BOARD02400

• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/1999
• Description: Colorado River Basin Issues - Long-Term Funding Legislation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

.

Briefing Paper to Accompany
The Upper Colorado River and San Juan River Program
Long-term F~ding Legislation

Background

The Colorado River Basin is home to 14 native fish species; eight of these have seriously
declined; and four species -- the Colorado squawfish, razorback sucker, bony tail chub and
humpback chub -- are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.

State and federal laws protect endangered fish. The federal Endangered Species Act declares that
endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife and plants are of aesthetic, ecological,
educational, historical, recreational and scientific value to the nation and its people. In passing
this Act, Congress expressed its intent that endangered species should be protected and
recovered.

In order to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act two cooperative intergovernmental
programs have been established:

;:\:"

. the Cooperative Agreement to implement the Recovery Implementation Program for the
Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River dated September 29, 1987; and

.

. the 1992 Cooperative Agreement to implement the San Juan River Recovery Implementation
Program dated October 21, 1992.

.~

The state of Colorado, the state of Utah, the state of Wyoming, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Region 6), the Western Area Power Administration,
environmental organizations like the Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund,
water development interests, and federal power customers are the main participants in the Upper
Colorado River Program.

The state of Colorado, the state of New Mexico, .the Colorado Ute Indian Tribes, the Jicarilla-
Apache Indian Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Region 2 and 6), the Bureau ofIndian Affairs, the Bureau of Land
Management and water development interests, are the main participants in the San Juan River
'1' ,t.
Program. ., .

Through the recovery programs, governme~t agencies, Indian tribes and private organizations are
working to achieve recovery of endangered Jishwhile balancing the continuing demands for
water in the arid West. The participants are equal partners in the recovery programs and
decisions are made by consensus. The recovery programs work within state laws and support
water development under interstate water compacts. The programs have also allowed the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to streamline its required consultation process and to reduce financial
. burdens on water development projects.