Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Tidewater Goby

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The designation includes 10 coastal stream segments in Orange and San Diego Counties, California, totaling approximately 9 linear miles of streams. Critical habitat includes the stream channels and their associated wetlands, flood plains, and estuaries. These habitat areas provide for the primary biological needs of foraging, sheltering, reproduction, and dispersal, which are essential for the conservation of the tidewater goby. Section 7 of the Act requires Federal agencies to ensure that actions they authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat. As required by section 4 of the Act, we considered economic and other relevant impacts prior to making a final decision on what areas to designate as critical habitat.