Laserfiche WebLink
<br />41 <br /> <br />Navajo Dam for the recovery of the endangered fishes. Releases for the <br />endangered fish will be legally protected to and through endangered fish <br />habitat to Lake Powell. However, until all research is completed, the <br />required water delivery schedule for the life of Navajo Dam (in terms of <br />hydrograph shape, timing, volume, and frequency) is unknown. Final year-round <br />flow recommendations will be determined at the conclusion of the research. <br /> <br />Under present conditions, computer simulations predict that by providing a <br />300 cfs minimum winter flow, 300,000 acre-feet would be available 96 percent <br />of the time, thus providing maximum flexibility to mimic a natural hydrograph <br />(shape, timing, and frequency). However, under full depletions (adding in all <br />future proposed projects up to each State's full compact allotment), the <br />300,000 acre-feet of water from the Navajo Reservoir would be available only <br />33 percent of the time, which indicates that the ability to provide all four <br />elements of a natural hydrograph (shape, timing, volume, and frequency) would <br />be severely restricted. The research, therefore, is directed towards <br />determining'how Navajo Reservoir releases can best be used in terms of <br />mimicking the natural hydrograph. This information will be utilized by the <br />Service in coordination with Reclamation to determine reservoir releases <br />needed for the endangered fishes. <br /> <br />The seventh element is legal protection of releases from Navajo Dam and <br />Reservoir to and through endangered fish species habitat. It is not enough to <br />only release water from Navajo Dam. There also must be guaranteed delivery of <br />the water so that it provides the habitat improvement necessary to maintain <br />and increase the endangered fish population in the San Juan River. To ensure <br />legal protection of releases for listed fish, a Memorandum of Understanding <br />and Supplemental Agreement have been developed and executed (Appendix B). <br /> <br />The Recovery Implementation Program for the San Juan River is now developed <br />and Reclamation is providing funding for the research effort through the <br />Recovery Implementation Program. Funding of the research and all other <br />recovery activities for the endangered fish of the San Juan River has become a <br />shared responsibility of the participating parties in the Recovery <br />Implementation Program. <br /> <br />A conservation recommendation has been developed to address water quality <br />concerns in the San Juan River that could cause impacts to the endangered <br />fishes. <br /> <br />INCIDENTAL TAKE <br /> <br />Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act, as amended, prohibits any taking <br />(harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or <br />attempt to engage in any such conduct) of listed species without a special <br />exemption. Harm is further defined to include significant habitat <br />modification or degradation that results in death or injury to listed species <br />by significantly impairing behavioral patterns such as breeding, feeding, or <br />sheltering. Under the terms of section 7(b)(4) and section 7(0)(2), taking <br />that is incidental to and not intended as part of the agency action is not <br />considered taking within the bounds of the Endangered Species Act provided <br />that such taking is in compliance with the incidental take statement. <br />