9318

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9318
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Procedures for Stocking Nonnative Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver.
• Copyright Material: NO

develop permanent flow recommendations for Navajo Dam for the benefit of the
native fish community. The flow recommendations were approved by the SJRRIP
in 1998, and Reclamation awaits the final report containing those recommendations.
Reclamation has begun preliminary work on the required EIS.
Under a Memorandum of Agreement with Reclamation, the Colorado
Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation is responsible for public recreation at
Navajo Reservoir, within the state of Colorado, until the year 2014. The state has
also entered into acost-share agreement with Reclamation for the rehabilitation of
existing recreation facilities and/or expansion, if appropriate. Preliminary design of
recreation facilities will be initiated in fiscal year 2000 with actual construction
anticipated in fiscal year 2001. The NEPA document for the rehabilitation work
should be completed by September 1999.
A new long-term recreation management agreement between Reclamation
and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department is
currently being negotiated to replace the previous agreement which expired January
14, 1997. The previous contract was amended to extend its duration until
completion of the new management agreement. A cost-share agreement has been
signed with the state for rehabilitation of recreation facilities. Construction of
facilities has already started and will continue as cost-share funds become available.
Total recreation visitation to Navajo Reservoir was 762,245~'~ people in
1996 (latest figure available.
In early March 1996, the Interior Management Council designated a
Reclamation and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposal designed to resolve
tong-standing resource management issues within and around Navajo Reservoir as
an official National Performance Review (NPR) Reinvention Laboratory. Jurisdiction
over the 218,000 acres of mostly federally-owned land surrounding Navajo
Reservoir is split between BLM and Reclamation.
Under the recently sanctioned laboratory, a team composed of agency
members, Native American representatives and stakeholder groups will develop and
implement afive-year cooperative ecosystem management program intended to
improve resource management in the area, restore and sustain a healthy ecosystem
and enhance customer service. The program will also attempt to erase artificial
jurisdictional lines which have previously divided a natural ecosystem. Following
completion of NPR training and chartering requirements, the team will work to
communicate directly with customer groups who use and enjoy the natural
resources at Navajo. This NPR effort has subsequently been curtailed.
A resource management plan for Navajo Reservoir is being prepared by a
private consulting firm under contract with Reclamation. The resource management
plan is scheduled for completion in late 1999,
a. Dam Safety
Extensive modifications to the abutments were made during 1987 and
1988 to alleviate seepage problems that had increased in severity since the reservoir
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