Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Designation of Critical Habitat for the Arkansas River Basin Population of the Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for the Arkansas River Basin population of the Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 856 kilometers (532 miles) of linear distance of rivers, including 91.4 meters (300 feet) of adjacent riparian areas measured laterally from each bank are included within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. The areas that we have determined to possess the features that are essential to the conservation of the Arkansas River shiner include portions of the Canadian River (often referred to as the South Canadian River) in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, the Beaver/North Canadian River in Oklahoma, and the Cimarron River in Kansas and Oklahoma, and the Arkansas River in Kansas. As presented in the proposed rule, we have excluded from this designation all previously designated critical habitat in the Beaver/North Canadian River in Oklahoma and the Arkansas River in Kansas under authority of section 4(b)(2) of the Act. In addition, we have excluded all previously proposed critical habitat in Unit 1a of the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas and a portion of Unit 1b in Texas and Oklahoma under authority of section 4(b)(2) of the Act.