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c) C' ~ Colonel John N Reese DRAFT 13 ....1 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE -J The environmental baseline includes the past and present impacts of all Federal, State, and private actions and other human activities in the action area; the anticipated impacts of all proposed Federal projects in the action area that have already undergone formal section 7 consultation; and the impact of State or private actions contemporaneous with the consultation process. In formulating this opinion, the Service considered adverse and beneficial effects likely to result from cumulative effects of future State and private activities that are reasonably certain to occur within the Project area, along with the direct and indirect effects of the Project and impacts from actions that are part of the environmental baseline (50 CFR 402.02 and 402.14 (g) (3)). The physical and biological features that were the basis for designating the San Juan River critical habitat for Colorado squawfish are water, physical habitat, and biological environment. These primary constituent elements were determined necessary for survival and recovery of the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker on the San Juan River. This includes a quantity of water of sufficient quality and with a hydrologic regime that is required for each life stage. Physical habitat includes areas of the San Juan River that are inhabited or potentially habitable by Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker for use in spawning, nursery, feeding, and rearing or corridors between these areas. Biological environment includes food supply, predation, and competition. Water Quantitv The environmental baseline for the Project includes all historical depletions in the San Juan River basin, depletions resulting from projects which have previously undergone section 7 consultation, and depletions resulting from projects contemporaneous with this consultation. Included in the. baseline is the portion of the Animas-La Plata Project for which reasonable and prudent alternatives were developed to offset the likelihood of jeopardy to the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker and adverse modification to their critical habitat. This portion of the Animas-La Plata Project would result in a future annual depletion of 57,100 acre-feet. The pre-Project hydrologic baseline for the Red Mesa Reservoir Enlargement Project was obtained from the hydrologic analysis completed for the Animas-La Plata Project. That is, the (57,100 acre-feet depletion) Animas-La Plata post-Project hydrologic condition is the Red Mesa Reservoir Enlargement Project section 7 baseline. However, the baseline flows do not include any changes in Navajo Dam operations as required in the reasonable and prudent alternative for the Animas-La Plata Project. Tabl ell i sts the projects i ncl uded in the basel i ne and thei r' associated depletions.