Laserfiche WebLink
<br />entered for the Animas and La Plata Rivers. Pre-construction activities can now once again begin. __ <br /> <br />San Juan RIP Meeting: The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program - Coordination <br />. Committee met in Farmington, New Mexico on Nov. 2 and approved a 2002 work plan totaling <br />. approximately $1.8 million dollars. In so doing, it rejected ajoint scope of work between Colorado and New <br />Mexico that would have utilized a portion of the Mumma Hatchery in the San Luis Valley to raise Roundtail <br />Chub for stocking in the San Juan Basin. Roundtail Chub are not a listed species, but clearly are a species of <br />concem in New Mexico. The Coordination Committee did encourage the researchers and biologists to <br />pursue this effort, but they did not feel using recovery program funds was appropriate. <br /> <br />Navajo Reservoir Operations Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Following adoption <br />of the flow recommendations for the San Juan River in May 1999 the Bureau of Reclamation undertook a <br />NEPA process to identify the impacts ofre-operating Navajo Dam to meet the flow reconunendations. We <br />have received the preliminary draft EIS and meeting is scheduled for Nov. 28 in Farmington to New Mexico <br />with cooperating agencies to discuss the PDEIS. Completion of the EIS remains important to completion of <br />the environmental commitments necessary for the Animas-La Plata Project to move forward. <br /> <br />Yampa River Basin Issues <br /> <br />Steamboat Water Lease: A lease between Colorado State Parks and the USFWS was extended through <br />November 30,2001, allowing Colorado State Parks to release water from storage in August and September <br />for endangered fish in the Yampa River. A long-term lease will be considered as part of the Yarnpa <br />Management Plan. <br /> <br />Elkhead & Yampa River Management Plan: A final draft of the Yampa Management Plan has been <br />posted on the Intemet and hard copies mailed out. The USFWS is working to schedule initial NEP A Scoping <br />meetings at the end of November and is working with the Yampa Basin partnership to keep the public <br />. involved. The tentative dates for these meetings are: <br /> <br />. Nov. 27 -- Steamboat (Centennial Hall) <br />. Nov. 28 - Baggs, WY (High School) <br />. Nov. 29 -- Craig (Shadow Mountain) <br /> <br />The River District plans to submit a 404-permit application for Elkhead Reservoir enlargement by the end of <br />December. The District would like to be in a position to bid this project in March of2003. The District is <br />considering keeping a conservation pool in the reservoir to preserve the fishery during construction. <br /> <br />Agency Updates <br /> <br />Personnel Update: You met our new Board Coordinator, Catherine Gonzales, on Nov. 8. We have also <br />hired a new Budget Officer, Tina Heltzel. We welcome them both. <br /> <br />We have also advertised to hire a new Director for the Office of Water Conservation. The application period <br />closed today. <br /> <br />Finally, we are also in the process of replacing Bill Green, who worked in our Finance Section. . <br /> <br />### <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />18 <br />