Briefing Paper to Accompany the Proposed Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Endangered Fish Recovery Act of 1997

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Recovery program elements San Juan River Recovery Program • Research is being conducted to determine the relative abundance, distribution and reproduction of endangered fish and other native fish, as well as monitoring and evaluating the impact of recovery actions. • Genetic management and stocking will determine the relative genetic distinctiveness of the of the San Juan River populations of Colorado squawfish and razorback suckers and to protect these populations in "refuge" facilities. • Habitat protection, management and augmentation involves identifying stretches of the San Juan that are important for the fish, monitoring those areas during "test'.' flows from Navajo Dam to determine habitat quality and quantifying the response of endangered and other fish. • Water quality protection and enhancement requires evaluating the effects that selenium and other contaminants have had on the fish, monitoring water quality and to taking action to reduce or eliminate problematic contaminants. • Reducing the impacts of nonnative fish involves identifying which exotic species pose the greatest problem for endangered fish, working to secure interagency agreements to discontinue stocking nonnative warmwater fish in important habitat areas for fish and implementing law enforcement actions to minimize violations related to nonnative fish stocking and endangered species recovery. (Stocking of trout still is allowed in areas that will not impact endangered fish.) • Monitoring and managing data involves evaluating status and trends of endangered and other fish species, ensuring that standardized methods are used in data collection and reporting and establishing a central clearinghouse for dissemination of San Juan River basin research findings.