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On October 29, 1996, Reclamation agreed under terms of a legal settlement with the San Juan Fly Fishing Federation and New Mexico Chapter Trout Unlimited, to prepare an EIS before initiating any permanent change in operations at Navajo Dam under the SJRBRIP, and to complete compliance with NEP A before permanently reducing flows below 500 cfs in the future, Reclamation intends to produce the EIS in a responsible and sound economic manner that is scientifically credible, During this process, emphasis will be placed on utilizing existing available data, as specified under NEP A regulations and to analyze impacts of implementing the flow recommendations, or reasonable alternative, It is anticipated that the use of existing information will reduce the amount of time and labor to prepare the EIS and complete the NEPA analysis. San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program (SJRBRlP) The SJRBRIP was initiated in 1992 with two goals: . To conserve populations of Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker in the basin, consistent with the recovery goals established under the Endangered Species Act, 16U.s.C.153] etseq, . To proceed with water development in the basin in compliance with Federal and state laws, interstate compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and Federal trust responsibilities to the Southern Utes. Ute Mountain Utes, Jicarilla Apaches, and the Navajo Nation, Emphasis within the SJRBIP has been placed on identifying limiting factors and implementing actions to meet the environmental needs of the endangered tish species, Ongoing and proposed activities under the SJRBIP include re-regulation oftlows from Navajo Dam to better meet species needs. control of non-native fishes, propagation of target species, and identification and removal of fish-passage barriers, Flow Recommendations Under the direction of the SJRBRIP's Biology Committee, test releases were conducted and evaluated during 1992-\998, At the completion of the research period, the Biology Committee completed a report, Flow Recommendations for the San Juan River (May \ 999). which provides recommended flows for the endangered fishes in the San Juan River below Fannington. New Mexico, The recommendations define the conditions for mimicking a natural hydrograph in terms of magnitude, duration, and frequency of flows in the San Juan River. This EIS is on analyzing the impacts of implementing operation criteria for Navajo Reservoir to assist in meeting the Biology Committee's flow recommendations. or a reasonable alternative, for the San Juan River below Fannington, These recommendations have been accepted by the SJRBRIP Coordination Committee, 6