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<br />Common, questions about e11:dangered Colorado River fish
<br />
<br />, (Editor's note: The Recuvery Pro-
<br />gram held public meetings in Delta,
<br />Gunnison,a1id Grand JunCtion; Colo;,
<br />last summer to discuss a proposed fish
<br />ladder at Redlands Diversion Dam, an '
<br />interim contract to ,deliver water from
<br />Blue Mesa Reservoir for endangered
<br />(ish and an {igreement involving Taylor'
<br />Park Dam' operations. Below are seV-
<br />eral questions and respon~es from the
<br />meetings:) , -
<br />
<br />, Are you placing more importance
<br />on fISh than people? .
<br />No. The needs offish and people are
<br />closely related. In North America, 40
<br />Species and subspecies of fIsh have be- '
<br />come extinct this century. The loss,of
<br />Colorado River fisbraises a red flag'
<br />about 'degradation of one of the ,most
<br />unique fiver systems in the world. This
<br />" ecosystem is home not only to endan-
<br />gered fish, but to ,eagles, waterfowl,
<br />other wildlife - and to people. '
<br />In addition. since the Recovery Pro-
<br />gram was created in 1988, the Fish and
<br />Wildlife SeIVice, has approved more
<br />than '190 wate"r projects, which have
<br />directly benefited people in Colorado,
<br />Utah and Wyoming.
<br />
<br />Why are you trying to save these
<br />fish 'when, you, medto ' eradicate
<br />them it few years ago? Isn't that the
<br />reason they are now endangered? '
<br />, The primary reasons the fish are en"
<br />dangered is because of construction of
<br />dams and' introductions of non-native,
<br />fish. However, in the mid-1960s,
<br />, rotenone, a substance denved from the
<br />root ofthe 'derris plant, waS'used to re"
<br />duce native fish populations and make
<br />way for noli-native sport fish before :,
<br />closUre of Flaming Gorge and Navajo
<br />dams. Follow-up studies found the to-
<br />tal nwnber of fish in these two loca-
<br />tions had dropped, but the ratios of var-
<br />ious species remained about the 'same:
<br />Researchers concluded there had been
<br />. no lasting effect on native fish. Since
<br />, then, the public has developed a
<br />greater awareness of the value, of na-
<br />tive species. and wildlife policies now'
<br />reflect that attitude shift.
<br />
<br />Why do yoo care about squaWfish
<br />when in th~ Pacific Northwest, there '
<br />,are so many of them that 'go'vern-
<br />ment agencies are paying people to
<br />catch them?' '
<br />The squawfIsh in the northwest are
<br />northern squawfIsh, an entirely differ-
<br />ent species of fish :from Colorado
<br />squawfish, juSt 115 rainbow trout are
<br />different from cutthroat trout. '
<br />
<br />WiD an ,environmental impact
<br />statement be prepared on the fish
<br />.ladder?
<br />The Bureau of Reclamation recently
<br />completed' an "environmental assess-
<br />ment, which found that the fIsh ladder
<br />poses no significant impact on the hu-
<br />man environment. '
<br />'The final environmental assessment
<br />'on the Redlands fish ladder and in-
<br />terimflow protectiOn isnowavailable.
<br />You say yoo want to build a fish For a ,'copy, contaclJoneWright, Bu-
<br />ladder at RedlandsDam, bot lad- " reauof Reclamation, PO. Box 60340,
<br />ders in the Northwest have 'failed to Grand junction, CO 81506, (303) 248-
<br />help salmon. If they haven't worked . 0636. '
<br />, there, why should they work her~?
<br />, In Of~t, 'fish ,ladders are used very
<br />successfully by millions of adult
<br />salmon and ,other fish in the North-
<br />west. (The decline in salmon is a result
<br />of other factors.)' ' '
<br />, Constructing .a' fish ladder at Red- '
<br />, lands,would follow a national trend to-
<br />ward using these structures to, lessen
<br />enviroiunental impact of dams. Col-
<br />orado squawfish are strong swimmers
<br />accustomed to migrating through tur-
<br />bulent water. They' congregate at the
<br />base of RedlandsDam and, are ex-'
<br />" pected to use the ladder. Only actual
<br />testing can determiDe the ladder's suc~
<br />cess.
<br />
<br />What is being done to offSet po-
<br />, tential impacts of the Redlands fish
<br />'ladder and Blue Mesa releases for
<br />endangered fish? '
<br />The Recovery Program will not take
<br />away any of Redlands' water rights;
<br />Redlands operates under a 'very semor
<br />water right and should, not be signifi-
<br />cantly affected.
<br />Shortages in water from Blue Mesa
<br />Reservoir have occurred historically
<br />and will continue to occur, regardless
<br />of effortS. to protect flows for endan-
<br />, gered fish. However" the Colorado Wa-
<br />ter Conservation Board" U.S. Fish and
<br />Wildlife SeIVice and U.S. BUreau of
<br />Reclamation recently finalized a' con-
<br />IC endangered fish use the ladder, ',tract that includes proteCtion of exist-
<br />so wiD other fish. Won't you cancel iIig water rights: ,The approach being
<br />oot any benefit for endangered fish? ,used will requiretbat earljer in the
<br />To help prevent non-native fish from "year, Blue' Mesa and 'other Asl?inall
<br />using the ladder, the Bureau ot Reela- Unit reservoirs be drawn down more
<br />, mation will construct a fish trap at the frequently "and to a greater extent than
<br />upper end of the passage strUcture and ,in recent years. While the contract can-
<br />will monitor the types of fish that swim not' gu;mmtee a full water supply for
<br />through. It also may work to open the existing water rights, it should' mini- '
<br />bidder only at certain times of year, " mize fume shortages.
<br />such as' during summer months when' " ,
<br />endangered fish migrate to and from Will construction of the fish lad-
<br />the spawning area; , der ,affect plans to bUild the
<br />Dominguez dam?
<br />The proposed location of the
<br />Dominguez Dam lies within the area
<br />designated as critical habitat for en-
<br />dangered fish. Protection for the fish
<br />will exist'whether or not the passage-
<br />way and interim contract are com-
<br />pleted. Recovering the fish to the point
<br />that they can be removed from the en-
<br />
<br />How much is the proposed fish
<br />ladder going to cost Redlands Water
<br />and Power Company?
<br />The fish ladder will not cost Red-
<br />'lands anything. The project, which will
<br />cost around $1 million, will be paid en-
<br />tirely with federal funds;
<br />
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