2010-11-16_PERMIT FILE - C1996083A (27)

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Volume III, Tab 9 ~ ~ United States Department of the Interior ° ' FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ;,; ~' ~„ '°° Mountain-Prairie Region w x~rv aerrn ro: MAILA~IG ADDRESS: 51REET LOCATION: FWSl1Z6 Post Office 13ox z5a86 134 Union $oulevard ES DrnvcrFederalCearer 1-akewood,Colorndo 8022&~G°~~'~~CI GI-6-CO-99-F-034 Denver, Colorado 80225•DA86 ~~~~~ '~UL 2 9 2003. ~u~ 3 ~ 2oa~ Division of Minerals and G. uiogy Memorandum To: Assistant Director, Western Regional Coordinating Ceater, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement, Denver,'Colorado Attention: Cazl R Johnston From~gpt~gional Director, Regiom 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Denver, Colorado • Subject: Amendment to the Final Biological Opinion for Bowie Number 2 Mine Petmit, Revision Number 3 The Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement's (OSM) 7tme 27', 2003, letter requesting formal consultation on the Bowie Number 2 Mine Permit C-96-083-Technica112evision 27, water augmentation to existing project water depletions; and the impacts to the endangered Colorado River fishes. The mine is located in T. 13 S., R. 9~, W., sections 2, 3, 4, 9,10, 11, 14, 15, 16, and T. 12 5., R 91 W., sections 33 and 34, Delta Couaty, Colorado- The proposed action will cause an additional average annual depletion of 69 acre-feet to the Noah Fork of the Gunnison River in the Upper Colorado River Basin. This will iacrease the original depletion from 256.9 acre-feet to 325.9 acre-feet. The Service concurs that the additional deplemon to the Natth Fork of the Gunnison River is lilcely t i jeopardize the continued existence of the Colorado pilcemituzow (Ptychocheilus Lucius), humpback chub (Gila cypha), bonytail (Gila elegans), and razorback sucker (,Xyrauchen texamer) and result in the destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitat. Background The Service issued a biological opinion dated December 10, 1999, to OSM with a determinatioi r of'tikely to jeopardize the continued existence" for the four endangered Colorado River fish fo the subject project (please refer io biological opinion Cr7-6-CO-99-F-034 for detailed information). This memorandum serves as an amendment to that biological opinion. For clarification, the water depletion consultation history and amount of acre-feet for the Bowie Number 2 mine aze listed below. All the depletions listed have met the Recovery Program Section 7 agreement and the RPA by paying a ona-time depletion fee. TR-a~ AP/Ko~sD S~a~-~o3 Pi1dE i or- y