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<br />RECOVERY PRffi i,~ ,z: 'FOR
<br />1HE ENDANGE f):~
<br />OF 1HE UPPER COIORAID
<br />
<br />Fall 1989
<br />
<br />Recovery Implementation Program For
<br />Endangered Fish Species In The Upper
<br />Colorado River Basin
<br />
<br />In January 1988, the Secretary of the I nterior, the governors
<br />of Co londo, Wyoming and Utah; and theWestem Alea Power
<br />Administration signed a cooperative agreement initiating the
<br />'Recovery Implementation Endangered Fish Species in the
<br />Upper Colorado River Basin,' This remarkable pl~ram i.
<br />endorsed by the Colorado Water Congress, Utah Water UOlers
<br />Association, Wyoming Water Development Associatim:, Er.,
<br />",,,,,,mental Defense Fund, National Auduoon Society and
<br />Colorado Wildlife Federatiouand the Wyoming Wildlife Fed-
<br />eratioD.
<br />
<br />As with many other constructive endeavors, the Recovery
<br />Program was born of conflict. Three native fish species~ol-
<br />orado squ..wfish, humpback chub and oonytail chub--are
<br />listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act
<br />of 1973, In March 1984, the U,S, Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />(FWS), Region 6, Denver, organized the Upper Colorado
<br />River Basin FederaVState Coordinating Committee to resolve
<br />the conflicts between protection of endangered species and
<br />future water development in the Upper Basin, The commillcc
<br />included higb-Ievel representatives from the states of Colo-
<br />rado, Utah and Wyoming, A broad-based steering committee
<br />included Cederal and state water development and wildlife
<br />management agencies, water users and environmental organi-
<br />zations, Technical subconuniuees were also fonned to addIess
<br />complex biological and hydrologic issues,
<br />
<br />From this lengthy, intense fact-finding effon a concept
<br />evolved ofrecovering these fishes and protecting their haoitat
<br />in Jlccorda~ce with stat~ water law and interstate compacts.
<br />Development of the full details of the program, and NEP A
<br />compliance, continued until late 1987,
<br />
<br />Development of the program is an outstanding achieve-
<br />ment, The true test, however, will be in the program's imple-
<br />mentation, Under the program, the federal government has
<br />agreed to work to prOlect habitat for endangered species within
<br />the context of slate water law. States and water users are
<br />committed to working to establish instream nows under state
<br />. law to prolect endangered species habitat, Environmental
<br />organizations and water users are committed to RCling in good
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<br />faith to implement the program. and to uphold its principles,
<br />All panies are committed to working diligently to make tbe
<br />program effective,
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<br />PROGRAM ELEMENTS
<br />
<br />The Recovery Program includes five elements: (I) habitat
<br />management, (2) habitat development and maintenance, (3)
<br />. native fish stocking, (4) non-nativ. species and sport fisbing,
<br />and (S) research, data management and monitoring, The pro-
<br />gram is applied to the endangered Colorado squaw fish,
<br />bony:ail chub and hump,back chub, as well as the razorback
<br />sucker, a candidate for federal listing as an endangered species
<br />
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