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<br />TODic of Review Too Broad. The three major etudy areae of this review would <br />have required much more time to evaluate their relationehipe and how they <br />ehould be integrated. It wae evident that the Recovery Program evolved from <br />early etudiee that focused on the ecological requiremente of the endangered <br />fish, particularly inetream flow and habitat requirements. Theee studies were <br />initiated without developing an understanding of how the physical processes <br />produced and maintained habitate required by the various life stagee of the <br />endangered fishes. Many of the p~esent studies appear to be redundant because <br />the eame or eimilar information is still being collected on the biology of the <br />endangered fishee. Much of the emphaeis has been and continues to be on the <br />Colorado squawfish. Management decisions for the Colorado squawfish will be <br />inadequate for recovery of the other three endangered fishee. <br /> <br />The relatively recent expansion of studies that include various disciplinee <br />demonstrated that early overeight by the Recovery Program is being corrected. <br />An ecoeystem spproach integrating the disciplines of biology, hydrology, and <br />geomorphology for the entire Upper Basin is clearly the best way to underetand <br />and effectively manage the Upper Colorado River System. Past work eeems to be <br />segregated by. focusing on either the Colorado or Green rivere rather than the <br />entire Upper Basin ecosystem, including tributaries. Recommendations by <br />Stanford (1994) to diversify research studies to resolve critical <br />uncertainties, implement a peer review process, and adopt an adaptive <br />management approach are being initiated by the Recovery Program. <br />Implementation of Stanford's recommendations was considered by the peer <br />reviewers to be a beneficial move that should improve the effectiveneee of the <br />Recovery program. <br /> <br />Pocumentation for Peer Review Not Adeauate. The baeic outline used for <br />individual projecte by the Program provides a format with relevant information <br />for preparing Bound study propoBals~ However, the scopes-af-work that were <br />reviewed were not very detailed so that scientific evaluations by the peer <br />reviewers was impossible. Specifically, the objectives, methode or. approach, <br />and references in most individual scopes-of-work were not adequate for a <br />compreheneive peer review. The intended outputs of the objectives were <br />usually not measurable as written and did not identify a target date. The <br />methods or approaches were written in general terms BO that they were <br />extremely vague. A brief description of the methods or approachee with <br />references would provide peer reviewers with the information required for <br />adequate evaluation of the different disciplines. Many of the project <br />outlines did not contain any references indicating that literature reviews had <br />not been completed. Finally, the person identified in the project outlinee <br />were, in some C&BeB, not the principal investigator but the person who <br />submitted the project. The principal investigator, organization, and paet <br />experience in similar studies should be clearly identified in proposed <br />studies. The annual progress reports were too vague or sketchy in deecribing <br />accomplishments for adequate evaluation by the peer reviewers. <br /> <br />Perception of Individual Studies. Past and present studies do not appear to <br />be developed eystematically. Various researchers appear to pursue their own <br />interests and do not appear to integrate their study proposals and results in <br />annual reports with other related studies. Although related to the overall <br />thrusts of the Recovery Program effort, research projects were not developed <br /> <br />6 <br />