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. 5HEEHA~,STELZ~ER .--- IaJ IlU~; uua 11" 06; 90 17:19 '5'505 3~1 38911 The spring releases from Navajo RJ!servoir will be provided to the SJRp inunediate1y to the extent that water is available in Navajo Reser.loir for this purpose. Under average hydrologic conditions, up to 300,000 acre-feet of spring releases likely can be provided ~ four of the five years during the research project. In any year that operation of Navajo Reservoir to provide releases downstream for the endangered fish results in a shortage of water to meet consumptive use demands supplied from Navajo Reservoir, nD additional release will be made for the fish and such shortage shall be shared pro rata in proportion to the respective demands for water between the Navajo Reservoir Supply and the Animas-La Plata Project. Application of this shariD&' of shortages shall not alter, amend or otherwise affect the shortage sharing provisions of Public Law 87-483. Because water requirements of the endangered fish and the troUt fishery downstream from Navajo Dam are not clearly known, this provision for spring releases or foregone diversions provides needed flexibility for the SJRP to establish those requirements. Through the recovery program, additional water management measures also would be investigated to supply increased water for the endangered fishes, if needed. The spring releases from the Navajo Reservoir to the SJRP will be accompanied by a change in the current winter releases of about 500 cubic feet per second from Navajo Reservoir, which also serve the downslI'eam lI'out fishery, to 300 to 400 cubic feet per second. If the research studies of the SJRP confinn that releases are needed for the endangered fishes downstream to offset the likelihood of jeopardy to the species, up to 300,000 acre-feet of spring releases could be made approximately 40% of the time under the most likely scenario of future development, which scenario includes full depletion of New Mexico's compact entitlement. C. The water requirements of the endangered fish in the San Juan River and the trout fishery below Navajo Dam are not known at this time. Therefore, a five-year research project, utilizing the operational flexibility of Navajo Reservoir should be undertaken to define these flows. The 300,000 acre-feet cited in the above example should be considered as the maximum release amount from Navajo Reser/oir, subject to refinement based upon stUdy results. Based upon existing knowledge of the endangered fish habitat requirements, a feasibilitY study of non-flow habitat development alternatives for the San Juan River should be included in the research project. Alternatives considered should include, at a minimum. fish passage facilities to allow migration, backwater and side channel develDpment to enhance young of the year and juvenile habitat, and jetty installation to create winter habitat for adults. Corollary studies should include water qualitY and temperature aspects of the San Juan River habitat and potential enhancement measures if needed. Finally, analysis will be conducted to integrate 2