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<br />NEW MEXICO
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<br />Wednesday, May 9, 1990
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<br />. . . Page 3, Section D
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<br />Squawfish Study Puts Animas-LaPlata
<br />N .M. Lawmakers Question Timing of Wildlife Service Report
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<br />COMPILED FROM JOURNAL STAFF
<br />AND WIRE REPORTS
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<br />WASHINGTON - A . preliminary U.S.
<br />Fish and Wildlife Service study of the
<br />endangered Colorado squaw fish has
<br />brought the $582 million Animas-LaPlata
<br />water project to a halt even before con-
<br />struction starts.
<br />
<br />Fish and WildUfe issueu a draft opinion
<br />Tuesday saying the project "is likely to
<br />jeopardize the continued existence of the
<br />Colorado squawfish" in the entire San Juan
<br />basin.
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<br />In addition to halting the Animas-La Plata
<br />project, the service also recommends that
<br />operations be curtailed on the existing
<br />projects in the basin, including the Navajo,
<br />and San Juan-Chama projects. It beld tbat
<br />no alternatives, including more water re-
<br />leases from existing reservoirs or altering
<br />the construction schedule, were defensible.
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<br />Experts describe the squawfish as an
<br />"elongated pike-like fish;' a large and
<br />
<br />Albuquer'l.ue Journal
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<br />voracious predator that was once common
<br />in the entire Colorado River basin, but is
<br />now confined to the upper Colorado. It was
<br />listed officially as an endangered species in
<br />1967.
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<br />Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan Jr., who
<br />was briefed Monday by Fish and Wildlife
<br />officials, "agreed the Animas-l.aPlata pr~
<br />ject should be stopped until Fisb and
<br />Wildlife completes its studies and directed
<br />the service to continue its work," Steve
<br />Goldstein, Lujan's top press aide, said
<br />Tuesday.
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<br />ihe study could take up to seven years,
<br />officials said. .
<br />Rep. Ben Nighthorse Campbell. D-Colo..a
<br />strong supporter of the project, said Tues- .
<br />day the delay would effectively ldl1 it .
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<br />"These are tbe same people who were -
<br />poisoning the damn ~uckers in 1962. They
<br />killed thousands of them to make the rivers
<br />
<br />N .M. State Bar
<br />Ceremony Marks
<br />Admission of 83
<br />
<br />THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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<br />SANTA FE - Eighty-three lawyers will be admitted
<br />to tbe Stene Bar of New Mexico at a ceremony today:
<br />The ceremony is scheduled at 11 a.m. in Morgan Hall
<br />or the State Land OUice Building.
<br />The candidates, wbo passed the most recent bar
<br />examination in febroary, are;
<br />Todd &bcKinnoD Ackley, Kirtland; Na.ncy Daaette AlleD, Uncoln.
<br />Neb.; Charles Allen Be_nIlen, El_ Paso;_ Ka~eriDe _~oUDce Beqqet;t.
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<br />better for game fish," said Campbell.
<br />"Now they say they're endangered. Of
<br />course they're endangered. The govern-
<br />ment killed most of them;' Campbell said.
<br />Earlier tbis year, Cederal game officials
<br />said squaw fish bad been de-liberately
<br />poisoned in the San Juan River in the early
<br />1960s to protect game fish, but that the
<br />extermination program had been directed
<br />by tbe New Mexico Game and Fish Depart-
<br />ment
<br />The Animas-laPlata project .is to provide
<br />municipal, industrial and irrigation water
<br />to southwest Colorado and northwest New.
<br />Mexico. More importantly. it would settle
<br />century-long water rights claims made by
<br />the two Ute Indian tribes.
<br />Critics of the project claim. it would rum.
<br />tbe Animas River and provide water tbat
<br />would be too expensive for farmers.
<br />In planning_since 1904., the project bas.
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<br />on
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<br />been studied by Cederal agencies for de-
<br />cades. Fish and Wildlife bad issued a "no
<br />jeopardy" opinion in 1979 and Tuesday's
<br />reversal came on the eve or tbe project's
<br />groundbreaking. scheduled for next month.
<br />Environmentalists hailed the- decision,
<br />with the Sierra Club and National Wildlife
<br />Federation issuing a joint news release
<br />sopporting the federal agency's jeopardy
<br />opinion.
<br />But New Mexico lawmakers Tuesday
<br />questioned tbe timing or the opinion and its
<br />findings.
<br />"It's a little late in the process to come up
<br />with this kind of discovery," said Sen. Jeff
<br />Bingaman. D-N.M.
<br />Rep. Joe Skeen, R-N.M., said, "I bave a
<br />sneaking suspicion that getting the squaw.
<br />fish declated an endangered species on the
<br />San Juan is ,a way to prevent water
<br />diversion froID tbe river. It's always amaz-
<br />inK how they discover these things out of
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<br />WORK
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<br />Hold
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<br />the blue. Their timing is always so superb."
<br />"This new development is serious and
<br />will likely adversely aHect tbe project;'
<br />said Rep, Bi.ll Ricbardson, D-N.M.
<br />Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said, "I
<br />cannot believe there are no alternatives
<br />other than to hold up this project for seven
<br />years."
<br />Rep. Steve Schiff, R-N.M., said he was
<br />concerned about any limitation of the right
<br />to use water coming to New Mexico.
<br />Tbe order halting further diversion of
<br />water and barring construction of the
<br />Aniroas-LaPlata project must come from
<br />the Bureau of Reclamation, also part of the
<br />Interior Department. '
<br />"Based on our reading or tbe fisb and
<br />Wildlife findings, there can be no commit-
<br />ment o( water resources and any water that
<br />has not been committed will Dot be," Joe
<br />HUnter, director of external af.. t, tbe
<br />Bureau of Reclamation, said Tu
<br />He pointed out that const on
<br />Animas-LaPlata bas not started and any
<br />plans to start "will be stopped."
<br />
<br />EPA'WasPushed
<br />On WIPP Tests,
<br />Lawmaker Says
<br />
<br />By Richard Parker
<br />
<br />OF THe JOURNAL'S
<br />WM\'ttMG,.oo BUREAU
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<br />WASHINGTON - A House subcommittee cbainnan
<br />charged Tuesday that two Cederal departItlents are
<br />pressuring the EnvirollIIlental Protection Agency to
<br />exempt Cf?m _!..edera} r~gulations radioactive expert-
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