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36 used by eagles during Stage B and Phase II of the project. Also, some loss of cottonwood trees may occur with canal abandonment. The Service has considered these impacts and developed conservation recommendations to reduce impacts to bald eagles. It is the Service's biological opinion that the Project, as described herein, is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the bald eagle. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS Cumulative effects include the effects of future State, local, or private actions that are reasonably certain to occur in the action area considered in this biological opinion. Future Federal actions that are unrelated to the proposed action are not considered in this section because they require separate consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. One private activity that is likely to occur in the future and could affect bald eagles'is the increased housing development in rural areas in La Plata County, Colorado. Development in the floodplain is occurring now and is expected to increase in the future. Reclamation's surveys found that bald eagles did not use areas where there is a lot of residential development. Roost sites, potential nest sites, and areas of general use by bald eagles could all be adversely affected by private development activity. The Service is not aware of any future State actions that could affect bald eagles. The Service is not aware of any future State, local, or private projects, that would not require a Federal action, that may affect Colorado squawfish or razorback sucker. REASONABLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE The Service believes, based on the analysis of the hydrological and biological information, that implementation of all the following elements will avoid the likelihood of jeopardizing the continued existence of Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker; and avoid destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. Reclamation agrees to carry out all of the elements of the reasonable and prudent alternative. These actions will serve as a reasonable and prudent alternative so long as they are completed and/or implemented before Project depletions occur. 1. After reviewing baseline hydrological conditions and how Reclamation could operate Navajo Dam to mimic the natural hydrograph, the Service determined that an initial depletion not to exceed 57,100 acre-feet for the Project is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the Colorado squawfish or razorback sucker nor adversely modify or destroy their critical habitat, assuming the implementation of all elements of the reasonable and prudent alternative. This depletion is that portion of the Project available from the construction of Phase 1, Stage A. Only those Project features which result in a depletion of 57,100 acre-feet (Phase I, Stage A) will be constructed and operated pursuant to this biological opinion. However, the Animas-La Plata Project deDletion can not exceed an annual maximum of 57,100 acre-feet in any year, as calculated at the Bluff gage (located