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<br />
<br />RECOVERY PRffiRAM FOR
<br />THE ENDANGERED FISHES
<br />~'OF THE UPPER COIORAID
<br />
<br />Summer 1991
<br />
<br />Flaming Gorge releases may change for rare fish
<br />
<br />By Connie Yaung
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />Colorado Division of Wildlife
<br />The V,S, Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />has decided lCl issue a draft biological
<br />opinion as early as Aug. 15 on the
<br />operation of F1aming Gorge Dam, on
<br />the Green River in Utah,
<br />The draft opinion will affect cur-
<br />rent darn operations, which have been
<br />detennined lCl be hannful lCl endan-
<br />gered fish downstream, said Reed
<br />Harris, of the U.S, Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service'in Salt Lake City.
<br />But the agency also will Iik.ely
<br />identify measures to .offset harm to the
<br />fish, Those measures are aimed at nar-
<br />rowing the fluctuations in water flows
<br />downstream at Jensen, Utah, a key
<br />habitat area for the fish, and releasing
<br />large amounts of water in the spring to
<br />more closely match historical now
<br />patterns, Biologists believe high
<br />spring flows create better habitat for
<br />the fish,
<br />"The way the dam is operated
<br />could affect everything from recre-
<br />ation and trout fishing lCl power pro-
<br />duction," Harris said,
<br />For example, constraining the f1uc-
<br />
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<br />
<br />Bureau of Reclamation photo
<br />The .operation .of Flaming Garge Dam Is under scrutiny because .of Its
<br />effect an endangered fish dawnstream, Built In 1964, the 502-feet.tall dam
<br />Is managed by the Bureau of Reclamatlan and Is d9slgned ta hald mare
<br />than 3.75 mllllan acre.feet of water.
<br />
<br />tuations in flows would hinder power
<br />production and could increase the
<br />cost, he said,
<br />"At this point, we don't know what
<br />the effects will be on recreation (such
<br />as river rafting), trout fishing and
<br />riparian habitat," Harris said, "We will
<br />issue an opinion that deals only with
<br />the endangered fish,"
<br />The Service plans to issue the opin-
<br />ion about one month after biological
<br />and hydrological repons on current
<br />dam operations have been completed.
<br />"We had agreed as part .of the
<br />recovery pre gram for these fish to
<br />issue a biological opinion in 1989
<br />once information was available,"
<br />Harris said, "We need to show
<br />
<br />progress toward recovery, and we
<br />need to do it now,"
<br />The opinion has been delayed
<br />because research reportS had not been
<br />completed and because staff at the
<br />Service were completing other biolog-
<br />ical opinions on water projects such as
<br />Animas-La Plata in southwest
<br />Colerado,
<br />The Service's biological opinian
<br />will be based on about five years of
<br />research and will make year-round
<br />recommendations,
<br />"We believe there is sufficient
<br />infennation to issue an opinion, and
<br />
<br />See Garge, Page 3
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