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<br /> <br />o <br /><:) <br />(~) <br />.;::. <br />w <br />(.ll <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />on the Program to provide the reasonable and prudent <br />alternatives. <br /> <br />6.0 Minor Depletion Allowance (Followup with Patty G.- Randy send <br />draft letter to USFWS for them to send out,) <br /> <br />The purpose of the minor depletion allowance is to avoid imposing <br />inefficient and unnecessary administration of Section 7 on <br />projects clearly causing iHsignificaHt minimali~pacts to the <br />endangered fish and critical habitat, individually and <br />collectively. <br /> <br />Between March, 1992 and December, 1998, the Service consulted <br />individually on approximately 58 proposed "minor depletions" <br />that ranged in quantity from 0,02 af/yr to 500 af/yr, lasting <br />from a few weeks to perpetuity. On September 21, 1999, the <br />Service issued an "Intra-Service Section 7 Consultation for <br />Minor Depletions of 100 Acre-Feet or Less From the San Juan River <br />Basin, " This opinion provides for an addtional 3,000 af/yr of <br />minor depletions in the San Juan Basin, <br /> <br />The following guidelines will be used by the by the Service in <br />application of Section 7 consultation to minor depletions: <br /> <br />a) A minor depletion is defined as a depletion of 100 AF/yr <br />or less. However, the Service <br />may use its discretion to allow larger depletions to be <br />included in the minor depletion account, <br /> <br />b) In rendering biological opinions on federal actions <br />resulting in minor depletions, the Service will consider <br />all new information concerning project impacts and the <br />status of the listed species, and good fai~h <br />implementation of the Program in determining if the <br />Program can provide the reasonable and prudent <br />alternative for minor depletions. <br /> <br />c) The aggregate of all minor depletions subject to section <br />7 consultation in a single biological opinion may result <br />in a total annual depletion of not more than 3,000 acre- <br />feet/year. When and if the 3,000 AF/yr limit is reached, <br />the Service may consider issuing another opinion to cover <br />additional minor depletions limit. Consultations completed under <br />any previous minor depletions account will not be required to <br />reinitiate consultation if a new account is established, and will be <br />included in the Section 7 baseline for the San Juan River. <br /> <br />d) The Service will review each application for <br />consideration under the minor depletion opinion and <br /> <br />9 <br />