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tat and by allowing unrestricted movement within their current range. <br />• Water acquisition: Reclamation will take the lead in acquiring water from existing <br />Federal and private water projects to enhance habitat conditions for endangered <br />fish. Water acquisition initiatives include: <br />— Evaluating the feasibility of more efficiently operating irrigation projects near <br />Grand Junction, Colo., and dedicating the "saved" water to endangered fish. <br />— Using water stored in several smaller Reclamation reservoirs to enhance late <br />summer flows in the Colorado River. <br />— Evaluating possibilities for coordinating Federal and private reservoir operations <br />in the Colorado River headwaters to enhance spring peak flows in the Colorado. <br />— Reviewing alternatives for protecting flows for endangered fish and meeting <br />human needs for water in the Yampa River Basin. <br />• Flood plain restoration: Historically, flood plains throughout the upper Colorado <br />River Basin were inundated annually by spring runoff. But today much of the river <br />is channelized by levees, dikes, rip -rap and the invasion of the exotic plant, <br />tamarisk, or salt cedar. Restoring these flood plains is thought to be especially <br />important for endangered razorback suckers and will benefit a variety of wetland - <br />dependent wildlife. Artificial levees are being removed from several sites in Utah <br />and Colorado. These sites are being evaluated for potential acquisition, restoration <br />and/or management. Funding is needed in FY 1997 to continue land acquisition, <br />levee removal and other flood plain restoration activities at high priority sites. <br />Construction crews began excavating fish ponds in 1993 at the Ouray <br />Endangered Fish Hatchery near Vernal, Utah. A total of 36 ponds are to be <br />completed by 1997. Young endangered fish spawned from wild adults can be <br />raised in the ponds, away from predator fish in the wild. When large enough, <br />they can be released back into the river. <br />