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. ... ,:"',-~------- . ;i:.rl '~li, .? {<t;J- 2. Under the direction of the Recovery Program, a 5-year research program will be initiated. It will include implementation of winter and spring research flows, beginning in the spring of 1992. The research program will attempt to refine flow recommendations during these time p,eriods. Annual meetings will be held to refine seasonal flows based on research findings and forecasted reservoir inflow. 3. Reclamation will complete studies, during the 5-year research program, to determine the feasibility of providing warmer water during critical life history periods of the endangered fish. Reclamation will also investigate the feasibility of retrofitting river bypass tubes to include power generation that would result in higher spring releases. 4. A critical element of the reasonable and prudent alternative will be to develop a legal mechanism to ensure that the releases from Flaming Gorge Dam are delivered to and available for use by the endangered fishes in an area from Swallow Canyon near Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge, to Lake Powell. Additionally, the re-operation of Flaming Gorge Dam will offset depletion impacts for some features of the Central Utah Project. 5. At the end of the 5-year research program, discussions between the Service, Reclamation, and Western will be held to determine if further refinement of the winter and spring releases is needed. In early 1980, the Service requested Section 7 consultation on the operation of all existing Reclamation projects in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Initiation of consultation on Flaming Gorge Dam was formalized in March 1980. In August 1991, Western became party to the consultation with Reclamation remaining the lead agency. During the late 1970's and early 1980's, jeopardy opinions were issued for the Upalco, Jensen, and Uintah Units and Strawberry Aqueduct and Collection System, all units of the Central Utah Project. The reasonable and prudent alternative for each of these jeopardy opinions was the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam to provide flows required for endangered fishes. In January 1988, the Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the Service and Reclamation), the Administrator of Western Area Power Administration, and the governors of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming formally endorsed the Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Recovery Program is aimed at recovering four species of fish--the Colorado squawfish, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bony tail chub--while allowing water development to proceed. ###