9326

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9326
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Draft Biological Opinion for Ute Water/Plateau Creek Pipeline Replacement Project, Mesa County, Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver.
• Copyright Material: NO

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and in the lower 60 miles of the Gunnison River, a tributary to the main stem
Colorado River (Burdick pers. comm. 1995).
Critical Habitat
Critical habitat has been designated within the 100-year floodplain of the
Colorado squawfish's historical range in the following sections of the Upper
Basin (59 F.R. 13374).
Colorado. Moffat County. The Yampa River and its 100-year floodplain
from the State Highway 394 bridge in T. 6 N., R. 91 W., section 1
(6th Principal Meridian) to the confluence with the Green River in
T. 7 N., R. 103 W., section 28 (6th Principal Meridian).
Utah Uintah Carbon Grand Emery. Wayne and San Juan Counties: and
Colorado. Moffat County. The Green River and its 100-year floodplain
from the confluence with the Yampa River in T. 7 N., R. 103 W.,
section 28 (6th Principal Meridian) to the confluence with the
Colorado River in T. 30 S., R. 19 E., section 7 (Salt Lake Meridian).
Colorado Rio Blanco County and Utah. Uintah County. The White River
and its 100-year floodplain from Rio Blanco Lake Dam in T. 1 N.,
R. 96 W., section 6 (6th Principal Meridian) to the confluence with the
Green River in T. 9 S., R. 20 E., section 4 (Salt Lake Meridian).
Colorado. Delta and Mesa Counties. The Gunnison River and its 100-year
floodplain from the confluence with the Uncompahgre River in T. 15 S.,
R. 96 W., section 11 (6th Principal Meridian) to the confluence with the
Colorado River in T. 1 S., R. 1 W., section 22 (Ute Meridian).
and Garfield Counties. The Colorado River and its 100-year floodplain
from the Colorado River Bridge at exit 90 north off Interstate 70 in
T. 6 S., R. 93 W., section 16 (6th Principal Meridian) to North Wash,
including the Dirty Devil arm of Lake Powell up to the full pool
elevation, in T. 33 S., R. 14 E., section 29 (Salt Lake Meridian).
River and
T. 29 N.,
in the San
(Salt Lake
Biolo
its 100-year floo
R. 13 W., section
Juan arm of Lake
Meridian) up to
• and Utah. San Juan County. The San Juan
dplain from the State Route 37i Bridge in
17 (New Mexico Meridian) to Neskahai Canyon
Powell in T. 41 S., R. 11 E., section 26
the full pool elevation.
The life-history phases that appear to be most critical for the Colorado
squawfish include spawning, egg fertilization, and development of larvae
through the first year of life. These phases of Colorado squawfish
development are tied closely to specific habitat requirements. Natural
spawning of Colorado squawfish is initiated on the descending limb of the
annual hydrograph as water temperatures approach 20° C. Spawning, both in the
hatchery and in the field, generally occurs in a 2-month timeframe between