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_. '''' "'~._ . ,~~ '","~h-..,J~: -=- 'k"",...., ".: ;, : ':,: <...' .\.;.....~;~. ~,.^il!;.~t.:."....~::&. .l~Ur;;::-~::;..:;.(;:',.;{:..'._-.;:;:S'::~i!. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Current Status: Three populations are known. two in southern Utah the other within the Grand Canyon of Arizona. The two Utah populations are about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) apart near the Utah-Arizona border in Kane County. The larger Utah population (which contains at least 99 percent of the total number' of individuals in Utah) occurs in Three Lakes Canyon about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the town of Kanab. Utah. This population inhabits wet meadow and marsh habitat (approximately 0.8 kilometers [0.5 miles] long) surrounding the "Three Lakes" ponds. The smaller Utah population is in a marsh about 46 meters (150 feet) long and 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide adjacent to the main stem of Kanab Creek in Kanab Creek Canyon. The } Arizona population occurs in a spring fed wetland at Vasey's Paradise above the 30,000 cubic feet per second water line of the Colorado River' in Grand Canyon National Park. about 52 river kilometers (32 river miles) downstream from Lee's Ferry in Coconino County. and about 92 straight line kilometers (57 straight line miles) southeast of the two known Utah populations. The Kanab ambersnail is a rare endemic snail restricted to permanently wet areas within small wetlands of the Colorado Plateau. Its population at Three lakes Canyon was estimated to contain 100,000 individuals in June 1990. During 1990 and 1991 this population experienced major habitat losses due to wetlands destruction and. to a limited extent. livestock trampling. Only three individuals were counted after an intensive. search of the habitat of its smaller Utah population in September 1990 and none have been observed since. The smaller Utah population numbered over 300 individuals in the early 1980's, its habitat has been dewatered within the past 10 years. The Arizona population at Vasey's Paradise was discovered in 1991 and is considerably smaller than the Three lakes Canyon population. The Arizona population is thought to be relatively secure in relation to the Utah populations. but does receive heavy recreational visitation from river runners because of the fresh drinking water available at the site. This area also may be impacted by variations in the flow of the Colorado River downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam. Objective: The immediate objective of this recovery plan is to maintain viable populations of the Kanab ambersnail throughout the current range of the ~pecies. The long-term goal is to downlist and eventually delist the species. Recovery Criteria: Conservation Criteria: In order to prevent the species from becoming extinct. each Kanab ambersnail population and its habitat must be protected from loss of individua15 and environmental degradation through sections 7 and 9 of the Endangered Species Act. Downli<ting Cr;terla: The species may be considered for downlisting to Lnreatened when the above conservation criteria have been met and when the following criteria have been attained: ....:..-1},;:~-')'_..,:-~ I j .', , , ~~ ;--;< L \.". :' ~.. " ;,1 h nl '.:;1 'I ((I :~ ~ti ~~ ~ -;:; ;--' 'c. t~~; ''':':~ ~;'-< :,~,: ".1- t;:'~ ,~, ,;.:~: ~0~: ~ ~;;, ,'\( .~~,..