Contacts
Paul Johnston (COE) (402) 697-2552
Diane Katzenberger (FWS) at (303) 236-7917 x408
Georgia Parham (FWS) at (812) 334-4261 x203
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 2000
Two Federal agencies are working together to
conserve the Missouri River endangered species. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have
completed an Endangered Species Act consultation regarding
operation of the Missouri River dams and reservoirs, the bank
stabilization and navigation project, and related operations of
the Kansas River tributary reservoirs.
Through the consultation, the two agencies
developed actions that the Service believes will provide
protection for the endangered pallid sturgeon and least tern and
the threatened piping plover while allowing continued operation
of projects on the river.
"This is an extremely complex issue and
the biological opinion is a result of intensive discussions
between the Service and the Corps," said Ralph Morgenweck,
the Service's Director for the Mountain-Prairie region. "But
I believe we have developed a plan that will benefit the entire
Missouri River ecosystem."
"There is significant agreement between
the Corps and Service on the known biological attributes
necessary to recover the listed species," said Brig. Gen.
Carl Strock, Northwestern Division Engineer. "The Corps is
absolutely committed to its role in recovery of the listed
species but we also have an obligation to support other project
purposes," added General Strock. "
"Our initial assessment is that elements
of the biological opinion slightly increase the risk of flooding
and are detrimental to navigation. As we develop our
implementation plan we will evaluate the impact of the reasonable
and prudent alternative on these and other project purposes. It
is possible that the Corps will propose an alternative that meets
the biological objectives with reduced impacts in other
areas," he said.
"The Missouri River is an incredibly
important resource, serving many needs for many people,"
said William Hartwig, Regional Director for the Service's Great
Lakes-Big Rivers Region. "We must recognize as well the
needs of the natural resources of the river, particularly
imperiled species, and do our best in managing the Missouri to
ensure their survival."
The Service prepared a biological opinion
concluding that continuation of current operations on the
Missouri River is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of
the listed species.
The necessary conservation actions to avoid
jeopardy to the listed species are contained in the reasonable
and prudent alternative (RPA) and are designed to return the
Missouri to a more natural river system. It is the combination of
all parts of the alternative, working in concert, that will
eliminate jeopardy to the species. The RPA determined by the
Service includes five parts:
1. Flow Enhancement: Implementation of a
spring rise on average every third year and an annual summer
drawdown from Gavins Point Dam is necessary to restore spawning
cues for fish; maintain and develop sandbar habitat and the
associated shallow, slow water habitat needed by birds and fish;
and enhance aquatic habitat through connection of the main
channel to backwaters and side channels. A spring release from
Fort Peck Dam will provide spawning cues and increase the amount
of warm water habitat available to pallid sturgeon and native
river fish.
2. Habitat Restoration/Creation/Acquisition:
A portion of the historic habitat will be restored, enhanced, and
conserved in riverine sections that will benefit the listed birds
and fish. Habitat restoration goals are 20-30 acres of shallow
water (less than 5 feet deep, less than 2.5 ft/sec. velocity) per
mile. Similarly, variable goals by river segments for emergent
interchannel sandbar are also identified.
3. Unbalanced System Regulation:
Unbalancing of the upper three reservoirs, when runoff conditions
permit, by holding one reservoir low, one at average levels, and
one rising on a 3-year rotation will increase the availability of
tern and plover habitat in reservoirs in drawdown years; maintain
tern and plover sandbar habitat in riverine segments below Fort
Peck or Garrison Dams in years of higher releases due to
reservoir drawdown; and increase availability of tern and plover
sandbar habitat in riverine segments below Fort Peck and Garrison
Dams in years of steady or rising reservoir levels.
4. Adaptive Management/Monitoring:
Implementation of an adaptive management process that allows
efficient modification/implementation of management actions in
response to new information and to changing environmental
conditions to benefit the species. The two components of this
process will be the establishment of an interagency coordination
team that will coordinate and guide development and
implementation of a robust monitoring program to better
understand baseline conditions, analyze actions, and identify
modification to improve results.
5. Propagation/Augmentation: The Corps
and the Service will work together to increase pallid sturgeon
propagation and augmentation efforts, while habitat and hydrology
improvements are being implemented. This short-term action will
ensure genetic integrity and prevent extinction of existing
pallid sturgeon populations.
Details of the primary actions of the
Reasonable and Prudent Alternative described above and the
complementary actions are described in the biological opinion
text.
"Work on several parts of the RPA are
already underway, including studies for a possible test of
modified flows out of Fort Peck Dam as early as next
spring," said General Strock. "Over the next few months
we will consult with impacted tribal governments, states, and
other regional stakeholders to craft the details of our
implementation plan. Ultimately though, our ability to meet the
recovery goals will depend on congressional and regional support
of expanded authorities and increased appropriations, especially
for the extensive monitoring necessary to measure the success of
the RPA."
The biological opinion is available on the
worldwide web at: www.nwd.usace.army.mil or by writing to:
Project Manager, Missouri River Master Manual, 12565 West Center
Road, Omaha, NE 68144.
More information regarding the Missouri River
biological opinion is available at the Service's web site: www.r6.fws.gov/missouririver/
-FWS-
|
