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<br />COLORADO RIVER RECOVERY PROGRAM <br />FY 2002 ANNUAL PROJECT REPORT <br /> <br />RECOVERY PROGRAM <br />PROJECT NUMBER.: C-6-EM <br /> <br />L Project Title: Management of easements acquired for the Recovery Program <br /> <br />II. Principallllvestigator: <br /> <br />Dan Alonso, Project Leader, Ouray NWRlCRWMA <br />HC 69 Box 232 <br />Randlett, Ut. 84063 <br />dan_alonso@fws.gov <br />(435) 545-2522 x 222 <br />(435) 545-2369 Fax <br /> <br />III. Project Summary: <br /> <br />The Colorado River Wildlife Management Area (CR WMA) was established in July 1998 <br />with the first acquisition of 425 acres of floodplain habitat on the Green River in the upper <br />Colorado River Basin. There are currently 830.2 acres contained within the CRWMA as 13 <br />individual properties in both Utah and Colorado. The CRWMA has a boundary that includes up <br />to 10,000 acres on the combined river reaches of the upper Colorado, Gunnison, and Green River <br />system. New property additions are actively pursued and purchased as they become available. <br /> <br />The primary purpose of the CRWMA is to protect and restore backwater floodplain habitat <br />for the endangered razorback sucker, Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, and bony tail. The <br />type of habitat to be restored is flooded bottomland that is directly connected to the rivers during <br />seasonal flooding. These shallow wetlands provide food, shelter, and resting areas for the fish. <br /> <br />The refuge serves to protect and restore the riparian ecosystem. Riparian areas in the upper <br />Colorado River basin have been severely altered by reduced flows, development, and gravel <br />mining. These shallow wetlands playa significant tole in maintaining both the terrestrial and <br />aquatic values of the system. <br /> <br />The areas are held as conservation easements with willing landowners, who agree to allow <br />management and protection activities by refuge officials. Public use is not permitted as the right <br />to access the property is retained by the landowner. The easement rights are limited only to those <br />necessary to protect and restore habitat for the endangered fishes in order to reduce impacts on <br />private property rights and local communities. Management activities are limited to <br />manipulation or removal of dikes or levees to induce or improve flooding, biological studies or <br />surveys, control of nonnative vegetation, and easement monitoring and enforcement. <br /> <br />The goal of the CRWMA is to monitor and manage easements acquired by the Recovery <br />Program for the purpose of supporting and sustaining recovery of the endangered fishes. The <br /> <br />easement (-6 page 1 <br />