Hot Topic: Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper CO River Basin

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I and comment, a completed work plan within 6 months after the Implementation Committee is established by execution of the Cooperative Agreement between the Secretary and the States. d. Following the Implementation Committee's concurrence with the work plan, the Service, in coordination with appropriate parties, will quantify the habitat needed for recovery of the rare species within the Upper Colorado River and Green River subbasins and will determine the flow levels which may provide that habitat or a range of habitat over various flow regimes. e. After determining appropriate flow needs, the Service will recommend these flows to the Implementation Committee for use in implementing the recommendations, as described in the following section. 4.1.3 Implementation of Habitat Flow Needs Following identification of instream flow needs, the following process will be initiated: a. Once instream flow needs have been identified, the Implementation Committee will request from staff of the appropriate State agencies (e.g., the Colorado Water Conservation Board) and other Implementation Committee members recommendations on alternative means for providing the desired instream flows. An array of alternatives will be provided by these parties to the Implementation Committee, along with estimates of costs, methods of implementation, timeframes, and procedural requirements. b. The Implementation Committee will review the available alternatives (see Section 4.14), prepare recommendations, and request the Secretary to implement the Implementation Committee's recommendations. The Implementation Committee will subsequently monitor the efforts of all parties to ensure that the desired instream flows are achieved. c. The success of this recovery program is contingent upon the provision of water rights for instream flows that satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, pursuant to State law. The manner in which this will be implemented is described below. 1. ADMINISTRATION OF INSTREAM FLOWS IN COLORADO: The State of Colorado has in place a law that allows for the appropriation and IN acquisition of water rights to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree [Colo. Rev. Stat. 37 -92- 102(3)]. Instream flows for stream segments within the State of Colorado, including RA those supplied by Ruedi and Blue Mesa Reservoirs for instream purposes, will be appropriated and acquired by the Colorado Water Conservation Board pursuant to the procedural and substantive s requirements of State law. The Secretary will recommend the appropriation and acquisition of instream flow water rights, and the ways and means of doing so, to the Colorado Water Conservation Board. It is anticipated that the Secretary a,id the Board will execute an agreement to better define their respective responsibilities under 4 -3