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<br />713 <br /> <br />38. Comment: <br /> <br />Response: <br /> <br />39. Comment: <br /> <br />Response: <br /> <br />40. Comment: <br /> <br />in 1996-97 when Reclamatian canducted the Winter Law Flaw Test when <br />the effects af the same twO. flaw (500 vs 250 cfs) releases were campared. <br />There were no. significant lasses af fish assaciated with stranding <br />assaciated with decreasing releases nar daes Reclamatian believe that <br />will accur during the prapased test. Still, areas immediately dawnstream <br />afthe dam will be manitared as flaws are reduced to. identify areas where <br />traut may be stranded. If they cannat be effectively relacated at a 250 cfs <br />release and if the tatal numbers stranded are deemed a significant <br />patentiallass, this wauld be graunds to. terminate the test. <br /> <br />Reduced flows may dry up portions of riffles that support substantial <br />macro invertebrate production, reducing the food base for the trout fishery <br />until the macro invertebrates are able to re-establish in those areas. <br />Reclamation should try to quantify the loss. <br />Reclamatian daes nat believefaad supply (macro. invertebrates) to. be a <br />significant limitingfactar to. the trautfishery. During the 1996-97 Winter <br />Low Flaw Test, traut health was assessed befare, during and immediately <br />after the 250 cfs.test. There was no. appreciable lass in the canditian af <br />the traut (length to. weight ratio.) during this periad demanstrating that <br />faad supply was nat affected to. the paint af becaming a limiting factar to. <br />traut. Lass af wetted area was calculated during the 4 manth test and <br />there was a carrespanding lass to. macro. invertebrate habitat. That lass <br />has been acknawledged but has been deemed insignificant in the winter <br />law flaw test in that there was no. carrespanding lass in trout praductian. <br />Dawnstream fram Citizen's Ditch the lass af wetted area and supparted <br />macro. invertebrates wauld be expected to. be greater. Macro. invertebrate <br />papulatians recaver quickly ance adequate flaw has been restared. While <br />the impact belaw Citizen's Ditch may be relatively extreme, it is' <br />anticipated benthic cammunities wauld recavery quickly. Under a warse <br />case scenario., while aquatic insect papulatiansrecaver, the traut within <br />this sectian af the river may lase weight but wo.uld nat perish. This wauld <br />be a relatively shart-tenn impact with all traut recavering fully within a <br />relatively shart time frame. <br /> <br />The cold water trout fishery extends at least 15 miles downstream from <br />Navajo Dam and not the 7 miles stated in the draft EA. The trout fishery <br />is more than significant, as stated in the draft EA, it is considered to be one <br />of the best Rainbow trout fisheries in the lower 48 states, possibly in the <br />top 5 cold water resources. <br />Agreed, hawever, fishing decreases belaw the 7 mile mark. <br /> <br />If young-of-the-year trout are occupying marginal habitats along the <br />margins of the river, those habitats will be lost as the flows are reduced. <br /> <br />21 <br />