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<br />
<br />GO HERALD
<br />
<br />FLOWS
<br />
<br />(CoatUoaed ".,. ..... 1)
<br />the Animas~La Plata depletions,
<br />but the Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />rejected any plan that would re-
<br />duce nows in the San Juan.
<br />"Since the Service believes that in
<br />most years the river is already at or
<br />below the threshold for minimum ,
<br />flows whereby the fISh could lur-'
<br />.;ve in the river, any furtherdepl..
<br />tions to the riv~r system could ROw
<br />der the Sanjuan Rivcrunusable by
<br />the CoIol2do "Iuawruh; the re-
<br />port DOtes. "Reproduction appean
<br />to be occurring only during years
<br />of high .pring flow>."
<br />But why are the 26 squawflSh in
<br />the San Juan River so important?
<br />There are 1.000 living wild in the
<br />Green River, and over the past de.
<br />cade the Fish and Wtldlife Service
<br />has grown at least 75,000 squawflSb
<br />in hatcheries and stocked them in
<br />the Colorado River.
<br />"Itjustmak.es good scoote that the
<br />more a species is spread around.
<br />the less-likely a cataStrophic event
<br />could wipe OlIt the species," said I
<br />Buierbaugh. '"The ruh in h,"ch..
<br />rieS and.oo., they don'( counL"
<br />The ,San, Juan, being separate
<br />from the Green and Colorado river
<br />'system, would act as a backup if
<br />something like an oil spill poDuted
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />() 5-o'i-C[O
<br />
<br />.~'.
<br />
<br />those riven, Buterbaugh said.
<br />The FiJh and Wildlife Seme.
<br />admits that its information on the
<br />San Juan population of squawfuh
<br />is sk.etchy. That's why it would like
<br />about seven more ycan of study
<br />before it makes a deftnitive conclu.
<br />
<br />sion about the best conditionl for
<br />squawfuh. .
<br />"Based on our experience on the
<br />Colonado River, we've found we
<br />need from five to 10 yean to....uy
<br />study a river and have the informa.
<br />tion we need," saki Buterbaugh. .
<br />
<br />A-LP, ...
<br />.'s"'" ..., .'
<br />.,.,(...........".,.~;l),
<br />, .. .. .. .... ,.~"'-'-,- ',f'
<br />':Judy"Knight Frailk.., .;.. -:~:;:.. '.
<br />".. "Many' sacrifices 'have been
<br />made on the road to this sewel11ent
<br />(oflndian water rights). Weare-ex-
<br />tremely diJmayed that thefed~ral
<br />government would place om obliga.
<br />tion to a fuh a~e their obligatio~
<br />to Nati...e Americans," said South.
<br />ern Ute chairman Leonard
<br />Burch.... ' -,
<br />JIll ..it', not time to break out the
<br />champagne, but it's worth a beer," :
<br />said Jeanne Englert. a member of
<br />the anti-project group T~payers
<br />for the Animas River. "]t's lmpor-
<br />taut to remember that there are
<br />reasonable types of projects ,that
<br />could be built that could satisfy the
<br />Indian water claims without cost-
<br />ing half a billion doUars." ,.'
<br />"" The Fish and Wddlife decJ$lOn
<br />provides "an opportu~ity fo~ input
<br />on the impaCU of thiS proJ~ on
<br />rafting, wetlands.,water quality and
<br />wildlife generally. including eagles,
<br />elk, deer - not only the codan.
<br />gered species," said Lori Potter, a
<br />lawyer for the Sierra Club Legal
<br />Defense Fund. , .
<br />"" "The project sponsors are will-
<br />ing to make sacrifICeS, but ~e one
<br />they won't make is the enb~ pro-
<br />ject," said Chris Mulick,lobbyist for
<br />Kogovsek Be Associates, who rcp~
<br />sent the water project and Indtan
<br />
<br />tribes. dli'
<br />JIll Officials of the Fish &: WiI Ie
<br />Service "have taken leave of their
<br />senses. The whole notion sounds
<br />like fantaSy. not policy," said Sen.
<br />Bill Al'lIlstrong, R-Colo.
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