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<br />, Supporters seek legislation. for recovery program . funding
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<br />. FISH LADDER SUCCEEDS .
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<br />In 'March U,s. Sen. Wayne' Allard
<br />.and U,S, Rep, Scott Mcinnis intro-
<br />. dnced legislation. to authorize theU.S.'
<br />Bureau of Reclamation to spend $46 .
<br />. million to complete the capital con,-
<br />struction portions of the Upper
<br />~Colorado and Sap Juan River endan-
<br />, gered 'fish recovery programs,
<br />If passed, the bill would authorize
<br />construction activities for the Upper
<br />. ,Colorado River Recovery Program
<br />through' the year 2005 and the, San'
<br />Jwin program through 2007. Th~ fed-
<br />eral government v.;ould pay'$46 milo'
<br />lion toward the cost of completing cap-
<br />. italprojects., Non-federal parties
<br />, . would pay thereriuiining $34 million. '
<br />CapitaI' construction inCludes facili~
<br />ties for genetic conserVation and' prop:
<br />agatiof] of'endangered fish, restoring
<br />floodplain habitat.
<br />and fish' passage
<br />around dains', 'regu-
<br />. lating and/or supply-
<br />,ingin-slream ,flows,
<br />preventing , fish'
<br />, entrapment in canals,
<br />and removing. or
<br />relocating non-
<br />native fish,
<br />Dan McAuliffe The' Senate bill,S.
<br />" ' : ,'1749, was .referred
<br />to die Committee on Environment and
<br />Public Works. The House bill, HJ~..
<br />3669 was referred to the Resources
<br />Committee, ,
<br />These bills will need to be. reintro-
<br />duced during the next Congressional
<br />session, Colorado may not officially
<br />request hearings ,pending the outcome
<br />of an on-going biological opinion on
<br />the program's effectiveness in the 15-
<br />'mile 'reach of the Colorado River,
<br />'. between' the Grand Valley and the
<br />Gunnison River.,' '
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<br />, Also, there appears to be a jurisdic~
<br />. tional dispute between Senate commit.
<br />tee, The Senate bill was referred to the
<br />Committee on Environment 'and
<br />Public Works, which has authority
<br />over. the Fish and Wildlife Service and
<br />Endangered Species AcL But, the bill
<br />'authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation
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<br />More than.' 40
<br />. endangered fish'
<br />and. some 26,00,0
<br />other . native fish'
<br />have used'. the
<br />Redlands Fish'
<br />,Ladder to 'reach'
<br />upstream habitat, in
<br />thE! Gunnison River:
<br />The .Iadder is just
<br />outside of Grand,'
<br />Junction; Cola:
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<br />to undertake capitol cOnstruction pro-
<br />jects, and' it may have been more
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<br />appropriate to refer it t6 the Committee
<br />of Energy and Natural Resources,
<br />. ComI]1ittee officials are meeting to
<br />'resolve this jurisdictional dispute.
<br />. Amendments . . . . .' .
<br />Recovery Program represeniatives
<br />have been discussing sev~ral pote~tial
<br />, amendments' to the legislation, These,
<br />include a new' provision' limiting the
<br />amount of overhead that can be charged
<br />to the program by the Fish and Wildlife.
<br />ServICe; . a revised bill title clarifying
<br />that the . legislation is ~ Bureau of .
<br />Reclamation authorizatio'n, not 'an
<br />. Endangered. Species Actarriendment,
<br />and'a provision reflecting the role
<br />Green Mountain Reservoir may play in
<br />ensuring that water' is available for fish
<br />. . recovery. . ~ the', 15,mile . reach, ''The
<br />'Colorado River Energy ,Distributors
<br />Association also has been prepaJing
<br />several clarifyi~g amendmentS, :
<br />. Ongoing state activities'
<br />The federaJ funding legislatiori con-
<br />templates. significanfcost' sharing by
<br />state and federal power customers.
<br />. Actions are under way to solidify this
<br />obligation, . .
<br />First, upper basin 'states have
<br />. pledged $17 million for. building capi-
<br />tal projects, A draft agreement being
<br />circulated would firm up the amounts
<br />each state would contribute, Colorado
<br />and Wyoming have, already passed leg- ,
<br />islation necessary to allow this agree-
<br />ment to be signed: . .
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<br />'Second, Colorado will lend $17
<br />. million to the two recovery programs,
<br />This would be repaid by power rev-
<br />,enues coliected from members of the
<br />Colorado River Energy Distributors
<br />',Association, This' would allow
<br />CREDA to help fund' capital projects
<br />,and meet ongoing water project repay-
<br />ment obligati~~s, with little if any
<br />impact on, power rafes"
<br />,Representatives from Colorado
<br />'intend to meet with officials from
<br />Western Area Power Administration
<br />and CREDA to clarify terms of this
<br />l6an:
<br />. Future activities
<br />Progress has been made in several
<br />areas ,this year:
<br />.', Congress, has shown support for
<br />the progrllItls by appropriating fund-
<br />ing, and'states have passed legislation
<br />, to fund capital project construction,
<br />. Water users are closer than ever to
<br />resolving ,many issues related to the
<br />15-mile 'reach. Colorado water users
<br />have indicated they may commit to
<br />. . support passage of the legislation by
<br />,June 1999, ,. .
<br />. More endangered. fish are using
<br />. the Redlands F,ishLadder.
<br />. A state cost sharing agreement has
<br />'been drafted arid circulated,
<br />Appropriate program participants
<br />will communicate this progress to
<br />Congress 'and remind them about the
<br />'need'for cosponsors next year.
<br />~ Dan McAuliffe.
<br />Colo, Dept, of Natural Resources
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