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'. . . .....,.. .".. r ~ "t:'"' ... ,,' .~:..:::::..- 2 Our offices could meet to discuss in greater detail the flexibility available in the reseryoir. Once habitat requirements for the fishes are determined, flows neces~lry to protect and conserve the species could be released. However, we believe that consultation on such releases should be made a part of formal consultation on the operation of Navajo Reservoir as requested in your February 27, 1980, memorandum. ThiS would be consistent with consultations for other Colorado River Storage Projects in the Upper Basin where impacts were indirect and where operation of other projects was.- available to provide flows, if needed. / . .--.. In 1986, Reclamation agreed to initiate some limited investigations on the. San Juan River to fulfill requirements of the biological opinion for the' ..- Animas.La Plata Project. The primary biological evidence supporting . ---:-- Reclamation's June 1979, biological assessment and the Service's non.jeop~rdy biological opinion was that the population of the endangered ColoradO ---- squawffsh, although reproducing, was extremely small. In addition, the -:-- populations of the Green and Colorado Rivers were larger, and the loss of the squawfish population on the San Juan River would not jeopardize the continued existence of the species. The current Agency Review Draft of the Colorado Squawfish Recovery Plan (July 14, 1989) supports this conclusion in that it cites the Green and Colorado River basins as primary habitats and that downlisting is predicated only on recovery in those two river systems. The recent San Juan investigations conducted from 1987 to present reaffirms the biological evidence that the squawfish population is limited to the lower reaches of the San Juan River and Is annually reproducing. A total of 8 adult squawfish have been captured in the area from Shiprock, ~ew Mexico, to the inflow area of lake Powell. One adult squawfish was captured in the inflow area of lake Powell in April of 1987 and recaptured five months later near Bluff about 145 kilometers upstream from its original capture location. In addition to adult fish captured in this reach, a total Of 18 young of the year were captured with most of the collections being made in Utah, in 1987i and'in the reach just above the inflow area to lake Powell. No other federal y listed endangered fish were collected during the investigations. Other collections of native fish that represent significant findings include the capture of 13 adult razorback sucker and IS roundtail chub. All but one of the razorback sucker, which is protected by the States of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and is currently under review for Federal listing. were collected at Piute Farms or the inflow area to lake Powell. One r.azorback was captured on the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah. The population of endangered fish, speCifically the Colorado squawfish. in the San Juan River are reproducing; however, the extent of annual recruitment or survivability of young fish has not been determined. These data or findings, although limited, are consistent with what has been found on the mainstem Colorado River and to some extent the Green River. Based on the collections made to date, we believe that adult fish reside year round in the San Juan River or migrate annually out of lake Powell to spawning areas on the San Juan p ~~ ~~~ <.n II