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<br />" <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />The Proposed Legislation <br /> <br />The bill aufhorizes the appropriation of up to $46 million to the Bureau of Reclamation and <br />the Bureau ofIndian Affairs for capital projects under the Upper Colorado Endangered <br />Fish Recovery Program and fhe San Juan Recovery Implementation Program capital <br />projects. Appropriations are authorized for fhe Upper Colorado River Program through the <br />year 2005, and for fhe San Juan River Program through the year 2007. <br /> <br />The bill contemplates cost sharing among program participants. The Bureau of <br />Reclamation has been funding most of the capital cost of fhe projects to implement the <br />Upper Colorado River program, like building fish ladders and acquiring flooded <br />bottomlands and ofher habitats where fhe fish thrive. Due to fhe heavy impact on Indian <br />water development and Indian trust lands, fhe Bureau ofIndian Affairs has shared fhe <br />funding offhe recovery efforts in the San Juan River Basin and would likely have <br />responsibility for some of fhe construction of capital projects in fhe future. <br /> <br />Iffhe proposed legislation is enacted, non-federal participants, like fhe states and fhose <br />who purchase power from federal hydroelectric projects, will also help pay for capital <br />projects. This cost sharing will be in cash, fhe value of water dedicated from a reservoir in <br />Colorado and the cost associated wifh re-operating the Flaming Gorge Dam. <br /> <br />The bill also aufhorizes base funding for fhe basic operating expenses of the two recovery <br />programs in addition to the amoWlt aufhorized for capital projects. <br /> <br />Explanation of Cost Sharing Proposal Contemplated in the Bill <br /> <br />The estimated capital cost for fhe two programs is $100 million, $82 million for fhe Upper <br />Colorado River Program and $18 million for fhe San Juan River Program. This money <br />will be used for genetic diversity and conservation projects, fhe propagation of endangered <br />fish species, for fhe restoration of floodplain habitat and fish passage, for regulation and/or <br />supply of instream habitat flows, for preventing fish entrapment in canals and for fhe <br />removal or relocation of non-native fishes. While fhe total estimated cost of $1 00 million <br />will be shared by program participants, fhe actual cost of anyone capital project will <br />depend on final planning, design and budgeting. <br /> <br />Several capital construction activities are already underway or are being plarmed which <br />have or will benefit fhe fish species. These activities include the dedication of flows from <br />fhe Flaming Gorge Dam which is estimated to cost $15 million for fhe period 1999-2005; <br />and fhe dedication of$5 million worth of water from fhe Colorado Water Conservation <br />District's Wolford Mountain Reservoir, for a total of$20 million. <br /> <br />If one deducts fhese expenses from the total estimated cost of $1 00 million, along wifh fhe <br />federal share of $46 million, non-federal parties must still pay $34 million. This amount <br />will be provided through two primary mechanisms: <br />