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4 <br />Soda's average annual depletion will be 1,095 acre-feet: out of this <br />2,547 acre-foot decree. <br />For most years the alluvial wells will be sufficient to supply water <br />needed for the soda ash mine. However, it is expected that one in <br />every twenty years will be a very dry year and American Soda may need <br />to supplement their well water with water from the Colorado River <br />through the pumping pipeline. Water used in the pumping pipeline will <br />come from rights directly out of the Colorado River anti from other <br />sources decreed in the 1975 water right. For dry year:; it is expected <br />that 262 acre-feet will come from Roaring Fork irrigat:~on 'sources, <br />31 acre-feet will come from Parachute Creek irrigation sources, <br />636 acre-feet will come from the pumping pipeline water. rights out of <br />the Colorado River, and the remaining 166 acre-feet wi:Ll come from a <br />200 acre-foot release out of Wolford Mountain Reservoir. Wolford <br />Mountain Reservoir has been consulted on previously by the Service <br />(biological opinion number GJ-6-CO-97-F-022) and no depletion fee or <br />additional accounting will have to be administered for that water. <br />Actions pledged in the project description that the applicant will <br />implement to further the recovery of the species are known as <br />conservation measures. As a part of the action, the beneficial <br />effects of these conservation measures are taken into consideration in <br />the jeopardy and incidental take analysis. Conservation measures are <br />part of the proposed action and their implementation is required under <br />the terms of this consultation. The applicant has offered to release, <br />on a schedule set by the Service to benefit endangered fish, any water <br />from their Wolford Mountain contract that would not be needed by <br />American Soda for direct replacement or exchange purpo:aes. <br />BASIS FOR BIOLOGICAL OPINION <br />This biological opinion addresses an average annual depletion of <br />approximately 1,095 acre-feet from the Upper Colorado River Basin. <br />Water depletions in the Upper Basin have been recognized as a major <br />source of impact to endangered fish species. Continued water <br />withdrawal has restricted the ability of the Colorado River system to <br />produce flow conditions required by various life stage:a of the fishes. <br />This biological opinion also addresses °take" of larva:L and young-of- <br />the-year Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker through entrainment <br />in the Colorado River pumping pipeline intake structure. Take, as <br />described in the "incidental Take Statement" later in this biological <br />opinion results in potentially lower reproducing adult populations.' <br />Critical habitat has been designated for the Colorado pikeminnow, <br />humpback chub, bonytail, and razorback sucker within the 100-year <br />floodplain in portions of their historic range (59 F.R. 13374). <br />Destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat is defined in <br />