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Interstate and Federal Law near Vernal, Utoh (top) -are part of the effort to restore populations of pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub (above) and razorback sucker under the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Pragrarn. ment. In turn, this has pushed Colorado decision-makers to examine alternatives to proposed water projects. Compliance with the Endangered Species Act is important to Colorado's abil- ity to use the waters provided in its inter- state compacts. In connection with further development of their Colorado River Compact entitlements, for example, the upper basin states - Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming -participate in a program called the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. The recovery program is a joint effort with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal, state, water user, and envi- ronmental organizations to recover endan- gered Colorado River native fish, including the pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker. Participation allows upper basin state water users to qualify for federal permits and other approvals needed to construct water facili- ties and apply for new water uses. Federal laws and regulations add much complexity to Colorado's ability to meet its water needs. For example, sec- tion 404 of the Clean Water Act requires a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to place dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, which includes rivers and wetlands. This means that virtually all dams require federal approval. The U.S. EPA exercises veto authority over these permits. In the 1980s, the U.S. EPA vetoed the Denver Water Board's application for the Two Forks Dam, which had attracted substan- tial opposition throughout Colorado. Particularly controversial have been cases where the U.S. Forest Service has required by-pass flows as a condition for issuing or renewing permit right of ways for on-Forest diversions and reservoirs. A by-pass flow is an amount of water required to flow past a dam or diversion to support downstream forest water needs, such as wildlife habitat or recreation. Opponents of bypass flows argue they ille- gally and inappropriately intrude into Colorado's legal authority to allocate and manage water use; supporters insist they are a necessary tool for protecting water- dependent resources on the national forests, given the existing decreed water rights held by private water users with on- forest dams and diversions. In the state's instream flow law, the Colorado General Assembly has urged the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies to work with the Colorado Water Conservation Board on instream I flow needs. I Z S ~, C^ L^ R A D^ F^ U N D A T I ^ N F^ R W ATE R E D U C A T I ^ N Construction of new defms is subject t:o federal approval. The controversial Two Folks Dpm project in Calarada was vetoed by the Er~lviranmental Protection Agency (EF'A) in the 19&~s. When completed in 19 75, Hoover Dam (above) on the Colorado River. whicfr produces more than four ~iilion kilowntt hours of electricity each year: was the largest dam in the world.