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<br />~~..) <br /> <br />reviewing the current status of the Colorado squawfish and razorback sucker, and the <br />environmental baseline for the San Juan River basin in which this proposed stocking would <br />occur, it is the Service's biological opinion that the proposed action, as described below, is <br />not likely to jeopardize the Colorado sQuawfish or the razorback sucker; nor is the <br />proposed action likely to adversely modify or destroy designated critical habitat for these <br />species. <br /> <br />'::.1 <br />...-) <br />C..J <br />( ~ <br /> <br />....:J <br /> <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />The State of Utah, through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. proposes to initiate an <br />experimental stocking program of Colorado squaw fish in the San Juan River. This <br />experimental program is proposed under the ongoing cooperative research effort sponsored <br />by the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. As of this date, the <br />cooperators with the Service in the Implementation Program include the Bureau of <br />Reclamation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of land Management, the States of <br />Colorado and New Mexico, the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian <br />Tribe. and the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe. <br /> <br />The proposed experimental stocking of Colorado squawfish in the San Juan River is in <br />support of the purposes of the Implementation Program. These purposes are listed below: <br /> <br />1. To conserve populations of the endangered colorado squawfish <br />IPtvchocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xvrauchen texanus} in the Basin <br />consistent with the recovery goals established under the Endangered Species <br />Act, 16 U,S,C. 1531 et seq. <br /> <br />2. To proceed with water development in the Basin in compliance with federal <br />and state laws, interstatE! compacts, Supreme Court decrees, and federal <br />trust responsibilities to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute <br />Indian Tribe, the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, and the Navajo Nation. <br /> <br />The Implementation Program identifies actions and Objectives needed to attain these goals <br />and to implement recovery of the endangered fish species within 15 years. The proposed <br />stocking plan is an element of the identified research needs and recovery goals listed in <br />Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the Implementation Program document: the essential research for <br />long range plan and program goal development. and the protection of genetic integrity and <br />management and augmentation of populations. <br /> <br />The experimental stocking plan has been designed to (1) answer specific research <br />questions essential for the recovery of Colorado squawfish, and (2) evaluate the utility of <br />further artificial augmentation efforts to achieve recovery goals for this species. The <br />research effort of the Implementation Program currently includes investigations of the <br />physical, chemical, and biological composition of low-velocity habitat in the San Juan <br />River. However, densities of native young Colorado squawfish are low, thereby precluding <br />an evaluation of their habitat selection and use in this system. Augmenting the current <br />population by stocking hatchery-reared Colorado squawfish of sizes equivalent to young- <br />of-year and iuvenile age classes will allow the evaluation of young Colorado squawfish <br /> <br />2 <br />