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. . . The escalation in program costs has also led the Bureau of Reclamation to conclude that it must seek greater cost sharing from the participating states to ensure the continued viability of these programs through the remainder of their IS-year terms, ending in 2005 and 2007 respectively. The Proposed Legislation The bill authorizes the appropriation of $46 million for capital projects under the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan Recovery Implementation Program. Appropriations for the Upper Colorado River Program are authorized through the year 2005; and appropriations for the San Juan River Program are authorized through the year 2007. The bill also contemplates cost sharing among program participants. The Bureau of Reclamation has been funding most of the capital cost of the projects to implement the Upper Colorado River program, like building fish ladders and acquiring flooded bottomlands where the fish thrive. Due to the heavy impact on Indian water development and Indian trust lands, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has shared the funding of the recovery efforts in the San Juan River Basin and would likely have responsibility for much of the construction of capital projects in the future. If the bill is enacted, non-federal participants like the stat~s and those who purchase power from federal hydroelectric projects will also help pay for capital projects. This funding will be in cash, the dedication of water from a reservoir in Colorado and the costs associated with re-operating the Flaming Gorge Dam. While the four endangered fish species will not have been recovered by the time the program ends, because they mature slowly and results may not been seen for many years, all the capital projects thought necessary for recovery thus far, will have been authorized for funding. Explanation of Cost Sharing Proposal Contemplated in the Bill . . The estimated capital cost for the two programs 'is $100 million, $82 million for the Upper Colorado River Program and $18 million for thi::San Juan River Program. This money will be used for the genetic conservation and propagation of the endangered fish species, for the restoration of floodplain habitat and fish passage; for regulation and/or supply of instream habitat flows, for preventing fish entrapment in carials and for the removal or translocation of non-native fishes. While the total estimated cost of $1 00 million will be shared by program participants, the actual cost of anyone capital project will depend on final planning, design and budgeting. The bill also authorizes base funding for operations and maintenance in addition to the amount authorized for capital projects. Several capital construction activities are already underway or are being planned which have or will benefit the fish species. These activities include the dedication of flows from the Flaming Gorge Dam which is estimated to cost $15 million for the period 1999-2005; and the dedication of$5 million worth of water from the Colorado Water Conservation District's Wolford Mountain Reservoir, for a total of $20 million. 3