2011-05-12_PERMIT FILE - M2011028 (2)

Home Browse Search

largest cyprinid native to North America. The American Fisheries Society changed the common name for the Colorado squawfish to Colorado pikeminnow in 1998 (Nelson et al. 1998). Adults attain a maximum size of about 1.8 meters (m) total length (TL) and weigh 36 kilograms (kg) (Miller 1961). Life history of the Colorado pikeminnow was summarized by Tyus (1991). The Colorado pikeminnow is currently listed as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.). It was first included in the List of Endangered Species issued by the Office of Endangered Species on March 11, 1967 (32 FR 4001) and was considered endangered under provisions of the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 (16 U.S.C. 668aa). The Colorado squawfish (pikeminnow) was included in the United States List of Endangered Native Fish and Wildlife issued on June 4, 1973 (38 FR No. 106; i.e., the "red book"), and it received protection as endangered under Section 4(c)(3) of the original ESA of 1973. The latest revised Colorado Squawfish (pikeminnow) Recovery Plan was approved on August 6, 1991 (FWS 1991), and critical habitat was designated on March 21, 1994 (59 FR 13374). A total of 1,148 miles (1,848 kilometers (km)) of critical habitat have been designated for the Colorado pikeminnow in the Upper Colorado River Basin. There is no critical habitat designated in the Lower Basin. Designated critical habitat includes the following reaches of river, including the 100-year flood plain: • Yampa River from State Highway 394 bridge (near Craig, Colorado) downstream to confluence with Green River. • Green River from confluence with Yampa River downstream to confluence with Colorado River. • White River from Rio Blanco Lake Dam downstream to confluence with Green River. • Gunnison River from confluence with Uncompahgre River (near Delta, Colorado) downstream to confluence with Colorado River (near Grand Junction, Colorado). • Colorado River from Colorado River bridge at exit 90 north off Interstate 70 (near Palisade, Colorado) downstream to North Wash, including Dirty Devil arm of Lake Powell. • San Juan River from State Route (SR)371 bridge (near Farmington, New Mexico) downstream to Neskahai Canyon in the San Juan arm of Lake Powell. 3.1.2 Distribution Wild populations or individuals of Colorado pikeminnow are presently found in about 1,753 km of riverine habitat in the Green River, upper Colorado River, and San Juan River subbasins; this represents about 29 percent of estimated historic habitat (59 FR 13374). Currently occupied habitat occurs in the Green River from Lodore Canyon to the confluence of the Colorado River (Tyus 1991; Bestgen and Crist 2000); the Yampa River downstream of Craig, Colorado (Tyus and Haines 1991); the Little Snake River from its confluence with the Yampa River upstream into Wyoming (Marsh et al. 1991; Wick et al. 1991); the White River downstream of Taylor Draw Dam and Kenney Reservoir (Tyus and Haines 1991); the lower 143 km of the Price River (Cavalli 1999); the lower Duchesne River; the upper Colorado River from Palisade, Colorado, to Lake Powell (Valdez et al. 1982a; Osmundson et al. 1997, 1998); the lower 64 km of the Gunnison River (Valdez et al. 1982b; Burdick 1995); the lower 10 km of the Dolores River (Valdez et al. 1992); and 241 km of the San Juan River downstream from Shiprock, New Mexico, to the B-5 Weeminuche Construction Authority P.O. Box AA - Towaoc, CO 81334 ANIMdS <5(.Ae-IE2. C.g.&VLL, L-w4i e) (T- 14 - P&GC 14 --57