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<br />'. <br />.~-. . <br />j'. .,. <br /> <br />-~ .,.~~.~ ,,-. <br /> <br />U. k. <br /> <br />'-le...;.et::..I...3.1.'_lr-i <br /> <br />P. e 1 <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />around Shiprock, New Mexico, and the young of the year probably drift <br />downstream to nursery areas. The absence of larger numbers of young of the <br />year and or juvenile size fish suggests that recruitment to these age classes <br />is limiting the population of squawfish in the San Juan River. <br />l'~' T. -.:.. <br />Many possible explanations have been formulated to account for limited <br />recruitment in other occupied areas for the species, such as: nonMnative <br />predation _trom species such as channel catfish, redshlner, fathead minnow and <br />common carp; changes in water quality including temperature, conductivity and <br />pesticides; and changes in available habitat due to regulation of the river. <br /> <br />., As part 01' the San Juan River investigations Initiated in 1981, a Fishery <br />Management Plan.will be prepared by the cooperatIng natural resource agenCies <br />in Utah and New MexIco and the Bureau of Reclamation, The FIshery Management <br />Plan will summarize the 3 years of new biological information and review the <br />hydrology of the San Juan River Basin as affected by existing projects. The <br />Plan will assess the conditions of the river as related to non-native - <br />proliferation, overall fish habitat availability, and presence or absence of <br />native and federally listed species. Further, the plan will recommend needed <br />studies and identify action which might be beneficial to the recovery of the <br />'specles. The Fishery Management Plan is tentatively scheduled for completion <br />in April 1990. Reclamation will work with the States of New Mexico and Utah <br />as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service in developing a program to Implement <br />recovery actions identified in the plan. <br /> <br />In summary, we believe that the Animas-La Plata Project, in concert with other <br />depletions in the San Juan, may affect the endangered Colorado Squawfish. <br />Flexibility in the operation of Navajo Dam and Reservoir provides us the means <br />to eliminate impacts and promote recovery of the fiSh once It has been ... <br />determined what Is needed. In light of these facts, we request your <br />biological opinion on the AnimasMLa Plata Project as soon as possible. Should <br />the razorback sucker be proposed for listing. we believe the Service. should <br />consider the need for a conference report on that species. <br /> <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />l4- 67/( <br />