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Show Proposal adds $1.44 million to White River Dam project A proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, intented to protect three species of fish, could add $1.44 million to the cost of the White River Dam in eastern Uintah County. The proposal will cost $25 million over 15 years while a research project is carried out on the Colorado River and its tributaries, including the Green and White River in Uintah County. The three species of fish are the Colorado Col-orado Squawfish, Humpback chub, and Bonytail chub. All are considered endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The objectives of the study are to guarantee sufficient flows in the river system at certain critical times of year, to preserve certain stretches of river believed necessary for spawning or rearing of young fish. The plan also includes continued research into what the fish required in the way of river flows, water quality, habitat, and migration routes. Research will continue con-tinue into "fish oassaee devices" to allow migrating Colorado Squawfish to swim past dams on the river system. There will be an initiation of a public relations campaign to develop the native fish species into a publicly valued natural resource. The White River Dam will be owned own-ed and operated by the State of Utah. There are three major purposes for the dam and resulting reservoir. The reservoir will provide 75,000 acre feet of water specifically for the development develop-ment of oil shale. The reservoir will also create recreational opportunities and provide irrigation water for agricultural uses. Most of the permits have now been obtained by the State but there is no specific time set for beginning the project. pro-ject. State officials said the $1.44 million increased cost will just have to be added to the estimated cost of the project of $20 million. Officials also said the project is too important to let the additional cost stand in the way. White River... Continued from pcc I However. Daniel Lawrence. i."w:i of the Utah Division of W;:-Resources, W;:-Resources, said the plan col; plicate financing for the dam. It is possible that the pU- '-adopted, '-adopted, could also affect the as 3 other projects. There are see believe the plan could result z projects not being built because a'-" extra costs. If the plan is adopted, it &;-'" the Fish and Wildlife Service toc? out its mandate under the ft1e:s-dangered ft1e:s-dangered Species Act. This Art them to preserve the fish, bu! sions must bo made to alio destructive alternatives for P- desiring to use water from the p system. At this point opinions are vsr-even vsr-even from Fish and Wildlife pe?-Some pe?-Some even believe the pl.m; cause more problems for the fis-thev fis-thev already have, if the planis'-' mg'with incorrect assumptions -are now just now known. All three of the fish spw oov-the oov-the Green Kivcr.at the Our.n Refuge, as well as other pkics of the fish also occur in the River. |