7281 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7281
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Title: Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Environmental Assessment, November 1987.
• USFW Year: 1987.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

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CHAPTER III AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT
b. State and Private Water Management
St
t
d
i
a
e an
pr
vate water projects have been and are being undertaken to
develop and use Upper Basin water under the Colorado River Compact.
Typically smaller than Federal projects, State and private projects
are developed by a number of cooperative agencies. The capacity of
these reservoirs rarely exceeds 50,000 acre-feet and average annual
depletions range between 25,000 and 35,000 acre-feet. These projects
are located on lesser tributaries and are required to undergo
Section 7 consultation because of the need for Section 404 permits or
because they are to be built totally or partially on Federal lands.
Private water management generally involves the construction of small
intake structures which divert directly out of the river at a constant
rate. There have been a number of these type projects proposed on the
mainstem Colorado above Grand Junction which have undergone Section 7
consultation. Typical of these are the oil shale projects which the
Service consulted upon in the early 1980's. These projects were
evaluated by the Service and depletion impacts were offset by using
the "Windy Gap" process described in Appendix A.
c. Future Actions
Over the past 2 years, the Service has developed a computer model of
the Upper Basin (excluding the San Juan River). The model was
developed to calculate the additive effect of proposed projects on
stream flow at various locations in the basin to facilitate Section 7 M
consultations. The model allows the Service to compare different
development scenarios and calculate changes between historic
conditions, existing conditions, environmental baseline, and post-
Section 7 project conditions. To aid impact analysis in the
environmental assessment, the Service has compiled a list of projects
which may complete Section 7 consultation by the year 2000. The list
of projects for the year 2000 scenario was developed by Reclamation
and the Service in cooperation with the Hydrology Subcommittee of the
Upper Colorado River Basin Coordinating Committee.

The year 2000 analysis simulates the flow level which would be present
in the various rivers after all projects which may complete Section 7
consultation prior to the year 2000 have been completed. Appendix D

contains a detailed list of the projects included in the year ,
2000 scenario and shows monthly flows at selected Upper Basin river
locations under different scenarios.
2. Water Rights
Water management in the Upper Basin is governed by interstate compacts,
treaties, agreements, and the water rights laws of the several States.
The relative scarcity of the resource and its overwhelming importance to
the existence of the States, both economically and environmentally, '
results in an intense interest expressed by the States in the adjudication
and regulation of the water resources of the Colorado River.

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