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<br />Yampa Basinlocals,-federal agencies sign agreement
<br />to meet water for area residents, endangered fish'
<br />
<br />Moffat County Commissioner T.
<br />Wright Dickinson has signed an agree~
<br />ment establishing a working relation-
<br />ship between the Yampa River Basin
<br />Partnership, which he chairs, and' the'
<br />U.S. ' Fish and
<br />Wildlife Service to
<br />provide local in-
<br />volvement ,in deci-,'
<br />sions made on Yampa
<br />River water manage-
<br />'ment and endangered
<br />fish recovery.
<br />, The Yampa plan is
<br />aimed 'at providing' -
<br />adequate' water, for,
<br />"furure human needs"
<br />and protecting stream flows and habi-
<br />tat needed by endangered fish and
<br />other native fish and wildlife species in
<br />the YampaRiver Basin.
<br />Dickinson signed the memorandum
<br />of understanding' jointly with John
<br />Hamill of the U.S.' Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service, forming a working relation-
<br />ship between local and federal agen-
<br />cies and, enswing area, residents"
<br />involvement in declsion-making.
<br />"By signing this memorandum, the, ' '
<br />Partnership has.'the opportunity to pro": '
<br />vide meaningful and effective local'
<br />involvement". into decisions, on -the
<br />Yampa River endangered fish and water'
<br />management plan," Dickinson said.
<br />"How effective. that input ,will be
<br />depends on the invoiv~ll1ent 'onoc~l ~it- . ". . . . - " \ Photo courtesy of Colorado' Division of Wildlj~
<br />izens, decisiOli-makers, the:Partnership . 'COnipetingdemands on the YampaRiver haVe escalatBd in recent years. The
<br />and Fish and Wildlife Service." , Yampaj)lan is aimed at providing ,water for human uses, an~fornature., " ,
<br />
<br />The Yampa River Basin Partnership endangered fish to ,migrate around cer' factor in developing and implementing
<br />is a non-profit organization established tain, diversion ,dams and barriers. ' a plan .10 'meeting: human and: endan-
<br />in 1995 to balance natural resource.' . To updaie 1990 data' estimating gered fish water needs in the basin,"
<br />and social issues. , ' , the amount of water needed for long- ' Hamill said.
<br />Here are a few of the objectives at tefm hl,lman purposes. ' . The Yampa River team consists of
<br />the Yampa Plan: '. To reduce impacts of non-native the Yampa River Basin Partnership,
<br />. To, determine the amount of water fish ,on endangered fish. ,,' ' U.S. ,Fish and, Wildlife Service..
<br />needed by Colorado squawfish' and . To evahiate possible expansion of ,Colorado, Department. of Natural
<br />humpback chub in the Yampa River in 'Elkhead Reservoir and oiher alteroa-, Resources,' Colorado River Water
<br />late summer and early fall. ' , lives for compliance with the National Conservation District, Bureau of
<br />. To evaluale needs for building fish Environmental Policy Act. ' Reclamation and The' 'Nature,
<br />ladders or passageways ,to allow , "Citizen involvement will be a key Conservancy.
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<br />T.Wright
<br />, Dickinson
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