Flaming Gorge Technical Working Group

Purpose and Participation

The Flaming Gorge Technical Working Group (FGTWG) was established pursuant to the Operation of Flaming Gorge Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) as recommended in the Flow and Temperature Recommendations for Endangered Fishes in the Green River Downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam, Muth et al., (Flow Recommendations).

Members of the FGTWG include biologists and hydrologists from Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Western Area Power Administration. The Record of Decision on the FEIS clarified the purpose of the FGTWG as limited to proposing specific flow and temperature targets for each year’s operations based on current year hydrologic conditions and the conditions of the endangered fish. The FGTWG was also charged with integrating, to the extent possible, any flow requests from the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (Recovery Program) into the flow proposal so that Recovery Program research could also be facilitated.

This process concurrently serves the informal consultation and coordination requirements of the ESA for the action agencies as committed to in the ROD.

Supporting Information