9377

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9377
• Author: Colorado Water Workshop.
• Title: 16th Annual Colorado Water Workshop.
• USFW Year: 1991.
• USFW - Doc Type: Western State College.
• Copyright Material: NO

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responsibilities for habitat protection. Priority reaches have
been identified in the Green-Yampa system and the Colorado
(upstream of its confluence with the Gunnison) and all parties
are edging closer to agreements on the quantification of flows.
Nonetheless, there is yet to be much progress either in acquiring
water' rights to meet habitat needs or in the implementation of
other recovery measures.

Notwithstanding the slow pace of meeting habitat needs in
important areas like acquisition and conversion of water rights
to instream flows, the environmental community remains committed
to the program and has established for itself, as the basis for
its continued involvement, a six-part plan.

1. Assemble a professional team to participate at all
important levels of the fish recovery program including the
Implementation Committee, Water Committee, Management Committee,
Information/Education Committee, and Biology Committee.

2. Establish a regular discourse among the environmental
representatives about the work of their respective committees.

3. Reinstate quarterly meetings with the regional director
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerning the recovery.

4. Involve more of the environmental community through the
Colorado Environmental Caucus and interested environmental
groups in Utah and Wyoming.

5. Seek greater progress in the identification of flow
needs and in the acquisition of water rights from existing
federal projects and other sources.

6. Evaluate the recovery program progress in 1993 for the
five-year period since its inception and, at that time, assess
the benefits of con~inued participation.

Concluding Comment

From the point of view of the enyirorimental community,
increasing flows at crucial times in the life-cycle of the
endangered fish is central to the success of the recovery effort.
Without increasing flows at certain times and modifying existing
patterns of seasonal flows little else that goes on in the
program will have much of an impact. Increased flows will require
the purchase and conversion of consumptive rights. Changing
flow patterns will depend on modifying the operation of federal
reservoirs. To date, vir~ually no progress has been ma~e on
either front, but an important test is about to begin.

Two large federal reservoirs, Flaming Gorge on the Upper
Green River and Blue Mesa on the Gunnison River, will play an

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