# Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act

This bill focuses on protecting and restoring endangered fish species in two major river systems in the southwestern United States—the Upper Colorado River and the San Juan River. These rivers flow through Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico, and they're home to several fish species found nowhere else in the world that are currently at risk of extinction.

The bill establishes a recovery program that brings together federal agencies, state governments, and local stakeholders to work on conservation efforts. The main goal is to help four native fish species survive and recover: the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub, and bonytail chub. To do this, the program focuses on managing water flows in the rivers, protecting critical habitats where these fish live, and potentially breeding fish in captivity to boost wild populations. The bill also addresses how water is used in the region—balancing the needs of agriculture, cities, and industry with the requirements of these endangered species.

For people living in the region, this means water management decisions will increasingly consider environmental protection alongside traditional uses. Farmers, ranchers, and water utilities may need to adjust how they use river water, though the bill attempts to work with existing water rights rather than simply taking them away. The program requires coordination between states and federal agencies, which could lead to new agreements about how much water flows through the rivers at different times of year. Communities that depend on the Colorado and San Juan Rivers for drinking water, irrigation, or hydroelectric power will likely see some changes in how water is allocated, though the bill is designed to minimize disruption to existing users while giving these unique fish species a fighting chance at survival.

Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act

Hickenlooper, John W.

Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act This bill extends through FY2024 the authority of the Department of the Interior to implement capital projects (i.e., construction of facilities) for the endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan river basins. The bill raises the ceiling on costs for the Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin and lowers the ceiling on costs for the San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program. The bill also extends through FY2022 the deadline for the submission of the report on the recovery implementation programs.