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<br />One 01 the most Irequent subjects chronicled on,
<br />this page, loyal readers probably are aware, is the
<br />celebrated Colorado squawlish, .
<br />. In our last account, 'we commiserated with frus-
<br />trated Utah ollicials who hope to build a water proj. "
<br />ect in northeastern Utah which is considered
<br />essential in' the development 01 that state's oil shale
<br />::\ . and rich tar sands deposits,
<br />~k~"""'" . But Utah can't go ahead with its construction
<br />.- '~"""'''''~:li.",,~...t(J, plans on the White River because the proposed.
<br />., ::t."R+':O:""~~ ." . 'dam and reservoir site is known to be habitat lor' :':":.
<br />. ~_~t.';"" '~.~~,,:.:..;~.f'~:<, j, the-Colorado'.squawfish, '-an endangered spe.cies.:.,-:.~;~~;~'.
<br />'. ~.~.. '.~~..-~'~..AI?d _:.~e.caus~' federa) ]aw:.:{orb~ds j,ust- a~ou.t :~ny....~~~~~'
<br />i. ......;.i" ~ thmg ':"""partlcularly water'proJects -whIch mlght<';'1~~.
<br />Y I :-- diminish the habitat of any endangered species, the ._., ,),
<br />i, : " ch,ances 01 Utah ~etting I~deral c?nstruc~ion.per- ,;;,;.'"
<br />t . mlts for. the proJect,""whlle :not<lmposslble, are',f;5i;;'
<br />, pretty much zilch. .: .' ;'i:-""'~~:>"-)."/~~"'" '_ .,: ~:",:1'!Y: ....~..:i~~.~
<br />. ... ".. '" ". , Now comes word that the simple existence 01 this :;;'.:;.,\,
<br />"~.e..."",",,~~,,~~~""C';r;::: '. creatu.re - whose claim to lame apparently resides ;.: ",;;"
<br />l<.~~';'>' ...:,...,,, "" in the lact that it is the world's largest minnow- is ".
<br />~ ." ~i- .~~ . *~ threatening a construction start this summer of the .
<br />, , Windy Gap water diversion project . .
<br />This is no briel on behall 01 a transmountain di..
<br />version. 01' Western' Slope water to the Eastern.
<br />. Slope: But alter years 01 lltigation, negotiation and _ :,'"
<br />, compromise, the Windy Gap Project -Iairly or un. ;",' :,.
<br />. ,Iairly - ultimately was authorized lor construction, ,.,,~), ,., ':
<br />This week, however, a.spokesman lor the U,S,".,c,:.
<br />Fish and Wildllfe Service said there is a good possi. ,/.:)
<br />bility that his agency will state in its biological re- ':~.(
<br />port that the Windy Gap Project will jeopardize the' ':1:~
<br />Colorado squawlish and humpback chub, another:;'""
<br />endangered species 01 almost equal notoriety to the ~. 'r
<br />world's largest minnow. Such a statement, if not the". "":',
<br />. kiss 01 death lor the project, is about the next clos.,:,." ".
<br />est thing'to it'. . . " '" ", .,.... '''!'!'('
<br />What makes this latest development in the saga ",..:,:,.
<br />of th'e squawfish so interesting is the contention ,~.
<br />that a trans mountain water diversion will jeopard-
<br />ize the squawlish.' For the past couple of years,
<br />we've been'led to belleve that squawlish can only
<br />llve in warm, turbid' waters, And because dams ,. '."',
<br />have the ellect 01 controlling turbidity and coollng ,,:' .'
<br />downstream waters, it has been argued that their'~',,::"">
<br />construction will adversely aflect the squawlish ':',.,.y
<br />and other lovers of warm, slow-moving, dirty water. '. ,"..
<br />Now we're told that a transmountain diversion,
<br />which has the ellect of contributing to downstream.
<br />turbidity by removing high quality headwaters"
<br />from the upper reaches of a r~ver basin, will also,di~,'
<br />minish squawfish habitat. ..
<br />The lederal Fish and Wildlife Service apparently.
<br />wants it both ways, Anything that makes squawfish .
<br />habitat' cooler and cleaner, like" a "dam and reser- .
<br />voir, is detrimental to the squawfish. And anything
<br />that makes its habitat warmer and dirtier,like a
<br />transmountain diversion of high quality Western
<br />Slope water, is also detrimental to the squawfish. .,
<br />To many Westerners, this latest squawfish de vel- .' '
<br />opment probably doesn't come as any surprise.
<br />About the only thing that could surprise many 01 ~s
<br />is an honest admission by squawfish lovers that
<br />their leelings aren't based on altruistic lee lings of
<br />protection. for an endangered species, but on an ab-
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