Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program

The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP) is a coordinated, comprehensive, long-term multi-agency effort to conserve and work towards the recovery of endangered species, and protect and maintain wildlife habitat on the lower Colorado River.

The MSCP's purposes are:

• protect the lower Colorado River environment while ensuring the certainty of existing river water and power operations,
• address the needs of threatened and endangered wildlife under the Endangered Species Act, and
• reduce the likelihood of listing additional species along the lower Colorado River.

The MSCP covers areas up to and including the full-pool elevations of Lakes Mead, Mohave and Havasu and the historical floodplain of the Colorado River from Lake Mead to the United States-Mexico Southerly International Boundary, a distance of about 400 river miles. Conservation measures currently focus on the area from Hoover Dam to the border, but may include Grand Canyon in the future.

Developed between 1996 and early 2005, the plan for this 50-year effort includes the goal of creating more than 8,100 acres of riparian, marsh and backwater habitat for four listed species and 16 other species native to the lower Colorado River. It also includes measures to protect and enhance an additional two listed and four non-listed species. In addition, the MSCP partners will participate in recovery programs for endangered razorback sucker and bonytail when those programs are finalized for the lower Colorado River. Presently, existing populations of these fish are maintained and augmented through a rearing and stocking program that also preserves the genetic diversity of these species.

Implementation of the program began in April 2005 with the signing of a Record of Decision by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. The Department will provide 50 percent of the program's estimated $626 million cost, and California, Nevada, and Arizona will jointly provide the other 50 percent (CA-50%, NV-25% and AZ-25%). The implementation activities are based on adaptive management principles, which allows program conservation measures to be adjusted over time based on monitoring and research. The Bureau of Reclamation, in consultation and partnership with a Steering Committee made up of representatives from the 56 participating entities, is the primary implementing agency for this activity.

In December 2004, a final Environmental Impact Statement for this effort was developed which includes a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Biological Assessment (Note: smaller versions of these files can be found at the "Files for Low-Speed Downloads" page.) Also, more information and additional documents related to the EIS can be found on the Regulatory/Compliance Documents page.

For more information, contact the LCR MSCP Program Office at: 702-293-8577.

Webmaster: Colleen Dwyer, cdwyer@lc.usbr.gov
Updated: December 2008