Biological Assessments and Opinions

On this page you will find a chronological listing of Biological Assessments and their accompanying Biological Opinions for projects in the Interior Region 7 – Upper Colorado Basin.

The Endangered Species Act requires that any federal agency proposing an action that may have an effect on an ESA-listed fish – issuing a permit, spending money, taking a direct action on fish habitat – consult with the act’s regulatory agencies’, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or NOAA Fisheries.

Reclamation will complete a biological assessment on potential effects to the fish or its habitat and submit it to the regulatory agency. The regulatory agency then renders a Biological Opinion back to Reclamation.

The intent of a Biological Opinion is to ensure that the proposed action will not reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of a ESA-listed species. A Biological Opinion usually also includes conservation recommendations that further recovery of the specific ESA-listed species.

Publication Date	Document Title
12/2016	Final Biological and Conference Opinion for Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Non-Federal Water Management and Maintenance Activities on the Middle Rio Grande
11/2016	Biological Opinion for the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan, Coconino County, Arizona

You may email questions regarding environmental documents to ucrnepa@usbr.gov