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availability of usable rare fish habitat in the downstream Green River (Tyus <br />and Karp 1989). <br />FLAMING GORGE STUDIES <br />Background <br />The Bureau of Reclamation (BR) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) <br />have been in consultation on various BR projects in the Colorado River basin <br />under provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The <br />construction and operation of one of these projects, Flaming Gorge Dam, has <br />long been of concern because of its potential adverse impacts on native fishes <br />in the Green River (e.g., Vanicek et al. 1970; Holden and Stalnaker 1975). <br />Recent investigations have demonstrated that the timing and magnitude of water <br />releases from the dam can inundate nursery habitats that are critical. to the <br />maintenance and recovery of Colorado squawfish in the Green River basin (Tyus <br />and Haines 1991), and have impacts on other fishes as well (reviewed by Tyus <br />and Karp 1989). <br />Habitat use and streamflow needs of endangered fishes, and potential <br />effects of widespread introduced fishes on the Green River system constitute <br />basic background information considered essential by FWS for the preparation <br />of a Biological .Opinion for Flaming Gorge Dam under Section 7 of the <br />Endangered Species-Act. Lack of such information resulted in the establishment <br />of the Colorado River Fishes Project in the late 1970's. The objectives of <br />this project, funded principally by BR and staffed by FWS biologists, included <br />collection of life history information on the Colorado squawfish and humpback <br />chub in the Green River. Data were also collected on the razorback sucker, a <br />species proposed for federal listing and protection under the Act (U.S. <br />Department of the Interior 1990). The razorback sucker is protected by all <br />states where known populations exist. <br />This report summarizes findings of several endangered fish studies <br />designed by FWS and BR, and provides recommendations for management and <br />recovery of these fishes in the Green River basin. Detailed scopes of work for <br />individual studies were presented in modifications to the Interagency <br />Agreement between BR and FWS (#FWS 14-16-006-86-953R) dated 9 June 1986. FWS <br />employees acted as principal investigators for most studies; however, two <br />studies were performed by BR with assistance from FWS, and two studies were <br />conducted by private contractors. These studies included continuation of <br />ongoing projects (i.e., evaluation of spring, summer, and fall requirements of <br />Colorado squawfish) and new research initiatives (i.e., evaluation of spring <br />and early summer habitat use of razorback sucker and humpback chub, potential <br />effects of introduced fishes on Colorado squawfish and humpback chub, winter <br />flow needs of Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker, and effects of low <br />summer/fall flows on young Colorado squawfish). This report consolidates all <br />studies, contrasts these findings with those of others, and presents flow <br />recommendations and temperature regimes needed for recovery of these fishes in <br />partial fulfillment of the Interagency Agreement. <br />7 <br />