WSP07668

• File Number: 8240.200.10.C.5
• Description: UCRBRIP
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 3/21/1994
• Author: USFWS
• Title: Federal Register - Determination of Critical Habitat for Four Colorado River Endangered Fishes - Final Rule
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Federal Register / VoL 59, No. 54 / Monday, March 21, 1994 / Rules and Regulations

13385

Opinion issued on October 25, 1991 by
the Service, the Bureau of Reclamation
agreed to fund 7 years of research and
to develop a RecOvery Implementation
Program for the San Juan River, On
October 24,-1991, a Memorandum of
Understanding was signed by the
Semce; the' Bureau of Reclamation, the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, States of
Colorado'and' New Mexico, the Ute
Mountain Indian Tribe, the Southern .
Ute Indian Tribe, and the Jicarilla
Apache Indian Tribe to set forth certain
agreements and to establish a San Juan
Recovery Implementation Program
(SjRIP); The SjRIP provides thebesis for
the recovery of the endangered fishes of
the San Juan River.
The 7 -year research effort focuses on
observing the biological response of
endangered fish populations to habitat
conditions after the reoperation of
Navajo Ilan;l to meet the needs of the
Colorado squawfish and razorback
sucker. The recovery elements define
the iliiijercategories of activities that
will heci>nducted to recover
endlingerea fish species and Diilintain. .'
the 'l~'\velish community in the' San.
. Juaiil9-:ver Basin. Intensive stuw..s are
being~d\lcted by the.8jRIPto . ~:
. deter:tirli1e'ihe relative abundance imd
distiiilliiion of endangered fishes and
other_tive and nonnative fishes.
M0d.ific8tiori:and loss of bebitat, fiSh
po~and nonnative fishes have
contributed to the dec1ine of the . .
Co~oSq\lawfish and razorback'
suckSi- ~ the San Juan River Basin.
Reguliiting structures, such as Navejo
Dam, can,be operated to control river
flowsn,d temperatures to affect the
quantity and quality of habitats in
certain river reaches during periods
whell they are most critical to
endangered fish species, After
determining appropriate flow needs, the
BiolOgy Committee of the SjRIP, with
input from the Bureau of Reclamation,
will recommend specific flow regimes
to the Semce. It is anticipated that the
water for habitat Improvement will be
provided.by the reoperation of Navajo
Dam.
.The Bureau of Reclamation has agreed
that it will operate Navajo Dam to ,
provide a .more natural hydrograph, if
the researCh shows this type of
hydrograph is beneficial to recovery of
endangered species and the native fish
community, If habitat and flow needs.
are identified that cannot be met by
reoperation of Navajo Dam, additional
sources of water to meet those needs
will be identified on a case-specific
basis, The success of the SjRIP is
contingent upon the legal protection of
water released for habitat flows

pursuant to Federal, State, and tribal
laws.
To date, 15 years of research and $18
million have been spent in fish stocking
and research on these .fish species in the
Lower Basin, A combined research and
management effort continues in the
Lower Basin. This effort involves
researchers from Arizona State
University, Ariz'ona Game and Fish
Department, Nevada Department of
Wildlife, California Fish and Game
Department, Bureau of Reclamation,
Bureau of Land Management, and the
Service, These groups are currently
developing protected grow-out areas in
lakes Mohave and Havasu for razorback
sucker and bonytaiL To date, this.effort
has shown great potential. Additionally,
there was a 1o-year effort to restore
razorback suckers and Colorado
squawfish into the Gila River drainage.
.An extensive research program has
been initiated as part of the Glen
Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES)
to determine life history and ecolOgy of
the humpback chub in the Grand
Canyon. The humpback chub was one of
the' initial species listed under the Act.
. In 1978. the Semce issued a jeopardy
Biological Opinion on the existing .
operation of Glen CaD.yoIi Dam, but
needed further research to determine
what actions are needed to benefit the
listed fish. At that lime, limited
information existed nn the distribution
abundance, life hi5\pry. and habilet ~
for the Grand'CanydDpopulationsoin the
Colorado River ma1nStem and its
associated trlbutaries,The inception of
these studies is an 'Outcome of the.initial
GCESlPhase I effort and Semce
conservation IJ?easures developed as
part of long.term recovery effort for the
species. The research program involves
e coordinated effort among four
principal entities (Arizona State
University, Arizona Game and Fish
Department, Bureau of Reclamation, and
the Service), each addressing specific
study objectives. This program is part of
. the short.term experimental research for
the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental
Impact Statement. A commitment to a
long.term research and monitoring
program exists and will function as a
conduit for the culmination of
additional information generated
through the endangered species
research,

Relationship of Critical Habitat to
Other Provisions of the Act

Introduction

The purpose of the Act, as stated in
section 2(b). is to provide a means to
conserve the ecosystems upop. which
endangered and threatened species

depend, and to provide a program for
the conservation of.Usted species.
Section 2(C)(1) of the Act states that
... . . all Federal departments and
agencies shall seek to conserve
endangered species and threatened
species and shall utilize their
authorities in furtherance of the
purposes of this Act," Conservation
requirements of species listed as
endangered or threatened under the Act
include recovery actions, requirements
for Federal protection, and prohibitions
against certain practices.
The Act provides for the conservation
of listed species through several
mechanisms, such as section 5 (land
acquisition); section 6 (Federal grants to
States, and research); section 7
(requiring Federal agencies to further
the purposes of the Act by-carrying out
conservation programs, and insuring
that Federal actions will not likely
jeopardize the continued existence of
the listed species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of
critical.habitat); Section 9 (prohibition of
taking of listed species); and section 10
(permits for scientific purposes or to
enhance propagation and survival of
listed species and habitat conservation
planning on'non-Federal lands), .
Critic8I habitat designation is
primarily intended to identify the
habitat needed for survival and
recovery. Such designation is not a
management or c~nservation -plan.. and
designation of critical hshitat do~s not
offer specific direction for managing
habitat. T1>at type of direction, as well
as any change in.management priorities,
will come through. the administration of
other parts of the Act (e.g.. section 7,
section 10 permit process, and recovery
planning) and through development of
management plans for specific species
or areas. However. the designation of
critical habitat in an area. can result in _
additional protection for that area
through administration of section 7 of
the Act.

Recove!)' Planning

Recovery plans developed under
section 4(l) of the Act guide much of the
Service's recovery activities and
promote conservation and eventual
delisting of species. Recovery plans
address the steps needed to recover a
species throughout its range and
provide a mechanism for
Implementation. .Recovery plans
provide guidance. which may include
population goals, and usually include
identification of areas in need of
protection or special management.
Recovery plans can include
management recommendations for areas
proposed or designated as critical