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<br />., <br /> <br />c-' <br />o <br />c:,j <br />i\:l <br />M::o. <br />--.I <br /> <br />Mr. Calvin Joyner <br /> <br />water rom the San Juan River Basin and constructed <br />'inc d ln tease In e Anlmas- a a a 10 of <br />he San Juan a lona ores wa er depletions ln lS opinion are within the <br />Mancos River drainage or drainages further east (upstream) of the Mancos River <br />confluence with the San Juan River. The Forest Service made a "no effect" <br />determination for pre-1983 depletions, however, the ~ervlce belleves tnat ~? <br />these pre-l!ll:lj depletlons "may affect" the Colorado squawfish (Ptvchocheilus <br />lucius), razorback sucker (Xvrauchen texanus), and their critical habitat. <br />The Service concurs with the Forest Service that the annual depletion of water <br />from the San Juan River derived from projects constructed between 1982 and <br />1995 and from proposed projects for 1996 and 1997 "may affect" the endangered <br />Colorado squawfi sh and razorback sucker and "may affect" thei r crit i ca 1 <br />habitat. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br /> <br />BIOLOGICAL OPINION <br /> <br />Based upon the best scientific and commercial information that is currently <br />available, it is the Service's biological opinion the cumulative average <br />annual amount of the pre-1983 depletions, as described below, is jeopardizing <br />the continued existence of the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker and is <br />destroying or adversely modifying their critical habitat, The Service has <br />developed a reasonable and prudent alternative that avoids jeopardy to the <br />endangered fishes and avoids destruction or adverse modification of their <br />critical habitat from the pre-1983 water depletions. The Service believes the <br />cumulative average annual amount of water depletions for proiects constructed <br />~etween 1982 and 1995. and for tho.~ proj~cts proposed for 1996 and 1997. do <br />not jeopardize the contin~ed eXis~~~~~ ~~ ~h~ r:~~~ado sqll~w~ish,or razorb~ck <br />sucker and do not result ln the d cor e modlflcatlon of thel <br />critical abl a , provided that the depletions when included in the 3,000 ~ <br />acre-foot cumulative depletion as described in the "Basis for Biological <br />Opinion" section, do not exceed that yearly maximum aggregate. <br /> <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The San Juan--Rio Grande National Forest has requested a biological opinion <br />for water depletion impacts in the San Juan River Basin in order to be in <br />compliance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The San Juan <br />National Forest is the only National Forest within the San Juan River Basin. <br />The Forest Service has listed all existing and proposed Forest Service <br />projects in their biological assessment that cause water depletions within the <br />San Juan River Basin and that have not undergone previous consultation. The <br />Forest Service elected to address only water depletion impacts in their <br />January 25, 1996, biological assessment. <br /> <br />There are three Ranger Districts (Columbine, Mancos, <br />projects built prior to 1983. These projects have a <br />3 .32 acre-feet and include domestic use at cam <br />facilities, irri ation ditch s ecial uses eva <br />Slze reserVOlrs and stock wildlife onds and s ecial s or sk' <br />ooeration. Columbine, Mancos, an Pagosa Ranger Districts also have had <br />253.21 aqe-fept of water depletino oroi~ch hllilt on them from 1983 through <br />1995. These projects deplete water for domestic and irrigation uses, by <br />- <br /> <br />and Pagosa) that have <br />total water deoletion <br />rounds or 0 er <br /> <br />of_ <br /> <br />