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- . DAM OPERATIONS KEY TO FISH RECOVERY . . . . . .. Photo by Connie Young Changing operation of federal dams,. such as. Flaming Gorge on northern Utah's Green River, is one of the keys to reroveririg endangered fish, experts. say. BiologistS believe the fish need flows similar to those that existed his- toriCally, namely high spring flows and low, stable flows therest.of the year. Director's message By John Hamill ' Recovery Program Director u.s. Fish arid Wildl~e 'Service Rerovery Action plan roinpleted In 1993, the Recovery. Program developed and adopted the Recovery Implementation Program Reco'very' Action Plan (RIPRAP), which . identifies. feasible . actions .needed to recover endangered fish in the upper Co lorado . River Basin. The plan gives highest priori- ty to actions ,that protect or improve John Hamill habitat conditions for the . fish and resuit in mor.e immediate, positive pop- ulation response. This includes activi- ties. such as fish passage. construction, restoration of flooded bottom land 'habitats, changes in reservoir opera- tions, in-stream .flow protection, con- trol of non-native fish and experimental stocking of endangered fish. An estimated $86 million will be needed over tbe next six. years to implement the recovery action plan. Obtaining these funds will be a major . challenge and priority for the Recovery Program. To date, the pro- gram has relied heavily on Bureau of Reclamation funds to implement the recovery action plan. Program partici: pants are curnintly evaluating addi- . tional funding strategies and cost-shar- ing proposals. In-stream flows targeted The Colorado Water Conservation Board has set an aggressive schedule to appropriate in-stream flow rights for . endangered fish in the Colorado, Gunnison and Yampa rivers. In' March the Board adopted a new policy for appropriatIng these in-stream. flow . rights, which is expected to reduce conflict over flow recommendations for endangered fish and the state's 'ability to develop the compact entitle- ment. This policy will make the maxi- mum amount of water available to the fish at an early priority date. . Also, last fall the Board signed an enforcement agreement that allows the Fish and Wildl ife Service to enforce in- stream flows acquired or appropriated under Colorado state law for endan- gered fish. Public InpUt to be ronsidered Implementation of the recovery action plan has stirred considerable interest .and controversy among some upper Colorado River Basin residents. Concerns exist about program cost, local impacts of recovery actions, lack of public involvement in decision-mak- 4 ing and tlie value of endangered fish. Program participants have respond- ed with an expanded public outreach and involvement effort. Public'meet- ings have. been held 'in several Colorado and Utah locations to discuss topics such as restrictions on stocking of warmwater sport' fish, changing operations of federal'dams to provide flows for endangered fish, construc- tion of fish ladders and establishment ofbypass flow requirements: These meetings have helped identi- fy ways to implement recovery actions . while minimizing impacts on. local 'economies' and. other resourc'e uses.' Information gathered' at these meeting . also will be useful in determining issues to address during the National . Environmental Policy Act compliance process. Spawning site disrovered? Researchers recently discovered suspected Colorado squaw fish spawn- ing activity in the Colorado River near Grand ,Junction, Colo. Biologists caught 18 sqtiawfish in reproductive condition and discovered another sus- pected spawning congregation on a cobble bar near the plunge'pool below Redlands Dam on the Gunnison River. Although researchers previously hypothesized that Colorado squaw fish spawn in nwnerous areas in the upper Colorado River, this is the first year they found such good evidence.