WSP01364

• File Number: 8240.300.03
• Description: San Juan River - Recovery Implementation Program - General Info
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 7/14/1997
• Title: Review of Environmental Baseline for the San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program ‎(SJRRIP)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE

The environmental baseline includes the past and present impacts of all
Federal, State, and private actions and other human activities in the action
area; the anticipated impacts of all proposed Federal projects in the action
area that have already undergone formal section 7 consultation; and the impact
of State or private actions contemporaneous with the consultation process.

In formulating this biological opinion, the Service considered adverse and
beneficial effects likely to result from cumulative effects of future State
and private activities that are reasonably foreseeable to occur within the
project area, along with the direct and indirect effects of Reclamation's
proposed Federal action for the project and impacts from actions that are part
of the environmental baseline (50 CFR 402,02 and 402,14 (g)(3)),

Colorado sauawfish and razorback sucker

The physical and biological features that were the basis for designating the
San Juan River critical habitat for Colorado squawfish are water, physical
habitat, and biological environment, These primary constituent elements were
determined necessary for survival and recovery of the Colorado squawfish and'
razorback sucker on the San Juan River. This includes a quantity of water of
sufficient quality, with a hydrologic regime that is required for each life
stage. Physical habitat includes areas of the San Juan River that are
inhabited or potentially habitable by Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker
for use in spawning, nursery, feeding, and rearing or corridors between these
areas. Biological environment includes food supply, predation, and
competition.

Water Quantity

To determine the effects of the proposed action on water quantity and
alteration of the hydrologic regime, an analysis of flow changes was
conducted. This analysis compared the effects of the Project to a pre-Project
section 7 baseline (updated since 1991), The analysis included hydrologic
information from'three Geological Survey gaging stations: Farmington,
Shiprock, and Bluff (near Mexican Hat, Utah), ,Three levels of development
were simulated: (I) historical gage, (2) section 7 environmental baseline
(baseline), and (3) baseline plus the Project (post-Project). The period of
record selected for the analysis was 1929 to 1974, From this period, wet,
dry, and average years were selected for analysis based upon water volumes
during the spring runoff, The wet year selected was 1949, the dry year was
1951, and the average year was 1945,

Projects for inclusion in the baseline for the San Juan River were identified.
Pursuant to section 7 regulations, the baseline for the Project included:
(1) the past and present impacts of Federal, State, and private actions in the
basin; (2) the anticipated impacts of all Federal projects having previously
undergone formal section 7 consultation in the area; and (3) the impact of
State or private actions contemporaneous with this consultation. The baseline
for the Project. includes all historical deple.tions in the ,San Juan River