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<br />99 to serve as a reasonable and prudent alternative or measure. The Service also considers whether <br />100 the probable success of the SJRBRIP is compromised as a result of new depletions. <br /> <br />101 In 1994 critical habitat was designated for the Colorado pikeminnow including the San Juan <br />102' River from Farmington to Lake Powell and for the razorback sucker, from the Hogback <br />103 Diversion to Lake Powell. <br /> <br />104 In 2000, the Service issued a new biological opinion on the Animas-LaPlata Project that included <br />105 a conservation measure in which "",Reclamation is committing to operate Navajo Reservoir to <br />106 mimic the natural hydrograph of the San Juan River to benefit endangered fishes and their <br />107 critical habitat. Mimicry of the natural hydrograph will be achieved by following the San Juan <br />108 River flow recommendations (Holden, 1999) and subject to completion of the Navajo Operations <br />109 EIS and execution of a Record of Decision" (Service, 2000). <br /> <br />110 In addition to the Animas-LaPlata Project, other projects in the San Juan Basin, for example <br />III completion of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NlIP), rely on reoperation of the Navajo Unit <br />112 according to the flow recommendations to comply with the ESA. <br /> <br />113 SAN JUAN RIVER <br /> <br />114 The San Juan River Basin encompasses approximately 25,000 square miles and the river extends <br />115 350 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan and La Plata Mountains of Colorado to Lake <br />116 Powell. The river crosses the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Reservations and the <br />117 Navajo Nation. Approximately 225 miles of the San Juan River are between Navajo Dam and <br />118 Lake Powell; the lower 180 miles downstream from Farmington are designated as critical habitat <br />119 for the Colorado pikeminnow and the lower 155 miles as critical habitat for the razorback sucker. <br />120 Mean annual runoff in the river at Farmington just downstream from the confluence with the <br />121 Animas River is 1.3 million acre-feet; near Bluff, Utah, this increases to about 1.4 million acre- <br />122 feet. <br /> <br />123 Below Navajo Reservoir, the San Juan River is joined by its largest tributary, the Animas River, <br />124 at Farmington before flowing westward to the Navajo Nation boundary west ofWaterflow, New <br />125 Mexico. The river continues west and northwest before entering Colorado near the Four Comers <br />126 landmark and flowing into Utah and then Lake Powell. <br /> <br />127 The San Juan River supports a high quality trout fishery for 7 miles downstream from Navajo <br />128 Dam and a good trout fishery for the next 10 miles to the Hammond Diversion. Throughout the <br />129 35 mile reach from the Hammond Diversion downstream to Farmington, native fish populations <br />130 increase as habitat becomes more favorable for those species, although populations may be <br />131 limited due to reductions in physical habitat related to flow depletions. The Hammond Diversion <br />132 to Farmington reach of river has the highest percentage of native fish; however, non-native fish <br />133 such as carp and fathead'minnows are still common in this reach. <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />....., <br />