United States Department of the Interior 

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION 

Upper Colorado Regional Office 

125 South State Street, Room 6107 

Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1147 

UC-731 

ENV-7.00

JUN 15 2010 

Honorable Bernadine Jones 

Chairwoman, Havasupai Tribe 

P.O. Box 10 

Supai, AZ 86435 

Subject: Nearshore Ecology Study Research Project (Action Within 30 Days) 

Dear Chairwoman Jones: 

The Bureau of Reclamation is currently working with several other Department of Interior 

agencies to implement a research project that will improve our understanding of the habitat 

requirements of the humpback chub, an endangered species of fish that lives in the Colorado and 

Little Colorado Rivers in Grand Canyon National Park and other locations. This research 

project, known as the Nearshore Ecology Study, is a conservation measure of a 2008 Biological 

Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Reclamation and is being conducted as 

part of the 2010 work plan of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. 

The Department has committed to consulting with tribes on work plan activities that might be of 

concern to you and this letter is in pursuit of that commitment. The National Park Service 

previously sent you a letter regarding one aspect of this study related to proposed use of 

temporary reflectors along the left bank of the Colorado River below the mouth of the Little 

Colorado River. This letter concerns another component of the project to collect and euthanize 

for scientific study approximately 200 larval and juvenile endangered humpback chub (Gila 

cypha) from the Little Colorado River, and from the Colorado River downstream of the Little 

Colorado River, for the purpose of analyzing the chemistry of their otoliths. Otoliths are a bony 

structure in the inner ear of fish that can provide a detailed record of their growth history and 

habitat use. Researchers would potentially collect 200 fish each in 2011 and 2012. This is a 

very low number of humpback chub of this size and many of these small fish would die from 

other causes before reaching adulthood. Taking these fish for scientific purposes will have 

minimal effects to the humpback chub population, and will provide very valuable information on 

the ecology and movement patterns of humpback chub. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will 

issue a scientific permit to the researchers to collect humpback chub for this purpose. 

We recognize the cultural significance of the Little Colorado River confluence area and the 

unique species associated with this river to Native American tribes. Please let us know if you 

have any concerns regarding this proposed activity. Reclamation and other Department 
 2 

agencies will be available to consult with you on a government-to-government basis on this and 

other activities in the 2010 work plan while considering options to study and conserve this 

endangered species. To ensure that this process occurs in a timely manner, we request that you 

respond to us in writing if you have concerns within 30 days of receipt of this letter. We will 

also be contacting you by telephone to follow up on this request. 

Thank you for your interest and continued assistance in conserving imperiled species. Please 

contact Mr. Glen Knowles by phone at 801-524-3781, or by email at GKnowles@usbr.gov for 

additional information. 

Sincerely, 

/s/ Larry Walkoviak 

Larry Walkoviak 

Regional Director 

cc: Mr. Steven L. Spangle Mr. Steve Martin 

 Field Supervisor Superintendant 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service 

 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Ste 103 Grand Canyon National Park 

 Phoenix, AZ 85021 P.O. Box 129 

 Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 

 Regional Director 

 Bureau of Indian Affairs 

 Western Regional Office 

 2600 North Central Ave., 4th Floor 

 Phoenix, AZ 85004-3050 

 Ms. Pam Sponholtz 

 Project Leader 

 Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office 

 P.O. Box 338 

 Flagstaff, AZ 86002-0338 

Mr. John Hamill 

Chief 

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center 

U.S. Geological Survey 

2255 N. Gemini Dr. 

Flagstaff, AZ 86001 

bc: UC-700, UC-730 
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Identical Letter Sent To:

Honorable Norman Cooeyate 

Governor, Pueblo of Zuni 

P.O. Box 339 

1203-B State Highway 53 

Zuni, NM 87327-0339 

Honorable Leroy Ned Shingoitewa 

Chairman, Hopi Tribe 

P.O. Box 123 

Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039 

Honorable Joe Shirley, Jr. 

President, Navajo Nation 

Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President 

P.O. Box 9000 

Window Rock, AZ 86515 

Honorable Wilfred Whatoname, Sr. 

Chairman, Hualapai Tribe 

P.O. Box 179 

Peach Springs, AZ 86434 

Honorable Timothy Rogers 

Chairman, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians 

HC 65 Box 2 

Fredonia, AZ 86022 

Honorable Mary Lou Boone 

President, San Juan Southern Paiute 

P.O. Box 2656 

Tuba City, Arizona 86045 

Honorable Bernadine Jones 

Chairwoman, Havasupai Tribe 

P.O. Box 10 

Supai, AZ 86435 

WBR:GKnowles:lbrown:06/09/10:801-524-3781 

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