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<br /> <br />UflJj71 <br /> <br />lAd Wildlife Service 2001clconsider the Green River_subbasin as.ihrnnloLol.the <br />Upper Basin Colorado pikeminnow melapopulation. fne-Crr;e" River in O~ion"tlnd <br />Gr!l)'CMlyO"j anti-1rt--9rrwsl't1:1l'-Nl'ltlo!'1ll1 "101~t (DI"o!&ur) i! con3ldered Important <br />Io-the fflrnveI"yof humpMcl., tl ,ub-in-1he-Humpbl'lch ChubR~l'ln-ws-FWS <br />199(mHhr; OOr'yUitl nec",e,y P/1't"1USFW~ 133Gb) rnd,~tes-!m.I-oneof Ihe-1l'lst <br />k!'!OW11'-1i\rerrne-co"ce"lmllOf'l3 ofbv"yItl'TI-wa'$-in-thr; Cr~en River-mlhin-6'irto'S1'Ittl""-I'lrld <br />rdeni!tleS-lhe-&ee~llo",'Gr/!v-B1tI'lVOfHlnd-wtl~~'h~h <br />'-"-" , .- ~ <br />ononlyreco,e, ,-andi-oT-resIOl'l'llion !;tI!::3 Habitat in Desolalion and Gray canyons <br />supports a self-sustainina humpback chub papulation. and of the last known riYerln~ <br />concentrations of bonvtaif was irr the Green River within Dinosaur National Monumeni <br />'U.S. Fish and Wi!dlife Service 19903. 1990b. 20013. 2001bl. Recovery plans for <br />humoback chub {U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990al and bonvtai! (U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service 1990b) identified the Green River In Desolation and Grav canyOns and <br />in Dinosaur National Monument as imoortantlo recovery. The Green River suoports <br />the farcest known wild pooulation of razorback sucker in their natural riverine habilal <br />(Lanigan and TyuSJ989; U.S,Fish and Wildlife Service 1998, 2001d). <br /> <br />31,2 Recover,rActions <br /> <br />-, <br />Recovery acllons In the Green River wtIlhave focused on refining the oporatlon of <br />Flaming Gorge dam to enhance habitat conditions for the endangered fIshes. A <br />biologIcal opinion was issued on the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam in 1992. ThiS <br />opinion contained seasonal flow recommendations for the Green River at Jensen. Utah, <br />fm--tne--morrt~ohMy-oclvheri...and !l'>ecl'Ied-;t'-fIlr'tQe-ot~er:r.me1'll8Itesl~-klrlhe <br />ref'Mlnder--of t~-vel'll": and called for additlonal research 'under.a specific set of <br />. "'''', - ',. <br />research flows to collect infonnalion needed to refine the flow recommendaU9..DS <br />(oarticularlv flow recommendations lor sprino and wir:1lerJ and to develop flow <br />recommendations for.olhec.areasoflbe .Green.Blvefl The effects of the test flows on <br />the endangered fishes and their habital were evaluated through a variety ot studies <br />through_ 1997>l-and a rev"C(:U?r(lIoo'C!lIO"'n.io,',.i~}tOVl'~<:",,v"~!~8tl.~~!)mt,!,~ <br />..,stI~ final report includino revised flow recommendations has been. completed ,rn-2QOO <br />(Mulh et al. 2000) NEPA National Environmenlal Policy Act {NEPAl compliance on <br />reoperatlon of FlaminQ Gorce Dam 'Mlt--be eo" ,(Jleted-wltn.rn"'H3 "rOnt~~ vHhe f"'1'l1 <br />,." " , '.'h. "'" ...,-- s' _,.,..-__ <br />b,olo'H~1 op" rlOrns onooine and is expected to be completed in_20()3.~A new bIological <br />opinion will be completed following NEP'A compliance: however, Ihls will not prevent <br />operation of the dam in accordance With the e~rlief 1992 opinion In the Interim. <br /> <br />Flow recommendallons I'lre alsohave been,or.are being developed lor some tributafles <br />to the Green RIver. SUCh as the Vampa: White: and Duchesne rivers, Tributary and <br />mainstem flow recommendations will be carefully coordinated to address recovery <br />needs from an Upper Basin wide perspeCII~e <br /> <br />An element of the 1992 Flaming Gorge bam bIologIcal opinion identifioothe need to <br />prolect dam releases fr-om nsmmg Gorse from pOSSIble diversion in the occupied <br />habilat o! the endangered fishes The Initial focus of this effort was 10 legally protect <br />Flaming Gorge releases In the Green RIver down to the confluence 01 the Duchesne <br />River for the months of July through October, Flow protection for the remainder of the <br /> <br />IJ <br />