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<br />-, <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />BIOLOGICAL OPWOI <br /> <br />Based upon thellest scientific and conrnercial information that is currently <br />available, it is the Service's Biological Opinion that the Muddy Creel< project, <br />as descri~ belON, is not lil<ely to jeopardize the continued existence of the <br />Colorado squilllfish, bony tail chub, and humpbacl< chub provided that the <br />conservation INSures described in thi s document are impl emented. In a letter <br />dated October 30, 1989, the Colorado River Water Conservation District agreed <br />to impl~t De conservation measures that the Service believes are necessary <br />to offset tile likelihood of jeopardy. This Biological Opinion relies upon full <br />i""lementatiOlof the specific measures identified herein. Consequently, this <br />opinion is based on the understanding that these conservation measures will be <br />included as stipulations or conditions of the Bureau Right-of-Way permit and <br />the Corps of Eltineers Sect i on 404 permit. <br /> <br />PROJ ECr DESCRIPfIOI <br /> <br />The following JI'O,ject description is based on information presented in the <br />.Biological AssesSlllellt for the Muddy Creel< Reservoir Project. <USD!, Bureau of <br />land Mana~1989). The Colorado River Water Conservation District has <br />applied to the a1reau for a right-of-way to build a water storage reservoir on <br />Huddy Creek. fie site investigated for a reservoir on Muddy Creel< I ies in a <br />canyon sectiOlIf the Muddy Creel< Va 11 ey on the wes tern fl anI< of Wo lford <br />Mountain. The site is about 4 miles north of the town of Krenml ing, Colorado. <br />Huddy Creet eIIbrS the Colorado River at Kremnling, below the confluence of the <br />Blue River iIIllI ilIst upstream of Gore Canyon. <br /> <br />The proposed dillIOUld be an earth embankment dam, rising 120 feet from the <br />streambed to De crest at an elevation of 7.500 feet. Crest length would be <br />about 1.900 feet. including the service spillway, and the crest width would <br />be 25 feet. lie IIOrmal operating level would be at 7,485 feet, providing <br />a freeboanl of 15 feet. The dam would contain a total of approximately <br />997.200 cubic)ll'lls of fill materi a I . <br /> <br />At the IlOlWIllIIIter surface elevation of 7,485 feet, the dam would impound <br />60,000 acre-ftIl of water, forming a reservoir of 1,447 acres, and extending <br />about 5.5 mleupstream of the dam. The total volume includes approximately <br />6,000 acre-fed reserved to contain 50 years of silt acculJJJlation from the <br />Huddy Creet bisiI. A 4,000 acre-foot conservation pool is also a feature of <br />the reservoir. <br /> <br />Under Col~~tem of water law, those water users with the most senior <br />priority dIte_ tile first call on available water. For this reach of the <br />Colorado Rlwr.1Ile senior water rights at Cameo (collectively about 2,200 cfs <br />with pre-192hrilll'ity dates) or Shoshone Power Plant (about 1.250 cfs with a <br />priority datufl!102) control the administration of the river. Diversions <br />junior to tIIe~ and Cameo rights need to provide augmentation water for <br />periods wheJt tIIir junior right is .out of priority,. Thus, MUddy Creel< would <br />