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<br />o <br />i..""'.:") <br />C.'..) <br /> <br />I. <br /> <br />PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION <br /> <br />;.,'" <br /> <br />co <br />OJ <br /> <br />A. <br /> <br />PROPOSAL <br /> <br />The State of Utah, through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, proposes to initiate an <br />experimental stocking program of Colorado squawfish in the San Juan River. This <br />experimental program is proposed under the ongoing cooperative research effort sponsored <br />by the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. As of this date, the <br />cooperators with the Service in the Implementation Program include the Bureau of <br />Reclamation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the States of <br />Colorado and New Mexico, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, <br />and the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe. <br /> <br />B. PURPOSE <br /> <br />The proposed experimental stocking of Colorado squawfish in the San Juan River is in support <br />of the purposes of the Implementation Progrilm. These purposes are listed below: <br /> <br />1. To conserve populations of the endangered colorado squawfish (Ptvchocheilus <br />lucius) and razorback sucker (Xvrauchen texanus) in the Basin consistent with <br />the recovery goals established under the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. <br />1531 etseq. <br /> <br />2. To proceed with water development in the Basin in compliance with federal and <br />state laws, interstate compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and federal trust <br />responsibilities to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian <br />Tribe, the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. <br /> <br />The Implementation Program identifies actions and objectives needed to attain these goals and <br />to implement recovery of the endangered fish species within' 5 years. The proposed stocking <br />plan is an element of the identified research needs and recovery goals listed in Sections 3.1 <br />and 3.2 of the Implementation Program document: the essential research for long range plan <br />and program goal development, and the protection of genetic integrity and management and. <br />augmentation of populations. <br /> <br />The experimental stocking plan has been designed to (1) answer specific research questions <br />essential for the recovery of Colorado squawfish, and (2) evaluate the utility of further <br />artificial augmentation efforts to achieve recovery goals for this species, should augmentation <br />be determined to be a necessary step in the recovery of this species in the San Juan River <br />basin. <br /> <br />The investigations that comprise this proposal will focus on habitat use by two size classes <br />of Colorado squawfish: 70 to 90 millimeter (mm) representing juvenile or Age-' fish and <br />much smaller 20-40 mm fish representing larval fish. The research will gather information to <br />determine if the spatial and temporal dynamics and quality of nursery habitat is limiting <br />recruitment of Age-O fish, or low adult Colorado squawfish densities, not poor or limited <br /> <br />4 <br />