BOARD02631

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Ruedi Reservoir - Proposed Contract for the Release of 21,650 AF to Endangered Fish in the 15-Mile Reach
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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WHEREAS, the Secretary of the Interior joined the Governors of Colorado, Wyoming, and

Utah and the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration in executing a

cooperative agreement on January 21-22, 1988, to implement the Recovery Implementation

Program for the Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin (Recovery

Program); and

WHEREAS, elements of the Recovery Program are to acquire water and water rights to

protect the habitat of the endangered fish and to conduct research to identify the flow and habitat

requirements of the endangered fish; and

WHEREAS, under Section 5 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Secretary of the

Interior has the authority to lease water for the conservation of endangered species; and

WHEREAS, the Service has requested an additional amount of water from Ruedi Reservoir on

a temporary basis to study and evaluate the effects of such additional water on the habitat of the

endangered fish in the IS-mile reach and to preserve the habitat of the endangered fish to a

reasonable degree; and

WHEREAS, Reclamation can make additional water available for such purposes on a

temporary basis without interfering with the long-term Ruedi Reservoir Round II water

marketing program; and

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