Committee on Resources - Hornady-Marshall Auditorium College Park

• Description: related to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• State: CO
• State: NE
• State: WY
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 2/16/2002
• Author: PRRIP
• Title: Additional Testimony before the US House of Representatives Committee on Resources
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

Scicntiflc'Cvahtatlon of Fliological Opinions on Endangorcd and Throntcncd rishcs In Rcport (2002)
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Contents
SUMMARY................................................ ........... ...... ........................ ......_ -1
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................... .................. . . .. .. •. ......5
2. EVALUATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON SHORTNOSE AND LOST RIVER
SUCKERS....................................................................... ..............................9
3. EVALUATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION ON KLAMATH BASIN COHO
SALMON..... .................................................................. . ................. .... ...... ... 17
4. CONCLUSIONS ............................... ............................... . .. .........................21
S. REFERENCES ......................,............................... - -- .--........ .............................22
6. APPENDIX. STATEMENT OF TASK .......................................... .............................25
FIGURE 1 Map of the Upper Klamath River Basin showing surface waters and landmarks
mentioned in this report (modified from USFWS sources), 6
FIGURE 2 Overview of monthly levels for Upper Klamath Lake proposed by USBR through
Its biological assessment of 2001, USFWS through Its biological opinion of 2001,
and observed conditions for the years 1960 —1998. Hydrologic categories used
by USBR In its proposals (dry years. critical dry years) are explained In the text.
Mean depths, excluding wetlands, corresponding to water levels are
approximately as follows (feet): 4137 = 3.5; 4138 = 4.0; 4139 = 4.8; 4140 = 5.7;
4141 = 6.6; 4142 = 7.6 (Welch and Burke 2001. Figure 2 -5), 11
FIGURE 3 Historical record of level at the end of September for Upper Klamath Lake (from
USBR sources), 12
FIGURE 4 Relationship of chlorophyll a and medlan August lake level in Upper Klamath
Lake between 1991 and 9998. Chlorophyll data are averages as reported by
Welch and Burke 20p1. Recruitment and mortality information Is as reported by
USFWS 2001,14
FIGURE 5 Relative strength of year classes for endangered suckers as reconstructed from
survey of mass mortality in 1995. 1996, and 1997 (combined), 15
FIGURE 6 Three flow regimes for the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam: USBR proposed
(USBR 2001 b: minima for dry and critical years), historical mean minima for dry
and critical dry years, and RPA minimum flows from NMFS (2001). Hydrologic
categories used by USBR in its proposals (dry years, critical dry years) are
explained in the text, 19
xii
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