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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />A peer review and ro~ndtable discussion was conducted in Grand Junction, <br />Colorado, February 6-7, 1995, on the relationship of streamflow, <br />geomorphology, and food web studies related to the Upper Colorado River Basin <br />Recovery Program. This review was based on FY 1994 scopes-of-work and 1993 <br />annual reports for current ongoing Aspinall Unit and Flaming Gorge studies <br />funded through the Upper Colorado.River Basin Recovery Proqram. Two <br />objectives were achieved through this review: (1) Projects related to <br />streamflow, geomorphology, and food web studies were reviewed and (2) <br />Recommendations were provided on overall strateqic planninq for the Recovery <br />Program, strategies to improve research proposals and annual reports, and <br />considerations for conducting future peer reviews. <br /> <br />.A thorough review for integration of streamflow, geomorphology, and food web <br />studies was not possible with available documentation and within the timeframe <br />of this review. However, the peer reviewere aqreed that integration of study <br />designs and results from various related disciplines would be beneficial in <br />decision-making related to recovery of the endangered fishes. They commended <br />the Recovery Program participants for initiating studies (i.e., geomorphology <br />and food web studies) that will help to understand ecosystem relationships and <br />better define streamflows for recovery. <br /> <br />Recommendations. This review provided an opportunity to develop. <br />recommendations for (1) applying a systems approach to recovery efforts, (2) <br />improving research proposals (i.e., scopes-of-work), (3) improving the content <br />of annual reports, and (4) conducting future peer reviews of proposed research <br />to be initiated under the Recovery Program in the upper Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />1. AODlication of an .Overall Systems ADDroach to the Recovery Proaram. This <br />review identified a need for improved communication between technical <br />scientists and decision-makers in the Recovery Program for endanger~d fishes <br />in the Upper Colorado River Basin. There appears to be a lack of overall <br />strategic planning through a systems approach that focuses on the five <br />recovery elements identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1987). A <br />comprehensive systems approach involves four basic planning steps: <br />(1) inventory and scaping to answer the question of "Where are we?n, <br />(2) strategic planning to answer the question of "Where do we want to be?", <br />(3) operational planning to answer the question of "How do we get there?", and <br />(4) evaluation to answer the question "Did we make it?". A systems approach <br />is a dynamic process of adaptive management where refinements are made through <br />a continuous process of application and evaluation. <br /> <br />2. ImDrovina Research ProDosals. The format used by the Recovery Program for <br />research proposals contains relevant topics. However, the information <br />provided in the study proposals that were reviewed was too vague or incomplete <br />for evaluation by the peer reviewers as to scientific merit or how the results <br />may be integrated with other disciplines. It is recommended that scopes-of- <br />work for initiating new studies should be written as research proposals that <br />will contain adequate information for a peer review. Specifically, (1) The <br />objectives need to be written as measurable outpute with a target date for <br />completion; (2) The relation of the study to the Recovery Proqram should <br /> <br />1 <br />