BOARD02446

• Board Meeting Date: 7/26/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - 15-Mile Reach ESA Section 7 Consultation - Status Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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in recognition ofthe large annual variations that normally occur due to precipitation, evaporation,
storage and other variables. New depletions will receive somewhat less protection from future
regulatory review than "existing" supplies since the water interests asked the FWS to review new
depletions in any future effort to reestablish compliance with ESA before reviewing: existing:
depletions.

When the 10-year average of new depletions reaches 50,000 AF (or in 2015, whichever
occurs first), the FWS says it will review implementation ofthe recovery actions and the status of
the endangered species. If the FWS determines that the recovery actions have not been
implemented or that the species' status has not improved "sufficiently," it plans to reinitiate this
consultation. The FWS will determine whether additional measures must be required and whether
the Recovery Program is able to implement those measures before depletions are allowed to
exceed 60,000 AF, However, the measures being discussed now are generally expected to
provide the basis for full development of the entire 120,000 AF.

The Recovery Action Requirements. Tbe set of recovery actions contemplated by the
FWS in these discussions includes flow protection measures, other habitat restoration and
protection measures, stocking measures and continued monitoring, research and funding
measures, The flow-related measures do not include new water rights in Colorado; instead, they
include
. the two existing rights the CWCB holds in the I5-Mile Reach,
. the existing "5.000 + 5,000 AF" requirement from Ruedi Reservoir,
. a new requirement for a lease(s) of IO,825 AF for 15 years from Ruedi,
. another requirement for a permanent IO,825 AF from any Division 5 facility(s),
. the Coordinated Reservoir Operations Study ("CROS") that have enhanced the spring peak
by approximately 2,000 - 2500 AF last year and the year before, and
. the Coordinated Facilities Operation Study (a.k.a. "CROS U")that is supposed to work
toward a goal of20,000 AF without impairing project yield or increasing operating cost.

The non-flow recovery actions are likely to include:
. development and maintenance of grow-out ponds;
. restoration of bottom lands;
. passage facilities at the Roller Dam and Price-Stubb diversions;
. stocking endangered fish;
. restricting the stocking of non-native competitors and the removal of any associated harvest
restrictions; and
. developing a comprehensive non-native fish control plan for the Colorado River.

The Flow Recommendations. The FWS has tried to clariJY its view that "recovery" (we
are still working to define this term) will require protection of "adequate flows," but not
necessarily the recommended flows. The FWS recognizes that the 1995 flow recommendations
will not be met for the spring months but, in its consideration of the PBO, they explicitly
anticipate that "the combination of flow and non-flow recovery actions will increase populations
of endangered fishes and restore critical habitat." FWS will use fish population response, which
may take many years to detect reliably, to indicate whether the recovery goals are attained. If
they are not, the FWS says it will reinitiate consultation and plans to ask each federal agency

Flood Control and Floodplain Management -Larry Lang, Chief. Water Project Planning and Construction- Mike Serler, Chief. Instream
Flows and Water Rights Investigations-Dan Merriman, Chief. Interstate Streams Investigations-Randy Seaholm, Chief. Office of
Conservation Planning-William Stanton, Chief. Personnel and Budget .Susan Maul, Chief