WSP07997 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

What has thisprogYamaccornplished? (Editor's .note: Below is a selec- tion or activities and accomplish- . ments or the Recovery Program ror Endangered Fish or the Upper . Colorado River Basin:) 'To benefit' endangered fish, an 'average of 2.5 million acre-feet of .water has been reieased each of the last two 'years from .major federal diuns in the upper Colorado River Basin. Of this total; 1.5 million has come from Blue' Mesa Dam .on the Gunnison River in Colorado; the other 1 million was from Flaming' Gorge Dam on the Green River.in Utah. The purpose of these releases is. to. enhance river habitat conditions for the fish 'by providing higher spring flows and lower, more stable flows the rest of the year. . Another 10,006 to, 20,000 acre-. . feet of water is releaSed each. year . from northwest. Colorado's Ruedi Reservoir. . The states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming ;md the Fish and Wildlife. Service have developed int~rim' pro- be built this year. Biologists have cedures for stocking non,'native fish. 'established captive populations of in lakes and resenroirs in' the upper Colorado .squawfish and 'razorback . Colorado River Basin. The proce-. suckers at these two sites - creating dures will ensure that all stoClang of , broodstocks of endangered fish, main, . . non-native fish in the upper Colorado taining hatchery fish with the genetic .' River Basin is consistent with recov- . inakeup of wild fish and reducing Jhe . ery of endangered fish.' The proce-chances that a fuel spill or other disas- . dures will be tested in 1994 and final, ter in the river would destroy the last .' ized next spring. ' remaining endangered fish in the wild. · Limited numbers of the rarest. 'About 20 wetlands along the.. Colorado River fish are being raised Green and Colorado rivers are being IR hatchenes' to be stocked. IR . the evaluated for possible restoration as wild. Last spring, Fish and Wildlife - endangered fish habitat Plans then Service biologists remove4 41 razor- call for removing or" altering dikes back suckers from il p.ond near and. other barriers to these wetlands. Debeque, Colo., and stocked them in This would allow young endangered the,r natural habitat In the Colorado fish to swim into these nutrient-rich and Guimison ~vers. Researchers are 'areas' and grow large enough to .theri tracking the radio-tagged fish to mon-. fend for themselves in the riVer. itor survival and habitat use . .' One wetland on tlie Ouray' . The V.S. Bureau of ReclamatIOn National Wildlife Refuge in Utah was constructed SIX "refuge" ponds fo~ - restored in. 1993. Researchers endangered fish .on the Horsethief installed inlet and <>~t1et structures ,to . Canyon State Wildlife Area near control water levels and prevent large' . Fruita, Colo. On the Ouray National non-native fish from swimming in: Wildlife Refuge in northern Utah, 12 Biologists captured about 20,000 refuge ponds have been constructed to native suckers in the Green River last hold endangered fish; another six will spring and transplanted them to this Photo by Connie Young Water is'released from federal dams to. mimic historical high spring flows , and lower; more stable flows the rest of the year. . 8 wetland. The researchers are' now monitorin'g the fishes' survivaL . , Construction is scheduled to start in 1995 on a fish ladder on the lower Gunnison River' at . Redlands Diversion Dam. This project would open up 50 miles of historical habitat to the fish. 01) the YampaRiver, pas- sageways'being considered would allow fish to migrate aroUnd agricul- tural diversion struc\Ures. . . Tlie Colorado Water Conservation Board has filed for a . 581 cubic'feet-per-second in-stream flow right for the "IS-mile reach" .of the Colorado River near Grand. JunCtion. The state aiso will file to acquire unclaimed irrigation, return flows in this same stretch of river. . To ensure minimum fl.ows in the Gunnison River between Delta and Grand Junction, Colo., the Colorado Water Conservation Board, U.S. Fish , and Wildlife Service and V.3. Bureau 'of Reclamation have proposed allocat- ing stored water .from Blue Mesa Reservoir for endangered fIsh. At times during late summer, the Gunnison River downstream of Redlands Diversion Dam can go nearly dry. In 'turn, Rec'Iamation 'and the Conservation Board are working to identifya water.source for irrigation, municipal and industrial use to offset Blue Mesa releases for endangered fish. Tentative plans call for drawing . this water from Taylor Park and Blue Mesa reservoirs. The water would be made available to all Gunnison River Basin water rights helders. . '. In 1991 and 1992, the program has acquired 2,000 acre-feet of water from Steamboat Lake. The. reservoir releases have boosted flows in the Yampa' River in laie summer and early fall, when river' flows can 'be . especially vulnerable to drought The Colorado Division of Parks is work- ing . to develop a long-term .Iegal means for protecting these releases as in-stream flows for the fish. Once this . process is completed, the Recovery Program will enter into a long-tenn lease for water. from Steamboat Lake.