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Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act to provide certainty for 1,200 water and power users in Colorado and help recover four threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and the San Juan River Basin.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-03) said, “The Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs are success stories that have helped reduce the listing status of two fish species. I introduced this bill to support Colorado wildlife, create certainty for water and power users, protect water rights by ensuring Endangered Species Act compliance, and bring together multiple sources of funding to invest in rural Colorado. I look forward to this bipartisan bill continuing to move through the legislative process and being signed into law.”

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (WY-AL) stated, “The Upper Colorado and San Juan River basin fish recovery programs have a proven legacy of recovering endangered fish species in the West, and their holistic stakeholder approach is a model for how governments, industries, and private organizations can partner together for meaningful change. I support Rep. Boebert’s reauthorization act for these programs that will continue to recover endangered and threatened fish species, provide greater stability for local water projects, and incorporate cost-sharing and in-kind funding measures to reduce the taxpayer’s burden. This is the kind of commonsense, cost-effective, impactful legislation that the American people deserve and a model of how the Endangered Species Act is intended to be implemented.”

Douglas Kemper, Executive Director, Colorado Water Congress said, “We greatly appreciate that the Colorado delegation is committed to these programs and is moving forward with legislation to sustain the two critical, multi-state cooperative endeavors. The legislation will achieve the crucial goals of extending authorization for Reclamation to continue to provide cost sharing funding to the Recovery Programs and of providing funding necessary for the programs to achieve sufficient species protection to maintain reliable ESA compliance for Reclamation and other water projects throughout the two river basins. The programs are a shining example of how the Endangered Species Act can be made to work when diverse stakeholders choose to work as one rather than fight or litigate.”

John Galusha, Chairman, Huerfano County Board of Commissioners stated, “Management of water resources, including the fish and wildlife that depend on good habitat and clean water, is an important part of preserving the agriculture and great outdoors that make Colorado great.  The cooperative nature of the Upper Colorado and San Juan Fish Recovery Programs are part of what makes these programs effective.  We appreciate Rep. Boebert’s leadership on this reauthorization and urge Congress to pass this bill with all haste.”

Andy Mueller, General Manager, Colorado River District said, “We are supportive of and grateful for the work being done in Congress by Congresswoman Boebert, Congressman Neguse and Senator Hickenlooper to reauthorize these critical programs. For more than thirty years, the Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs have served as a national model for collaboratively working to recover endangered species while protecting the water needs of growing communities in Colorado and throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin.”

Kyle Whitaker, Water Rights Department Manager, Northern Water stated, “We are grateful for the support of Congresswoman Boebert and the Colorado Congressional Delegation for continuing to support the Upper Colorado River Basin and San Juan River Basin fish recovery programs.  This vital cooperative management program not only allows for the protection and recovery of the fish species, but also allows for the continued responsible use of Colorado River water by Coloradans.  We urge Congress to act with haste to ensure this important program continues into the future.”

The Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners said in a letter, “Rio Blanco county and our constituents care deeply about our natural resources, water policy management, and any recovery plans … We very much appreciate [Rep. Boebert’s] efforts over the last several months to develop legislation reauthorizing federal cost sharing for the recovery programs…We will continue working with you and other representatives of the four states’ delegations to address this issue.”

Alan Ward, Water Resources Division Manager, Pueblo Water stated, “Pueblo Water wholeheartedly supports continued funding of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act. These recovery programs provide ESA compliance for water projects on the Upper Colorado River where Pueblo Water sources about a third of its water supply. The recovery programs are not a case of throwing money at a problem in the hope that it will fix the problem – rather the recovery programs have a proven track record of success resulting in the downlisting of two of the four endangered species. Reauthorization of the recovery programs continues the progress of bringing these endangered fish back from the brink of extinction.”

Steve Kastner, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District stated, “An unhealthy Colorado River system benefits no one. The proposed Upper Colorado and San Juan Endangered Fish Recovery Act of 2023 will provide for a continuation of efforts to maintain and improve the environmental health of the Colorado River system to support not only the wildlife of the river system but will also benefit the many partners who rely upon this water source for the multitude of uses for which this water is placed.”

Ken Curtis, Dolores Water Conservancy District said, “Local water users work alongside states, tribal nations and the federal agencies to save four threatened or endangered native fish in the Upper Colorado and San Juan Basins. We have adapted our current practices and modified our historic water projects to mitigate impacts on these native fish and made new investments to aid in their recovery to self-sustaining populations. Measurable progress has been made toward recovery. Now, we can’t afford to leave this work unfinished and risk losing control of our water that underpins and grows our local economies.”

Alden Vanden Brink, District Manager, Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District said, “We support the legislation as it firms the mission of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program’s ability to finalize and adopt the White River Management Plan Programmatic Biological Opinion (PBO) for the endangered fish while benefiting water users too. Truly a win-win. We are the only river in the Upper Basin without a PBO and the reauthorization legislation is the appropriate vehicle to aid in securing this commitment from our federal partners.”

Leslie James, Executive Director, Colorado River Energy Distributors Association stated, “The Colorado River Energy Distributors Association (CREDA) is a not-for-profit association representing the majority of the 155 firm power customers of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP). CRSP power customers are all not-for-profit entities, including municipalities, rural electric cooperatives, state agencies, irrigation and electrical districts and tribal entities.  CREDA members serve over 4 million customers in the States of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. CREDA has been a partner in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program since its inception, and supports the proposed legislation extending the Program. The Program is important to CREDA and its members as it maintains ESA compliance for the federal Aspinall Unit and Flaming Gorge Dam operations, which are important carbon-free resources of the CRSP. CRSP customers have provided both capital and annual (base) funding for the Program, and supports the collaborative nature of the Program, which relies on capital features as well as operations to assist in the recovery of the four endangered fish species in the Basin, while maintaining the Congressionally authorized purposes of the federal projects.”

Steve Wolff, General Manager, Southwestern Water Conservation District said, "Southwestern Water Conservation District has been an active participant in the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program since its inception in 1992. The program has allowed water development and management activities to continue in compliance with the ESA, while ensuring the recovery of two endangered fish species. The two Upper Colorado River programs (Upper Colorado and San Juan) have provided tremendous benefits to water users in the basin. It is imperative that the Recovery Programs remain viable and continue to provide reasonable and practical alternatives to assure ESA compliance."

Background:

Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act reauthorizes the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program for seven fiscal years at current funding levels to comply with rules in the House of Representatives.  This reauthorization will leverage $100 million in non-federal contributions for these programs over that time. These programs were given a one-year extension in the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus government funding bill and are set to expire on September 30, 2024. This bill extends the expiration date to September 30, 2031.

The Upper Colorado and San Juan Recovery Programs were established in 1988 under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation to achieve full recovery of four federally listed endangered fish species in the Upper Basin of the Colorado River: the humpback chub, the bonytail, the Colorado pikeminnow, and the razorback sucker. These programs have been successful, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled to downgrade the humpback chub and the razorback sucker from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to their successful recoveries under this program.

Congresswoman Boebert’s bill will appropriate $130 million over the next seven fiscal years to fund program implementation, stock the threatened and endangered fish species, operate hatcheries, root out invasive species, and improve river flows. This $130 million will be supplemented by $100 million from state and local funding, revenues from hydropower generated at dams in the Upper Colorado River Basin, and contributions from non-federal water users.

Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation provides cost-shared contributions to both base and capital funding. Non-federal partners contribute $11 million per year in water contributions, plus another $750,000 in staffing and in-kind contributions. Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming contribute $500,000 to base funding each year in cash equivalents for recovery actions, including for fish hatcheries and non-native fish removal. The Fish and Wildlife Service contributes $1.56 million per year in base funding. The Western Area Power Administration contributes hydropower revenues to the recovery programs. 

In addition to protecting the endangered and threatened fish, Congresswoman Boebert’s bill will protect 2,500 federal, state, local, and tribal water projects—including 1,200 in Colorado— that use more than 3.7+ million acre-feet of water per year. These projects include major water reservoirs, agricultural water users, ski areas, power generation facilities, and more. Without Congresswoman Boebert’s legislation, these water and power users would have to perform extremely burdensome Section 7 consultations on each of the 2,500 individual projects.

Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act is slated to have a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries later this month.

Groups supporting Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act include: Aurora Water, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Clifton Water District, Colorado River District, Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Water Congress, Delta County Commissioners, Dolores County Commissioners, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Grand Valley Water Users, Huerfano County Commissioners, LaPlata Water Conservation District, Mesa County Farm Bureau, Montezuma County, Municipal Subdistrict, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Pueblo Water, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, Rio Blanco Board of Commissioners, Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District, Rio Grande Water Conservation District, San Juan Water Commission, Southern Ute Tribe, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Southwestern Water Conservation District, Tri-County Water Conservancy District, Utah Waters Users Association, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Ute Water Conservancy District.

Cosponsors of Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act include: Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04), Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY-AL), Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Rep. John Duarte (CA-13).

Congresswoman Boebert’s Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act is the House companion to the bipartisan legislation led by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

The full text of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act is available here.

Original source can be found here