The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of an application by the Pueblo of Santa Clara for a permit for incidental take of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus). The permit would be in effect for a period of 20 years. The Pueblo’s proposal consists of withdrawing 1,120 acre-feet of groundwater annually to support economic development on an approximately 275-acre portion of their land. The anticipated effects to the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow are negligible as the Service worked with the Pueblo to develop a low-effect habitat conservation plan that would temporarily cease pumping, when appropriate, to minimize impacts to spring runoff flows critical to minnow recruitment.
“Under the plan, the project will generate additional spring runoff downstream for Rio Grande silvery minnow and other wildlife during critically low water years,” says Southwest Regional Director Amy Lueders. “We commend the Pueblo of Santa Clara for the steps they have taken to develop their water resources to serve the communities of northern New Mexico while committing to measures to enhance spring runoff flows necessary for minnow survival downstream.”
The Pueblo of Santa Clara embarked on this effort from a desire to be responsible to its downstream neighbors and to contribute to conservation of the ecology of the Rio Grande. “Santa Clara Pueblo is proud to develop the first low-effect Habitat Conservation Plan in New Mexico, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. We appreciate partnering with the Service on this important effort,” says Pueblo of Santa Clara Governor J. Michael Chavarria.
The proposed activity, associated with the pumping of up to one million gallons per day from four existing, shallow alluvial wells, is deemed to have negligible effects on both the flow of the Rio Grande and on the population of its namesake fish. However, withdrawal of this water may have minor impacts on the volume of the spring runoff that would reach downstream in low flow years. When combined with the effects of other existing and future water management actions, this could affect the flows needed for successful minnow spawning and recruitment. To minimize impacts to minnow, the Pueblo will suspend pumping for seven consecutive days in May whenever the estimated spring runoff volume is at critically low levels.
In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, the Service has determined that the proposed action qualifies for a categorical exclusion as low-effect. Low-effect habitat conservation plans, because of their low impacts, do not require extensive NEPA analyses, and the target permit processing time is approximately three months. The impacts of the proposed action, when considered together with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable similar projects, are not expected to result in significant cumulative effects to environmental values or resources.
A Notice of Availability, which will be published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2020, opens a 30-day public comment period on the permit application and the Habitat Conservation Plan. Information on how to submit comments is available on www.regulations.gov by searching under the docket number FWS–R2–ES–2020–N033.
“We encourage the public to learn more about incidental take permits and this Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan during the public comment period, and hope they will provide information for our consideration, as well,” says Lueders.
America’s fish, wildlife, and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. We are working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species.
