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<br />,..., <br />C"".-l <br />.... <br />m <br /><.:.s <br />C"; <br /> <br />Colonel John N Reese <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />as described below, is likely to jeopardize Colorado squawfish and razorback <br />sucker and adversely modify or destroy their critical habitat by reducing the <br />quantity of water and altering the pattern of flows in the San Juan River, <br />The San Juan Recovery Implementation Program (SJRIP) is designed to act, if <br />sufficient progress toward recovery is determined by the Service, as a <br />reasonable and prudent alternative to actions within the basin that are found <br />likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed aquatic species or <br />result in the adverse modification or destruction of critical habitat in the <br />basin. The Service has determined that sufficient progress has not yet been <br />achieved to avoid jeopardy to the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker or <br />to avoid adverse modification to their critical habitat resulting from the <br />depletion of 2,199 acre-feet. Therefore, the Service has developed a. <br />reasonable and prudent alternative to avoid the likelihood of jeopardy and <br />adverse modification of critical habitat. <br /> <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The Project, proposed by the Red Mesa Ward Reservoir and Ditch Company, is <br />located on Hay Gulch in La Plata County, Colorado. The Company proposes to <br />enlarge the existing reservoir by raising the height of the dam by 29 feet to <br />87 feet. The reservoir water surface area would be increased from 56 acres to <br />150 acres. The reservoir water storage capacity would be increased from <br />1,172 acre-feet to 4,070 acre-feet. The reservoir is filled by diverting <br />water from the La Plata River. The Project would increase the average annual <br />depletion of water from Red Mesa Reservoir from 1,202 acre-feet to 2,199 <br />acre-feet for a total increase of 997 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Approximately 1,600 acres are served by three ditches owned by the Ditch <br />Company. About 1,140 acres of these 1,600 acres are served by water from the <br />existing reservoir. The 1,140 acres served by the reservoir receive 50 <br />percent of the 4,264 acre-feet annual water requirement (to achieve maximum <br />crop production). The enlarged reservoir would provide 83 percent of the <br />annual water requirement to these 1,140 acres. If all of the land served by <br />the reservoir was converted to more efficient sprinkler irrigation, the <br />enlarged reservoir would provide 100 percent of the annual water requirement <br />to 1,360 acres. Because the potential maximum area which could be provided <br />100 percent of the annual water requirement, 1,360 acres, is less than the <br />1,600 acres served by the ditch company, the potential demand for irrigation <br />water is greater than the amount of water which could be supplied by the <br />enlarged reservoir. <br /> <br />The enlarged reservoir would also provide domestic water for 660 homes through <br />a direct rural water system or provide augmentation water for 330 homes. <br /> <br />BASIS FOR BIOLOGICAL OPINION <br /> <br />This biological opinion addresses an average annual depletion of approximately <br />2,199 acre-feet (1,202 acre-feet historic and 997 acre-feet new) from the San <br />Juan River. Water depletions in the San Juan River Basin have been recognized <br />as a major source of impact to endangered fish species. Continued water <br />withdrawal has restricted the ability of the San Juan River system to produce <br />flow conditions required by various life stages of the fishes. In 1963, the <br />