1. Upper Colorado River Endangered
Fish Recovery Program
SJRIP & PRRIP have similar partnerships.

2. Upper Colorado River Basin: In the mid 1970s, U. S
Upper Colorado River Basin: In the mid 1970s, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that any further depletion of water from the upper basin would result in jeopardy to endangered fish.
Choices
Enforce the ESA and escalate the conflict
File lawsuits
Seek amendment to the Endangered Species Act
Seek exemptions from the ESA
Identify the facts and negotiate a solution
Overview of the UCREFRP as an example.

3. Upper Colorado River Endangered
Fish Recovery Program
STATES
Utah
Colorado
Wyoming
FEDERAL AGENCIES
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
National Park Service
Western Area Power Administration
SJRIP & PRRIP have similar partnerships.
INTEREST GROUPS
Water users (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming)
Environmental organizations
Colorado River Energy Distributors Association

4. Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius Razorback sucker
Xyrauchen texanus
Humpback chub
Gila cypha
Here are the four beautiful long-lived, big-river, warmwater endangered fish The Colorado pikeminnow, is the largest “minnow” in North America. Historically, reached 6 feet long They were sometimes called “Colorado River salmon,” of the Colorado river. The razorback sucker 3 feet, and living up to 40 years or more. The humpback chub with pronounced hump can grow up to 19 inches long and is typically found in canyon-bound reaches. The bonytail can grow up to 20 inches long and live as long as 50 years.
Historically, these fishes occurred throughout the warmwater reaches of the basin from Wyoming to Mexico
Green River is important river for recovery because of the flood plain habitat, there are 2 spawning populations of Co pikeminnow and best chance for razorbacks
Bonytail
Gila elegans

5. Threats: Large Water depletion reservoirs Fish barriers Nonnative fish
The threats to the endangered fish populations are the many changes to their habitat:
Hundreds of dams
river flows have been cut by about a third
Introduced nonnative fish

6. Recovery Elements Habitat Development Habitat-Flow Management
Research and Monitoring
Habitat-Flow Management
Stocking Endangered Fish
Managing Nonnative Fish
The recovery programs continue to demonstrate tangible, on-the-ground success in providing river flows, restoring habitat, constructing and operating fish ladders and screens, producing and stocking endangered fish, and monitoring results.

7. Flow protection Modified operation of Federal dams/ reservoirs
Leases & contracts
Improved efficiency of irrigation systems
Cooperative reservoir operations
Partnered in a new water storage project (Elkhead)
Elkhead Reservoir

8. Year-round protection of flows in Reach 2

9. The Green River Reaches

10. ESA Compliance on the Green River
In Utah some 200 water projects depleting nearly 600KAF/year have received ESA compliance under the Recovery Program.
54 of those projects have been small depletions averaging less than 100 af/year. Some larger depletions include oil and gas projects, Green River Farms (currently under consultation) and some on the Duchesne River

11. Some one here could have a depletion that the Recovery Program is covering

12. Green River Policy 1994
Flows protected Reach 2 from FG to the Duchesne
Post Nov 1994 WR Approvals subordinate to bypass of fish flows – Summer and Fall
Annually select target 1,800-1,100 cfs for Summer
Annually select target 2,400-1,100 cfs for Fall
Measure targets at Jensen UT
20 cfs set aside for critical needs with priority over fish flows

13. Table 5.5.—Flow and temperature recommendations by hydrologic condition for Reach 2 (Yampa River to White River) to benefit endangered fishes in the Green River downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam.a

16. Reach 2: Spring Peak Flows
Accomplish: in-channel maintenance
Green River synchronized to Yampa River Peak
Inundate floodplain in Ouray area for 2 weeks in 4 of 10 years
Greater than 18,600 cfs connects to backwater
Bankfull flows in 1 of 2 years

17. Maintenance of Channel Complexity and connectivity

18. Backwaters provide warm, food-rich areas to grow and condition young Razorback suckers and Colorado pikeminnow

19. High flows remove algae and silt, rework spawning substrates, prevent channel narrowing

20. Reach 2: Winter Flows
Accomplish: a stable environment for young fish, it is assumed that native fish (old or young) feed when the water is near freezing, therefore it's best if they expend as little energy as possible, i.e. don't have to go searching for a different habitat due to fluctuating flows.

21. Reach 3: measured at USGS gage near Green River, Utah
Spring Peaks ≥ 39,400cfs to 8,300 cfs
Summer through Winter base flow ,700 cfs to 1,300 cfs
Flooded off-channel habitats will benefit young Colorado pikeminnow and razorback suckers in lower Reach 3 and humpback chub in Desolation and Gray Canyons.

24. www.coloradoriverrecovery.org Questions Jana_Mohrman@fws.gov

25. The End