OCR Text |
Show Biological Opinion on Woundfin Minnow submitted TheU. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) the official biological opinion of the effect on endangered species of the proposed multi-State Allen-Warner Valley Energy System project. The Serivlce's biological opinion, required by Congress under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act whenever a Federally-authorized Federally-authorized action is proposed, found that the Virgin River water diversion and reservoir would be likely to jeopardize continued con-tinued existence of the endangered en-dangered woundfin, a small silvery minnow known to exist only in the Virgin River system of Utah, Nevada and Arizona. But the Fish and Wildlife Service opinion also recommended streamflow stipulations for the Virgin system that, if adopted, would eliminate adverse impacts of the project upon the woundfin habitat. The Service found that the other elements of the project would not adversely impact endangered species of the three-State area. However, the Service recommended monitoring various trace elements in the environment from power plant stack emissions to determine whether cululative fallout will impact upon wildlife of the area. The Service's biological opinion was delivered to BLM's State Director at Salt Lake Citv Coal for the project would be mined south of Bryce Canyon National Park, and processed at a coal slurry preparation facility at nearby Bald Knoll, Utah. The project, parts of which are located in Utah, Nevada and Arizona and which also would supply powep to California, consists of five main elements: --the Warner Valley Power Plant near St. Genree. Utah- -the Harry Allen Power Plant near Las Vegas, Nevada; -A Virgin River diversion and reservoir, also near St. George; -two coal slurry pipelines from near Bryce Canyon National Park to both power plants; -power transmission lines from near St. George through Nevada to Vic-torville, Vic-torville, California. |