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AR ~~~nired by provlaione ~ '~e Endangered Species Act, the <br />Eure~,u of Reclamation (Reclasatic~ nd the Fish and Wildlife Service <br />(Service) have been in consultation federally listed endangered fish <br />species of the Colorado River for ai~ xisately 10 years. During this <br />period, numerous endangered fish at+- es have been funded to assist <br />biologists in identifying limiting factors to their populations and to <br />develop recovery plans. The San Juan 8iver vas not initially identi- <br />fied as a primary study area and accordingly few rare or endangered <br />fish studies have been done. The bases for this determination were the <br />following: the closures of both Navajo and Glen Canyon Dams signif i- <br />cantly altered existing native fish habitat and prevented upstream <br />migration; although several eater development projects have been <br />played that would affect floe in the San Juan River, until recently, <br />none have received construction funds; all of the planned water devel- <br />opment projects have received "non-jeopardy' opinions from the Service; <br />and other rivers in the Upper Colorado River Basin were given initial <br />study priority because of reports of raze or endangered fish inhabiting <br />these rivers and because of the sang eater development projects pro- <br />posed for the basin. <br /> <br />As stated above, while eater development projects affecting flow <br />in the San Juan Giver received 'nonjeopardy" opinions, the Service <br />strongly recommended that Reclamation conduct fishery studies in the <br />river as a recovery effort for the listed species. Subsequently, Rer <br />lamation agreed to conduct these studies once a major water development <br />project received construction funds. The Animas-LaPlata Project in <br />southwestern Colorado received these initial appropriations in mid <br />1986. <br />2 <br />