1995 Washington, D.C. Briefing Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin

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Recovery Program overview The Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin is a 15 -year, interagency partnership aimed at recovering the endangered Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bonytail chub and razorback sucker while providing for future water development. The program was launched in 1988, when the Governors of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming; the Secretary of the Interior; and the Administrator of Western Area Power Administration signed a cooperative agreement initiating the program and committing each participant to implementing the program's elements. Program participants are: • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation • Western Area Power Administration (� State of Colorado • State of Utah �• State of Wyoming • Colorado Water Congress • Utah Water Users Association • Wyoming Water Development Association • National Audubon Society • Environmental Defense Fund • Colorado Wildlife Federation • Wyoming Wildlife Federation • Colorado River Energy Distributors Association The program has brought together a diverse group of public and private interests that has made significant strides toward endangered fish recovery. These are explained in more detail later, but here are a few highlights: • The Bureau of Reclamation has improved endangered fish habitat by altering the timing of releases from Flaming Gorge and Blue Mesa reservoirs. The amount of water affected by these changes totals 2.5 million acre -feet each year. • Construction is set to begin this spring on a fish ladder that will provide access to more than 50 miles of endangered fish habitat on the Gunnison River in southwestern Colorado. • Hatchery ponds have been constructed in Colorado and Utah to aid in captive rearing of endan- gered fish. • More than 195 water projects have been allowed to proceed in the upper Colorado River Basin, in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. • Recovery Program actions have resulted in no water project - related litigation whatsoever. In short, the program is succeeding in implementing the Endangered Species Act while also allowing for water resource development and complying with all State water laws. For all of these reasons, this has been called a "model program." Continued Congressional funding is needed if key recovery actions are to be completed. D