Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />Service to streamline its required consultation process and to reduce financial burdens on <br />water development projects. <br /> <br />The Upper Colorado River Program has provided the reasonable and prudent <br />alternative to provide compliance with the Endangered Species Act in Section 7 <br />biological opinions for 508 large and small water projects in Colorado, Utah and <br />Wyoming. These projects have an aggregate capability to deplete approximately 586,000 <br />acre-feet of water per year (about 462,000 acre-feet were historic or "pre-Program" <br />projects that required ESA consultation). <br /> <br />In the San Juan River Program, substantial progress has been made in the <br />identification of limiting factors for the species through the cooperation of program <br />participants, and recovery activities are just beginning. The program, along with the re- <br />operation of Navajo Reservoir, provides the reasonable and prudent alternative for <br />approximately 700,000 acre-feet of historic depletions in the Basin. The Program <br />serves as a part of the reasonable and prudent alternative for the Animas-La Plata <br />Project (57,100-acre feet of future depletion) in Colorado and New Mexico and the <br />Navajo Indian Irrigation project (133,OOO-acre feet of pre-program depletion) in New <br />Mexico. The program will also provide the reasonable and prudent alternative for <br />future development as "sufficient" progress is made in the recovery of the endangered <br />fish. <br /> <br />The protection and development ofIndian Trust Assets and the success of key <br />water rights settlements in the San Juan River Basin depend upon the success of the San <br />Juan River Recovery Implementation Program. Secure funding for the capital projects <br />and the continued research necessary for the recovery of the species is critical to the <br />protection of these assets and honoring the provisions of the water rights settlements. <br /> <br />Requests for funding for both recovery programs have received considerable <br />support in Congress because the programs serve as a dispute resolution mechanism and <br />provide a means to resolve potentially conflicting national goals in the Upper Colorado <br />River and San Juan River Basins. <br /> <br />Since 1988, the programs have relied primarily on the good will of Congressional <br />appropriators and the Department of the Interior for adequate funding.' While the U.S. <br />Fish and Wildlife Service has specific authority to undertake capital projects under the <br />federal Endangered Species Act, no such specific authority exists for the U.S. Bureau of <br />Reclamation, the Bureau ofIndian Affairs or the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to <br />implement recovery actions. As the amount of funding required is increasing because <br />capital construction projects are finally underway, program participants believe these <br />recovery programs need clear statutory authority to help ensure that needed funds <br />continue to be appropriated by Congress. <br /> <br />The escalation in program costs has also led the Bureau of Reclamation to <br />conclude that it must seek greater cost sharing from the participating states to ensure the <br />continued viability of these programs. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br />