WSPC05696

• File Number: 8240.300.31.A
• Description: Colorado River Threatened-Endangered Species - Recovery Program - San Juan - Project Description
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1995
• Author: Unknown
• Title: San Juan River Basin - Recovery Implementation Program - Long Range Plans - February 1995
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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federal and state laws, interstate compacts, Supreme Court decrees,
and federal trust responsibilities to the Southern Utes, Ute Mountain
Utes, Jicarilla Apaches, and the Navajos.

The time frame for the achievement of the Program's goals is 15 years; hence, this
Long Range Plan (LRP) is directed toward the realization of discernable and
appreciable positive biological responses of the endangered fish species and their
habitats to management of water and other resources in the Basin within that time
frame. Recovery of the two endangered species (Colorado squawfish and
razorback sucker) is not considered viable without fully understanding and
managing the native fish community of which they are a component. Thus, this
Long Range Plan addresses the aquatic components and terrestrial linkages to the
aquatic system of the Basin that may affect the native fish community.

For the purposes of the San Juan River Long Range Plan, management of the
native fish community is defined as those activities which are necesary to provide
for the biotic and abiotic needs essential to the recovery of the endangered
species.

Within the 15-year planning horizon encompassed by the Program, this Plan will
provide for the formulation of annual work plans for the satisfaction of identified
information needs, the timely evaluation of the success of actions implemented to
protect and recover the endangered fish species of the Basin, and the short term,
intermediate, and ultimate actions necessary to attain recovery and allow for
compatible development of the Basin's resources. The integration and evaluation
of research results and, as appropriate and possible, adaptive management actibns,
will occur annually to provide the foundation upon which planning, research, and
recovery action initiatives can be tested. The Biology Committee shall report to
the Coordination Committee annually as to these matters.

2.0. LONG RANGE PLAN

It is recognized that the Endangered Species Act imposes no legal requirement to
protect the native fish community apart from the endangered fish, and that there is
no legal requirement within this RIP to curtail water development on account of its
impact on the native fish community apart from the endangered fish species.
However, recovery of the endangered species requires understanding the functional
relationships of the biotic and abiotic components of the San Juan River and how
they influence its native fish community. Narrowly focusing on only the two
endangered specil;l5 will omit important components on which the recovery of ,
those species may depend. Therefore, a broadly based fish community approach is
essential to achieving the goals of the San Juan River Recovery Implementation
Program. In addition, the relative achievement of these goals will be the criteria
upon which success of the Program as a whole will be judged and evaluated.

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