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Each Federal agency shall...insure that any action authorized, funded, or carried ou t by such agency does not jeopard ize the continued existence of any endangered species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of habitat of such species which is determined by the Secre- tary. . . to be cri tical, unless such agency has been granted an exemption by the Com- mittee...7 Development of energy and water resources 1n the West is likely to involve federal funds, permits, or land. Designation of critical whooping crane habitat on the central Platte, wide distribution of endangered and threatened fishes in the Upper Colorado Basin, and rigorous enforcement of the Endangered Species Act suggest major consequences for water development 1n some basins of the West. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (PL 90-542) provides for a national system of free-flowing rivers or river segments to protect "outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values." The Act features land use controls and prohibition of water project licensing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission within the boundaries of the system (see Goode 11, 1979). Land acquisi tion, however, cannot extend more than one-quarter mile from the stream, and water develop- ment up or downstream is permissible if it does not adversely affect the protected area. The Bureau of Reclamation and, to a lesser degree, other federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the Soil Conservation Service, are sponsors of a number of water development, flood control, and navigation projects in the West. The Bureau, for example, has conditional rights to develop over 400,000 acre-ft/yr on Colorado's Western Slope; this is about one-ha If of Colorado's remaining enti tlement to Colorado River water. Wh i Ie deauthorization of federal projects makes water available to others, private development simply might be uneconomic. For those federal projects which are built, the Fish and Wildlife Coordi- nation Act (PL 85-264) requires consultation between state and federal fish and wildlife agencies and the construction agencies. However, a study of over 100 consultation and flow recommendations suggests that inadequate assessments were conducted in one-fifth of the cases and that enforcement or monitoring was lax in two-fifths of the cases (Nelson and others, 1976). Obviously, this law could be used more effectively to protect fisheries. Finally, engineering "fixes" could be applied to existing structures to improve habitat. For example, cold, clear, tailwater releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir eradicated habitat of endemic fishes in the Colorado River and diminished trout habitat. A. $4 mill ion modification to the turbine intakes now a llows use of warmer water from the surface of the reservoir and may at least restore a natural trout hatchery to the Green River. IEndangered Species Act (PL 93-205), 1973. 6