Correspondences Concerning Upper Colorado Biological Opinions 1993

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Elizabeth Estill, Regional Forester 2 CONFERENCE OPINION Critical habitat has been proposed for the Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker within the 100 -year floodplain in portions of their historic range (58 F.R. 6578). Destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat is defined in 50 CFR 402.02 as a direct or indirect alteration that appreciably diminishes the value of critical habitat for both the survival and recovery of a listed species. The Service has determined that the project is likely to cause destruction or adverse modification of proposed critical habitat for the four listed endemic fishes. The Service has developed reasonable and prudent alternatives that would avoid destruction or adverse modification to proposed critical habitat. PROJECT DESCRIPTION This biological opinion addresses minor water depletions (125 acre -feet or less) on National Forest System lands in the Upper Colorado River Basin (Upper Basin) in Colorado and Wyoming. This includes the following seven national forests: Arapaho- Roosevelt, Grand Mesa - Uncompahgre- Gunnison, Medicine Bow, Rio Grande, Routt, San Juan, and White River National Forests in Colorado and the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. The Forest Service renders external and internal decisions affecting lands and resources within the administrative boundaries of national forests. External decisions are requests from the public to utilize lands and their associated resources for which permits are issued. Internal decisions are projects or permits needed to implement each forest's "Land and Resource Management Plan." The actions that involve minor water depletions include actions undertaken by non - Forest Service proponents, including but not limited to recreation, wells, snowmaking pipelines pursuant to special use authorization, or a grazing or livestock use permit. The actions that involve minor water depletions also include actions undertaken by the Forest Service on its own behalf, including but not limited to Forest Service - initiated rangeland improvements, wildlife /fisheries enhancement, recreation, and emergency actions (wildfires), etc. This biological opinion covers projects with water depletions of 125 acre -feet or less which would occur from May 1, 1993, through August 1, 1994. The total estimated average annual depletion for this time period is 1,330.35 acre -feet. Of this amount 1,085.153 acre -feet are historic depletions and 245.196 acre - feet are new depletions. The Service defines historic depletions as those depletions occurring prior to January 22, 1988, when the Cooperative Agreement for the "Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin" was executed. The following is a breakdown of water depletions by forest.