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<br />IHlld .5 <br /> <br />needed to address all of the constituent elements. to better define the expected result <br />of the recovery action. and to Increase the certainty that the constituent elements of <br />cntical habllatwould be protected. <br /> <br />MODIFICA nONS <br /> <br />1 Instrcam Flow Protection: Modifications were made under this recovery element <br />10 protect the water quanlily constituent element <br /> <br />a Adjudication of the instream.flow appropriations to be fIled by the Colorado <br />Water Conservation Board (on the Yampa. llllle Snake. White, Colorado, <br />and Gunnison nversjwas added since thesc Instream.nowappropri allon <br />filings will not be legally protected until they are adjudlcaled Inwatercoun, <br />AdJudicallon may take up to three years after filing. depending on the <br />amountoflitlgation, <br /> <br />b. To provide more immedIate habitat Improvements in the Grand Valley area <br />via instraam nows. a modification was made under water acquisition lor the <br />15-mlle reach to enter into an interim agreement for uncommitted waler <br />remaining in Ruedi ReservOIr after Round II water sales are completed or <br />commitments to contracts are agreed to It flow recommendations for the <br />15-mlle reach are mel from other sources during this interim asreement <br />(thereby causing the additional water from Ruedi to exceed the flow <br />recommendations). Ruedl would be relieved of thiS additIonal obligation, At <br />the end ot lhe interim agreement (whether the now recommendations have <br />been met or not). Reclamation may pursue additIonal water sales: however. <br />these sales would be subject to review under Section 7 of the EndangereO <br />SpeciesAcl <br /> <br />2. Habitat Restoration Mo(\lfrcations were made under this recovery element to <br />protect the physical habilat constituent element, <br /> <br />a Access to histOrically Inundated floodplain habitats is believed to be very <br />important to recovery of the razorback sucker and Colorado pikeminnow, <br />Allhough lhe Recovery Program has begun a program to evaluate and <br />restore flooded bottomland areas. the fish's riverine habitat has been and <br />continues to be so channelized by levees, dikes, rip-rap. and tamarisk, that <br />broader floodplain restoration and protectIon (e,g..throughmechanisms <br />such as landowner incentives. conservation easements...ar1~ perhaps <br />zoning) is needed Recovery Program panicipants /!fe VI!!n~ not yet sure <br />exactly how such mechal'llsms might be Implemented. so de-,elopment-of an <br />issue paper on restoration and protectiOn of the floodplall'l has been <br />,,,co,, rrhe, ,ded developea ..1.t!~ i~sue paper wtIl first addressed what <br />restoration and protection measures are needed and then how they might <br />be accomplished, After compltltion of lhe issue paper, Viable optIons WfII be <br />. , <br />wereidentlliedanda restoration strategy developed for selected geographic <br />areas (e.g, Grand Valley and Ashley Valley), Floodplain restoration <br /> <br />A.' <br />