Correspondences Concerning Upper Colorado Biological Opinions 1993

• Description: Correspondences Concerning Upper Colorado Biological Opinions 1993
• State: CO
• Date: 11/30/1993
• Title: Correspondences Concerning Upper Colorado Biological Opinions 1993
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Biological Opinion

Ira W. Hatch, District Ranger
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habitat (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1982). While humpback chub are
regularly found dispersed in the Green and Yampa Rivers, the only major
populations of humpback chub known to exist in the Upper.Basin are located in
Black Rocks and Westwater Canyons on the Colorado River.
Critical Habitat
Critical habitat has been proposed within the humpback chub's historical range
in the following sections of the Upper Basin which are pertinent to this
project (58 F.R. 6578):
Utah, Uintah and Grand Counties. The Green River (Desolation and Gray
Canyons) from Sumners Amphitheater (river mile 85) in T. 12 S., R. 18 E.,
section 5 (Salt Lake Meridian) to Swasey's Rapid (river mile 12). in
T. 20 S., R. 16 E., section 3 (Salt Lake Meridian).
Utah, Garfield and San Juan Counties. The Colorado River from Brown
Betty Rapid (river mile 212.5) in T. 30 S., R. 18 E., section 34 (Salt
Lake Meridian) to Imperial Canyon (river mile 200) in T. 31 S., R. 17 E.,
section 28 (Salt Lake Meridian).
Bonytail Chub
Little is known about the biological requirements of the bonytail chub, as the
species has drastically declined in numbers in the Upper Basin shortly after
1960. Until recently, the Service considered the species extirpated from the
Upper Basin; however, a recently collected specimen which exhibits many
bonytail characteristics could indicate a small, extant population. It is
thought that, should this species persist in the Colorado River, the preferred
habitat would be in the larger river reaches.
Critical Habitat
Critical habitat has been proposed within the bonytail chub's historical range
in the following sections of the Upper Basin, which are pertinent to this
project (58 F.R. 6578):
Utah, Uintah and Grand Counties. The Green River (Desolation and Gray
Canyons) from Sumner's Amphitheater (river mile 85) in T. 12 S.,
R. 18 E., section 5 (Salt Lake Meridian) to Swasey's Rapid (river
mile 12) in T. 20 S., R. 16 E., section 3 (Salt Lake Meridian).
Utah, Garfield and San Juan Counties. The Colorado River from Brown
Betty Rapid (river mile 212.5) in T. 30 S., R. 18 E., section 34 (Salt
Lake Meridian) to Imperial Canyon (river mile 200) in T. 31 S., R. 17 E.,
section 28 (Salt Lake Meridian).
REASONABLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVES
On January 21 -22, 1988, the Secretary of the Interior; the Governors of
Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah; and the Administrator of the Western Area Power
Administration were cosigners of a Cooperative Agreement to implement the
"Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper