9305

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9305
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Final Biological Opinion for the Operation of Flaming Gorge Dam.
• USFW Year: 1992.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, CO.
• Copyright Material: NO

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duration. Fish access to off-channel habitats during years with high
spring peaks will need improvement and should be provided concurrent with
the research flows. In years where specific research flows are not
established, winter and spring flows will be those outlined in element 1
of the reasonable and prudent alternative.
~,
Part of the 5-year research plan will be to evaluate the year-round
seasonal flow recommendation throughout the entire Green River. At the
conclusion of the 5-year research period,-flow recommendations will be
extended from the dam to Lake Powell.
3. Determine the feasibility and effects of~releasing warmer water during
the late spring/summer period and investigate the feasibility of
retrofitting river bypass tubes to include power generation, thereby
facilitating higher spring releases.
The change in water temperatures as a result of impoundments is believed
to be one of the causes for the decline in rare and endangered fish
throughout the Colorado River Basin. Water temperature was shown to
influence spawning migrations, spawning, egg viability, larval survival,
feeding, and growth of endangered fish. Providing warmer water during
critical life history periods could further benefit the affected fish.
Reclamation will complete these examinations during the 5-year research
program. If technologies exist or future technologies become available
which make these alternatives feasible, then Reclamation should enter
into discussions with the Service concerning implementation.
4. Legal protection of Green River flows from Flaming Gorge Dam to Lake
Powell.
Protection of-flows for the endangered fish is a major element of the
Recovery Program (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1987). Section 4.1.3 of
the Recovery Program states that "the success of this recovery program is
contingent upon the provision of water rights for instream flows that
satisfy the requirement of the Endangered Species Act." Specifically,
the Recovery Program contains commitments from the States of Colorado and
Utah to work with the Secretary of the Interior to legally protect the
instream flows necessary for recovery of the endangered fish. Legal
protection of flows also is identified as a requirement for delisting in
the Colorado squawfish and humpback chub recovery plans (U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 1991; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a).
Additionally, releases from Flaming Gorge are the reasonable and prudent
alternative/conservation measure identified to offset the actual or
potential depletion impacts associated with the Strawberry System; the
Jensen, Uintah, the Upalco Units of the Central Utah Project; the Price-
San Rafael Salinity Control Project; .and the Narrows Project, as
described in the biological opinions for these projects. Consequently,
development of a legal mechanism to ensure that the releases from Flaming
Gorge Dam are delivered to and available for use by the endangered fish
in occupied habitat from Swallow Canyon, near Browns Park National
Wildlife Refuge, downstream to Lake Powell, is necessary to satisfy all
of these needs. Inflows from the Yampa River, White River, and other