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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />2. <br /> <br />Through short-term and/or long-term agreements developed in cooperation with the <br />Service and CWCB, Reclamation will make up to 21,650 af ofRuedi Reservoir water <br />available to the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program for up to a <br />total of 15 years to improve flows in the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River. This <br />water is in addition to the current commitment of 5,000 af annually and 5,000 af every 4 <br />out of 5 years. <br /> <br />a. The term ofthe agreements will be for up to 15 years beginning in 1998 or the first <br />year that the Recovery Program pays O&M costs for water made available for <br />release to the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado River. The only cost for this water <br />will be O&M expenses which will be paid for by the Recovery Program. <br /> <br />b. Until Reclamation can develop and execute the long-term agreement, Reclamation <br />will continue to make up to 21,650 af of water available to the Upper Colorado <br />River Endangered Fish Recovery Program through I-year contracts among <br />Reclamation, CWCB, and the Service beginning by September 1998. The term of <br />the long-term agreement (2.a above) will be reduced by the length of the short- <br />term agreements. Water made available through these short- and/or long-term <br />agreements is in addition to the already committed 5,000 afannually and 5,000 af <br />4 out of 5 years. <br /> <br />c. <br /> <br />Reclamation will develop and present the proposed long-term agreement to the <br />CWCB and the Service by May 1999 and take the lead in getting the agreement <br />finalized. <br /> <br />3. The amount, timing, and rate of the releases from Ruedi Reservoir shall be determined by <br />Reclamation in consultation with the Service. However, Reclamation will continue to <br />operate Ruedi Reservoir in the manner anticipated in the 1989 Final Supplemental EIS for <br />Ruedi Round II water sales (EIS# FSES 89-19) and the Record of Decision signed <br />January 16, 1990, and any operating constraints associated with the authorizing legislation <br />for the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project. <br /> <br />4. A programmatic biological opinion is being contemplated to address all current depletions <br />and some amount offuture depletion in the Colorado River. Nothing in this reasonable <br />and prudent alternative precludes identifying Ruedi Reservoir in a Colorado River <br />programmatic biological opinion as a source of up to 10,825 af of water for as long as <br />needed by the endangered fish to improve flows in the IS-Mile Reach of the Colorado <br />River. It is intended that future depletions from Ruedi Reservoir will be addressed in the <br />Colorado River programmatic biological opinion. Once finalized, the Colorado River <br />programmatic biological opinion will take precedence over this amended opinion. <br />