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the approved recovery plan and critical habitat designation for the squawfish The prospectus does not clearly explain how the existing range-wide recovery plans for the squawfish and the two chubs should be implemented in the Lower Basin, and does not relate its goal of maintaining self-perpetuating populations of all four fishes in the Lower Basin to the populations that should be maintained throughout their geographic ranges. It does, however, offer a different approach to recovery planning at least for the bonytail and razorback in the Lower Basin, which could complement the Upper Basin and San Juan Programs and which should be reconciled with the planning for the recovery of these fishes across their range in both basins. The status of the prospectus is now unclear and it appears to have been displaced by the proposal to develop a multi-species conservation program for the lower Colorado River mainstem, discussed below. Biological Assessment by BOR of Project Operations Following informal consultations through September 1994, the FWS advised the BOR that the operation of existing water and power projects in the Lower Basin, individually or cumulatively, would trigger formal consultation under Section 7 of the ESA if listed species were affected or their designated critical habitat could be adversely modified. Most of these projects were authorized under federal reclamation law, or have a strong federal nexus, and are located in the midst of the designated critical habitat for the bonytail and razorback on the lower mainstem of the Colorado River. The operation of Glen Canyon Dam had already been the subject of a Section 7 consultation before critical habitat for the humpback chub was designated downstream in the Grand Canyon. The BOR then began the.preparation of a biological assessment to determine if existing project operations on the Colorado River's lower mainstem were likely to affect any listed species or designated critical habitat. The BOR held several scoping workshops to obtain input from stakeholders on this assessment, but then deferred completion of the biological assessment until 1998 to consider the development of a multi-species conservation program for the lower Colorado River mainstem, discussed next.. The BOR has since decided to complete a draft biological assessment by March 1996. Lower Colorado River Program Concerned about the potential impacts of project re-operation under Section 7, the Lower Basin states formed a Steering Committee in October 1993 to assess the alternatives and inquired about DOI's interest in the development of a multi-species management plan for the lower Colorado River mainstem under Section 10 of the ESA. After encouraging meetings with the FWS, the water management agencies for the Lower Basin states initiated a feasibility study on the alternatives in July 1994. Feasibility study. SWCA, Inc., a private consulting firm, was retained to conduct this feasibility study, which was completed in December 1994. The SWCA report notes that 35 listed or candidate species presently occur in the corridor of the lower Colorado River, and assumes the applicable ESA provisions regarding the protection and recovery of listed species would survive Congressional re-authorization, that the Law of the River would not change, and that the FWS would eventually conclude that existing water and power operations would adversely affect the listed species or their critical habitat on the lower Colorado River. The report maintains that management of the listed fishes at least below the Grand Canyon should focus on population augmentation of the razorback and bonytail with artificially enhanced.or created habitats and that such management did not require the re-operation of water and power projects. The report's evaluation of nine alternatives favors an HCP approach because it would be the most proactive and would allow the 19