream from Palisade (see frontispiece map). Critical habitat (critical to the fishes survival and recovery) includes the Colorado River from Lake Powell in Utah to Rifle, Colorado (Maddux et al. 1993). Critical habitat for two other fishes, the bonytail (Gila elegans) and humpback chub (Gila cypha) does not include the reach of the Colorado River between Palisade and Rifle. Endangered Fishes The endangered fish evolved in a river system that has been altered significantly over the last century. Appendix A includes information on the fish, their habitat, their behavior, and other f factors that have led to the conclusion that fish passageways are necessary for their recovery. Habitat Availability Upstream Anderson (1997) summarized the aquatic habitat available in the 54 miles upstream from the diversion dams (Palisade to Rifle). Depending upon the section of river, runs (deep, moving water) and pools comprise a large percentage(49-70 percent) of the available habitat. These habitats are known to be excellent feeding and wintering areas for both Colorado squawfish and 2