Agenda Item 1b: Endangered Fish Instream Water Rights for the Yampa River

Home Browse Search

STATE OF COLORADO Colorado 'Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources 723 State Centennial Buiidins 1313 Sherman Street Denver. Colorado 80203 Phone (303) 866 -3441 FAX (303) 866 - 4474 Ro Gov Rome ernor James S. Lochhead Executive Director, DNR MEMORANDUM Direct L P E Director , CW u%CB To: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members From: Peter Evans`' L� E. I. Jencsok Date: December 5, 1995 Subject: Agenda Item lb, December 13, 1995, Special Board Meeting Endangered Fish Instream Water Rights for the Yampa River INTRODUCTION Importance of the Yampa River: The Yampa River is a high priority for appropriating instream flow water rights because it is the least altered river and consequently least altered habitat in the Upper Colorado River system. It was designated as critical habitat for the four endangered fishes in 1993 from Craig to the Green River in Utah. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) has been conducting biological studies in the Yampa River over the last 15 years. The conclusion of fishery experts from these studies is that the Yampa and Green River systems constitute the most important habitat for endangered fishes in the Upper Colorado River Basin. . This system supports the largest remaining populations of Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker, and the humpback chub population is one of the few self - sustaining populations remaining in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The relative abundance of these fishes in this system has led fishery biologists to conclude that habitat conditions are more favorable for preservation and recovery of the endangered fishes in the Yampa than other parts of the Upper Colorado River Basin, and maintenance of flows which mimic the natural flow regime are critical to the survival and recovery of these federally protected species. Protection of instream flows needed to recover the four endangered fishes is a primary concern of the Service, and is one of the five key elements of the Recovery Implementation Program for the Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin (Recovery Program). In accordance with Colorado's commitment to the Recovery Program and with state statutes, the Service is responsible for conducting instream flow quantification studies and recommending instream flows to the Board for review, approval and implementation; the Board is responsible for the appropriation, acquisition and protection of instream flow water rights in Colorado.