Biological Conference Opinions Glen Canyon
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United States DeDanment... of Lh.e Interior Fish and Wildlife Se:vice Arizona EcJlogic:l1 Se..-.rices Field Office 2:321 w. Roy.I P::.1.r:l Road. Suite 103 Ph.oeni:::. ArizoC!.2. 85021-:'9S1 • [n Reply R.efC" To: (602) 640-2:7"-0 M..::; (602) 640-ZT.!Q ABSO/SE 2-21-93-F-167 February 16, 1996 MEM:ORAND illvf TO: Regional Director, Bureau of Reciamation. Salt La.1ce Cicy, Utah FRO~!: Field Supervisor SUBJECT: Biological and Conference Opinions on OpeT:arion of Glen Canyon Dam Conrrolled Rele3.Se for Habitat and Beach Building (Your Refere:lce UC-320, aN-l.OO) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reviewed the Bureau of Reclamation's proposed. test of beachlhabir:at-building flow (rest flow) from Glen Canyon Dam. in spring 1996 in the CoLorado Rivet: located in Coconino County, Arizona. Your November 20, 1995, request for formal consultation was received on November 21, 1995. This doc..uneru: represents the Service's biological and conference opinions on the effects of that action on the following endangered •• species: humpback: chub (Gila cypha); Kanab ambermail (Oxy{oma. haydeni kCJwbensis); and southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidon.ax traillii e:xtimus); and on critic:tl habitat for the humpback: chub and proposed. critical habitat for southwes-..ern willow flyC3.!Cher, in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as ame::lde:i, (16 U.S.C. 1531 ec seq.). Tnese biologiCJ..1 and confere~ opinions are based. on information provided in the November 1995 biological assessment. the January 1996 draft environmemal assesSl!lem and draft finding of no significam impact for the Glen Canyon D~ Beacb.lBeach Habitat-Building Flow (DEA/FONSn, the Yt:arc!J.. 1995 final environmental impact statement on the. operation of Glen. Canyon Dam (FEIS), information provided at the TransItional Work: Group and the Comrolled Flood Scientific Coordination Group meetings. field investigations, and other sources of information.. Literamre cited. in these biological and conferen~ opinions is not a complete bibliography of all literarure available on the species of concern. and its effects. or on other subjects considered in these opinions. A complete admjnisa-c.rive record. of this consultation is an file in this office. • Your November 1995 biologic:!.l assessment determined chat-the (est flow would have no effect on the ~lld::ulgered peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anacum), c.hre:ltened bald e:J.gle (Ha!iaeerus LeucocephaLus). and endangered razorback sucker (X.yrauchen ce:canus). Your determination removes these species from consideration b~...ause the action agency has the responsibility to dere::m..ine "may effect:" coosequendy, the remainder of this biological opinion will not address those species. We do not. concur with your determi.nation that the test flow is not likely to • adversely affect the humpback chub. While the long-term effect of the proposed test flow should be beneficial to the species. possible short-term adverse affectS need to be evaluated. The consultation also analyzes new information made available regarding the Kanab ambersnail. On December 14, 1995. the Service requested :!.dditional information on potential impacts to the southwestern willow flycatcher which Reclamation provided in a draft supplememal repOrt dated. January 8, 1996. On January 23, 1996, our staffs met to review the data and concluded mat the test flow is likely to adversety affect habitat of the southwestern willow flycatcher. Your February 1, 1996, memorandum requested the Service [0 indude the southwestern willow flycatCher in the ongoing formal consultation. Ber--ause your memorandum identified possible adverse modification ofsouthwestern willow flycatcher habitat, 'Ole induded a conference opinion on that species' proposed critical habitat. SUMl\1..;RY BIOLOGICAL Ai'ID CONFEREJ.'iCE OPINIONS After reviewing the Curre!l.t S"lZtus of the humpback chub, Kanab ambersnail, and. southwestern willow flyeatCher, the environmental baseline for the action area., the effects of the proposed _ spring 1996 beachJhabitat-building flow from Glen Canyon Dam (test flow), and the cumulative effects, the Service's biological opinion is that the test flow, as proposed, is not likely to • jeopardize the continued exis'..ence of the humpback chub. Kanab ambersnail, and southwestern willow flyca.r.cher, and is not likely to destroy or adversely modify desig:nated criticJ.1 habitat for the b.umpback chub. After reviewing the ctI.rrent statuS of the southweste:n willow flycatcher, the environmental baseline for the action a.re:3.~ the effects of the proposed spring 1996 beachlhabitat-building flow from Glen Canyon Dam (test flow), and the cumulative effectS, the Service's conference opinion is t:h.aI the test flow, as proposed, is not likely to destroy or adversely modify proposed critical habitat for the southwestern willow flycatcher. Critical habitat for the Kanab ambersnail has been proposed only in Utah; however, this action does not affect that area and no destruction or adverse modifiCltion of that critical habitat is anticipated. CONSULTATION mSTORY This reiniriates consultation on the preferred alternative for the Fl::.lS chat resulted in a. final biological. opinion. dated. Der..ember 21. 1994, transmitted (0 Reclamation January 7. 1995 (1995 biological opinion). Consultation is reinitiated. b~-ause a new species was l.is-...ed in February 1995 (southwestern willow flycatcher) with proposed criticJ.1 habit:.1t ar.d new information from Biologio.l wd Conference Opinions Glen C1nyon Be:J.chJHabiac-Suilding Rows 2!16i% 2 • the test flow reve31ed chat incidenca.J. cake for the Kanab ambersna.il decerm.i.ned in. the Januarf 1995 biologic:ll opinion would be exc..~ed. •A 1918 biological opinion found that pas~ present. and furore operations of Glen Canyon Dam jeopardized. the continued existence of the humpback chub and limited recovery of the humpback chub and Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius)(U.S. Fish and. Wildlife Service 1918). Consultation accompanying the Glen Canyon Environmemal Smdies (GeES) program (pIDise I) resulted in a draft jeopardy opinion in 1987 (2-21-87-23). Tae second phase of GCES began in 1988. and the Secre2.ry of the Interior announced preparation of an as in July 1989. In Sepcembe;- 1991. the Service agreed. with Reclamation that a separar:e consultation would not be necessary for interim flows because consultation was contimring on operation of the dam and interim flows were designed to reduce impactS from the existing condition while the as was being prepared. With guidance from the cooperating agencies, Reclamation selected Modified. Low FlucUJaring Flow (MI.FF) as the prefe.."'1:'cl alternative in January 1993. Common elementS for FciS alternatives included beachfhabitat building flows and adaptive management. Tne Ja.nu..a.r:y 1995 biological opinion identified. a reasonable and prudent alternative with four elements for endangered fish and reasonable and prudem alternative for Kanab ambersnaiL Tne Service agreed to a program of experimental flows that would include high ~..eady flows in the spring, and specifically stared that "Studies of bi~h ~..eady flows in the spring may include studies of habitat building and habitat maintenance flows. " Because of the len:ath of this biological opinion. we have included the following table of • comentS: • Biologic:!.l. aad Canferene::: Opinions Glen Cmyoa Be:lchfF..J.bic.l:-Building Flows 2/16196 3 TABLE OF CONTEZITS BIOLOGICAL AJ.'\fD CONFERENCE OPI!.'ITONS DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTrON 5 • STATUS OF THE SPECIES Humpback Chub ................. " 6 Kanab Ambersnail " 6 Southwestern Willow Flye::ttcher .. ., ........... .. 1 Life History .. ,.......................... .. 8 Population Dynamics .......................... 10 Scams and Distribution ......................... 11 Proposed Critical Habic.a.t ....................... 12 ENVIRON.M:ENTAL BASEUNE Humpbac.1<. Chub .. ....................•........• 12 Kanab Ambersnail ............................... 14 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ...................... 14 T-1EF......P..,...EcrS OF THE ACTION • Humpback Chub 11 Kanab Ambersnail 18 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ................. 21 COMULULA.TIVE & r .t::.CTS ..............•........... .'. • 24 CONCUI..SrON 24 IN'CIDENTAL TAKE STA'TEI'YfENT Humpback Chub AMOUNT OR EXTENT OF T.A..KE 25 • EFFECT OF idE TAKE 26 RE.-\SONABLE .-\;."'1"'D PRuuENT .ME.A..S1JRES 26 TERi\1S .:.\.I.'-I"D CONumONS 26 Kanab Ambersnail " AMOUNT OR EITENT OF TAKE 27 EFFECT OF THE TAKE 28 RE.A.SONABLE .-\ND PRUDENT MEA.su""RE.S 28 TER.\1S AND CONDmONS 28 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher AMOUNT OR EXTENT OF TAKE 29 EFFECT OF THE T.AXE 30 RE.A..SONABLE A!.\f.D PRUDENT ME.A..SURES 30 TERMS AJ."\ffi CONDmONS 31 CONSERVATION RECOlYilYlENDATIONS 31 RElr'4TI'IATION-CLOSING STAThYfENT 32 LITERATli"RE CITED ..................................... 35 • BIOLOGIC.-\.L A..l.'ID CONFERE.:.'fCE OPrNIONS DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION • Tne FEIS (page 40) identified that under any alternative. "Grand Canyon sandbars that exist above IlOrmal pcl river stage would colltinue (0 erode, and backwater habitats within IlOrmal stage would tend to fill wim sediment. If To correct this, most FEIS alternatives included beacbJhabitat-building flows as It •••scheduled high releases ofshort duration designed to rebuild high elevation sandbars. deposit numents, restore back'Nater channels. and provide some of the dynamics of a aaru.ral system. It Toe FEIS also Stated. that "a test of the be::.chlhabitat-building flow would be conducred prior to long-term implementation of this elemenr.... It Additionally, the beac.hJhabitat-building flow would be conducted"...only in years when projected storage in Lake Powell on January 1 is less r.b.an. 19 mat (low reservoir condition). " Reclamation proposes to conduct a test of the beachlhabitat-building flow from Glen Canyon Dam. On or about March 22, 1996, 4 days of constant 226-cubic meters per second (cms) flow would begin. On or about March 26, flows would increase at a ma.'Cimum rare of 113 cubic meters per second per hour (emslhr) until a maximum flow of 1275 ems is reached and held essendally COIlS'unt for 7 days.